idd-anotherdayinthelife: Washington Roebling

WASHINGTON AUGUSTUS ROEBLING, 1837- 1926

Helene Chesnais

May 24th, 1849

The original Roebling Wire Shop in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania

My father, John Roebling was a wise man. In 1832, he had led a group of German immigrants to America and they settled in the small village of Saxonburg in the great state of Pennsylvania. Sometimes, I considered myself lucky to be his son. He would stand tall and proud next to my mother, Johanna Roebling. Their love resulted in many children: Ferdinand, Josephine, Elvira, Laura, Charles, Edmund, William and me, the oldest. My relations with most of my brothers and sisters were not very close. I was only close to my younger brother Ferdinand. During my childhood in Saxonburg, I had to take care of him, and we did everything together. Our days were punctuated by dances and parties in our little German community. As my father was the village elder, I received special treatment from most of the villagers. That is where I spent the first twelve years of my life. I remember those days with vivid memories of a joyful life. I was tutored by a man named Julius Riedel. With his help, I perfected my German and English speaking skills, and opened my small mind to math, science, and so many other things that have helped me today. I also spent some of my time helping my father run his wire shop. My father wasn’t a very good farmer, and the weather in Pennsylvania had never been ideal for farming. As a result of this, he opened a wire shop close to our home. As a child, I was always fascinated by the wires, pulleys, ropes…

Helene Chesnais

September 5th 1851

Pre-stressing Machine

Until the age of twelve, I lived peacefully in my little home of Saxonburg, Pennsylvania. But slowly, my father’s business started growing and prospering. As a child, I could not understand the financial and economic issues involved, but I did understand one thing: I had to leave Saxonburg to go to Trenton, in New Jersey. My father had chosen this location to further enlarge his business, the Roebling Family Wire Shop, because it was close to wire suppliers, and it was also closer to transportation facilities. That way, the products could be shipped out to customers easily, and it was much easier from New Jersey than from Pennsylvania. For twelve years, I grew up with the shop, and I helped keep it in shape. Sometimes, my father went away to go to bridge construction sites, and I had to take full responsibility of the wire shop. I also had to work on my studies: I went to school at the Trenton Academy. I was an honor student, and I was one of the few members of the Classical Department.

In the shop, there were many things I loved. My favorite part of all the equipment was the huge pre-stressing machine. It had huge pistons and gauges that used to fascinate me when I was a child. My dad had explained to me that that particular machine would put tension in the wires, and make them stronger and more efficient for the real bridges. The pulleys and wire rope sockets were all around the shop, and the wire was dangling on the wall from everywhere. I guess that even though I didn’t know it back then, the days I spent looking at all this equipment made me develop a passion for suspension bridges like my father’s. I was destined to follow in his footsteps. The shop I grew up in taught me everything I needed to know about the art of bridge building, and it guided me towards the career I am in now: engineering.

Victor Chaix

June 23rd, 1858

As I was blooming into a young adult, I pursued my engineering education by going to the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. It had been my father’s dream for me to continue in his tracks, and my going to the best engineering high school at that time was like a dream come true. I spent two years working hard to learn the art of architecture, math, physics and engineering. During my days at the Institute, I also managed to help my father run the wire shop in Trenton.

The Pittsburgh-Allegheny Bridge 1846

I graduated from the institute in 1857, and then I returned home to my family. At that time, I loved collecting rocks and minerals that I would keep in my room. My favorite was the agate, a very mysterious rock, I loved collecting rocks; it fascinated me. All those colors, these minerals: a complex science. It was a distraction I wished to pursue to the side of my engineering career. In 1858, I helped my father complete my first bridge, The Allegheny Bridge. This bridge is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was the first time that I was responsible for working on a project on my own, a mission from my father. After that, President Lincoln had a speech in Washington about the roaring Civil War. I listened with a lot of interest. He talked about the United States; its need for more of people in the military... These were certainly the best years of my life.

Agate Stones

Javier Echevarria
December 23rd 1864

Emily Warren, oil on canvas by Carolus Duran

Finally! I am an adult; a grown up man with a good education behind me. I would even say more than that: I’m an adult with an objective. This year, 1862, after listening to President Lincoln’s speech, I am an inspired man with goals such as the protection of my beautiful country and the development of its infrastructure. I now serve General G. K. Warren in the engineering department as an engineer officer. The General is a wonderful man. He assigned me to the supervision of the suspension bridges over the Rappahannock and Shenandoah Rivers at Harper's Ferry, and thanks to him, I can finally challenge myself using all my acknowledge acquired during so many years. We are now in the middle of the Civil War. Following my objective of serving my country, I join the New Jersey Militia. I am deceived very fast since I am seeking more than garrison duty. I resign after two months and re-enlist in a New York artillery battery. Also, I’ve noticed this gorgeous woman called Emily Warren, the General’s younger sister.

Battle of the Bull Run

Right from the beginning we’ve been exchanging tender looks. As a matter of fact, while I fight in battles such as the Bull Run and Antietam, my mind is mainly turned towards her. In my head she is the image of all of what I’m fighting for. She represents my beloved country, the innocent children, and the scared women.

I’ve been sharing my bunk with several soldiers. Even though they sometimes make fun of my obsession for bridges, they are generally very friendly and nice with me. In 1863, I was the first to spy Robert E. Lee’s army heading toward Gettysburg. I also helped in the Union victory. I keep fighting and after two years of service, in December 1864, I am promotted to lieutenant colonel for gallant service. Nevertheless, I’m starting to get tired of fighting and I share with my superiors my desire of leaving the military and starting a professional career as an engineer, following my father’s footsteps. My plan is to leave the military with a newly married wife, my beautiful Emily Warren, and acquire more of my father’s knowledge on bridge construction.

