Engineering Marvels In American History

Did you know that, in order to build the Brooklyn Bridge (1869-1883), men labored in hot, humid, sunken chambers filled with compressed air, as deep as 92 feet below the river bottom, to excavate through bedrock with only hand tools? Many never lived to tell about it. Truly amazing, sometimes shocking, truths like these lie behind our nation's historic bridges, tunnels, dams, railways, highways, and other engineered landmarks most people take for granted. But they exist only because visionary engineers dared to  design them, in spite of "impossible" challenges, and brave men dared to do the dangerous work. They dangled from ropes on cliff sides, drilled holes by hand for crude explosives, moved massive boulders with muscle power, suffered accidents, and labored hundreds of feet in the air without saftey harnesses. Engineering Marvels in American History was written for non-engineers. This book offers thoroughly researched details and colorful descriptions that make you an eye witness to the human effort hidden in every chiseled rock, pour of concrete, riveted truss, and well-placed brick or stone. With a new appreciation for both the engineers and construction workers, you will see why their legacy is truly marvelous.