New Yorkers Mark 120th Birthday of Brooklyn Bridge

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, May 25, 2003

New Yorkers Mark 120th Birthday of Brooklyn Bridge

New Yorkers on Saturday celebrated with festivity the 120th birthday of the Brooklyn Bridge that links Manhattan and Brooklyn, two of the five boroughs of New YorkCity.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

New Yorkers on Saturday celebrated with festivity the 120th birthday of the Brooklyn Bridge that links Manhattan and Brooklyn, two of the five boroughs of New YorkCity.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Marty Markowitz and VirginiaFields, presidents of Brooklyn and Manhattan boroughs, kicked off the celebration with a walk across the bridge.

After crossing the bridge from Brooklyn side, Bloomberg told acrowd that he wondered when people built the bridge 120 years ago whether they could ever envision that New Yorkers had a city of 8 million people, with 40 percent of them foreign-born.

Morkowitz described the bridge as "a gift to the world and thelandmark of America," which represents "vitality and vibrancy of New York City, and especially the diversity and excitement of Brooklyn."

Groups of cyclists, braving chilly wind and drizzle, made theircrossing from Manhattan side of the bridge. One of the youngest riders, an eight-year-old girl identified only as Emile by her mother, said she is confident she can make it though she has not done much cycling.

Considered a feat of 19th-century engineering, the 1.8-km-long Brooklyn Bridge is crowned with many firsts. It is the first suspension bridge to use steel for its cable wire. It is the firstbridge to use explosive in a dangerous underwater device called a caisson. At the time when it was built, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world.

Saturday's celebration also featured guided tours of the Brooklyn sites of attractions, parties, a sunset concert by the Brooklyn Philharmonic and a laser and light show.

A special Brooklyn Bridge cake with 120 candles was shared by party goers.

The bridge, built in 15 years, did not come easily. More than two dozen workers died during construction. Designer John Roeblingdied of tetanus contracted during a field inspection. His son Washington took over the job, but he too, was suffering from a crippling illness. He managed to complete the construction by using a telescope to monitor the progress of the project and dictating instructions to his wife who then passed the orders to workers.

Today the Brooklyn Bridge has become a tourist attraction in New York City. Tourists from many parts of the world come to the bridge to marvel at its elegant design and get a closer look at the unrivaled views of the Manhattan skyline.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Chinese Crack Down on Public Spitting ( 2 Messages)

United States Afraid of its Own Shadow: Mahathir ( 8 Messages)

Int'l Community Aids China's SARS-control ( 6 Messages)

BBC Leader Criticizes US Coverage of War against Iraq ( 17 Messages)

US Interference in China's Internal Affairs Doomed to Failure: FM Spokeswoman ( 7 Messages)