Page 27 - Mediterraneo e dintorni - nr 11
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mAy 24, 1883: the struction were over 600, most of them
InAugurAtIon oF the Italian. Among the many curiosities
brooklyn brIdge there is to know first of all that the
current and definitive denomination
or 136 years it has been an undi- dates back to 1915, as it was initially
Fsputed symbol of the Big Apple, called New York and Brooklyn Bridge.
one of the most evocative icons of the It is crossed daily by 100,000 vehicles,
American metropolis. Having become 4000 pedestrians and 2600 bicycles: a
a monument and a sign of identity for considerable total volume of traffic! A
the entire US nation, it connects the few days after the inauguration a tra-
districts of Manhattan and Brooklyn, gic misunderstanding caused an acci-
in New York. A daring architectural dent: during Memorial Day, which had
and engineering intervention for those brought thousands of people to the bri-
times. Work on the construction of the dge, a woman’s heel remained trapped,
Brooklyn Bridge, which lasted thirte- which caused her to scream and cause
en years, began with the laying of the panic; people, believing that the bridge
foundation stone on 2 January 1870 was about to collapse, began to escape
under the supervision of Washington in disorder and on that occasion twelve
Roebling, son of the visionary and pio- people lost their lives, crushed by the
neer German designer John Augustus crowd.
Roebling, who died six months earlier Although the incident was caused
due to a tetanus infection resulting by an absurd misunderstanding, the
from an accident during a preliminary emotional wave about the security and
inspection on one of the East River stability of the structure did not cease.
piers. It is a suspension bridge 1825 So the following year they resorted to
meters long, 84 high and 26 wide, sup- a “coup de theater” to calm the minds:
ported by four steel cables each 1090 Jumbo, a seven-ton elephant, along
meters long and 40 centimeters thick. with twenty other elephants from a
The aesthetic value is guaranteed by nearby circus, walked from Brooklyn
the two magnificent stone towers in to Manhattan crossing the bridge. An
Gothic style. It cost 15 million dollars ingenious and very useful idea to bring
(more or less 250 million euros today) back tranquility in public opinion ...
and the workers involved in the con- and some more spectators to the circus!
causato da un assurdo malinte- di teatro” per tranquillizzare Manhattan attraversando il pon-
so, l’onda emotiva circa la sicu- gli animi: Jumbo, un elefante di te. Una trovata ingegnosa e mol-
rezza e la stabilità della struttura sette tonnellate, assieme ad altri to utile per riportare tranquillità
non cessò. Sicché l’anno suc- venti elefanti di un vicino circo, nell’opinione pubblica… e qual-
cessivo si ricorse ad un “colpo passeggiarono da Brooklyn a che spettatore in più al circo!
John Augustus Roebling
Mediterraneo e dintorni - 25