Victor Chaix
January 20th 1965

I have just left the army, and I am now married to Emily Warren, my beautiful and lovely wife. OUr I have returned to work in my family wire manufacturing and bridge business, John A. Roebling Sons Co. With my father, we are working to complete the Cincinnati and Convicton Bridges. We are working all day long, but I really love what I’m doing. I also have to announce you great news... I am going to be a dad! In my travel to Europe, seeking for knowledge in bridges and caisson foundations, my wife has come along to support me.

________________________________________________________________________
November 25th 1867

Portrait of Emily Warren

He’s born! He’s a healthy fellow just like his mother. Some people say he has the same eyes than me and my father. We named him John A. Roebling to honor my beloved father. I’m so proud of my family! After a long trip by sea that took several months, I’m finally home. My father has been appointed to the Brooklyn Bridge project, which will certainly be his last because he is not feeling well at all and he is getting old. However, he’s still very excited for the project. For now on, I am his assistant engineer. In my trip to Europe, I learned many things that I now teach to my father. He is inspired by these bridges, so we start making the construction blueprints together. I know that he doesn’t feel well so I am benefiting from my situation as his assistant to learn everything I can about his experience in bridge building. I really love my father. As I am writing, my wife is at home with my son, filling him with love.

Washington Roebling's notebook with the sketch
for the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, 1868

Helene Chesnais

1869-1871

As the construction of the bridge began to take shape, my father suffered a severe accident.. On the 28^th of June, as he was standing on a set of wood pilings to study the bridge construction, a boat crashed violently into the pilings, crushing his right foot, and severely damaging several of his toes. As he screamed in pain, I rushed over to my father in a hurry, and he was evacuated from the site. My worries had been relieved by the doctor’s report: the injury itself was not life threatening. Sadly, the accident had caused a sort of tetanus and an infection. His sickness caused him to pass out sometimes, and he was very tired. His end was coming soon, and my sadness was at its peak. The tears filled my heart, and it would explode if my father was to die. His state was worsening every day, as was my pain. To see my father suffer tortured me. My father, my role model, was soon to leave this world and leave me alone, in charge of the Brooklyn Bridge Construction. On July 28^th, my father passed away, asleep in a deep coma. His body stopped working, and my mind stopped thinking. I buried my sadness and pain in my work, as the burden of the construction was weighing on my shoulders.

I made several changes to the construction designs. For example, I added caissons that lay on the bottom of the river bed. They are the foundations of the two towers. They exist in a sort of air pressurized chamber; in which the workers set the bridge foundations. I worked in them myself. The construction continued on a good pace, and advanced with rich progress. The death of my father seemed far away, yet still close to my heart.

Work in the caissons

Javier Echevarria

July 7th 1882

I’m so sick I can no longer work. It is now 1879, the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge is at full speed, and yet I can’t work. I’m stuck here at home, looking at my project from my window. I now live in a town house, 110 Columbia Heights. I haven’t kept young and fit. I can’t hear out of the left ear. However, sixty years I’ve known it and it’s all in my head. By “it” I mean the project and the science behind it. While I was working in the construction of the bridge foundations, I was stricken with caisson disease. I got it while I was fighting a fire in the caissons of the bridge with my men, and I felt in the river. The cause of the disease was the rapid change in atmospheric pressure, causing nitrogen bubbles to form in the blood. Now, I’m supposed to direct the work from my sickroom window using field glasses! Thank God my wife is with me. To keep my name in the forefront of this tremendously important engineering feat, Emily is, though unofficially, Chief Engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge. She has been helping me by collecting all the news about the bridge since the beginning. I’m the most unfortunate man on Earth because after several months of work, American Society of Civil Engineers has convened a board of inquiry to determine if I should be removed as Chief Engineer because I was unable to direct the construction properly. Once again, God bless Emily! She has saved my career by convincing them that the Roeblings should remain in charge since they, as a family, had the idea and made the construction possible. She is the best wife I could have ever dreamed of. Not only is she beautiful and sweet but she also supports my whole family. My little boy named John is growing into a real gentleman and I’m so proud of him. My family and my bridge, that’s all I have left.

Brooklyn Bridge under construction 1877

Javier Echevarria

February 16th, 1883

As I get older and older, I spend more time in my bed, thinking about my past. The more I think about it, the more I understand how lucky and successful I’ve been for my whole life. When my father started the Brooklyn Bridge, experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told him to forget the idea. Now, mainly because of his genius and my determination, the bridge is almost finished and some people have called it the Eighth Wonder of the World. Also, some say that nowhere in the history of great undertakings is there anything comparable. This bridge, THE Bridge, is like my second son I never had. I’m very upset to have to stay in my room for most of my time.

Portrait of washington Roebling
By Théobald Chartran

According to my wife and my son, Manhattan is beautiful! My son often plays with his friends at the pier and my wife told me she overheard them talking about my bridge. I’m so proud! Also, they tell me Battery Park is becoming beautiful with its growing number of plants. When my son comes back from school and tells me about the people, the fashion, the skyscrapers, the shows… I am always astonished. I am aware that poverty is present in the city and that I am lucky of being financed to be financed by so many investors. The same investors who, fifteen years ago, discouraged my father and his ideas and described the bridge as an impossible feat! Ha, ha, look at them now! Looking for my favors and my respect! Nevertheless, neither my wealth nor my success will be able to save me from my caisson disease.

Victor Chaix
May 24th, 1883

May 24 of 1883, The Brooklyn Bridge has been inaugurated. As I am now very sick, I couldn’t go, but according to my wife, thousands of people attended it. There was the president, the mayor Franklin Edson, and many other important people. I’m so proud of my project! The mayor even took the time to go to my house and shake hands with me!

March 17th, 1903

I can’t stand it anymore. Walking around and doing nothing with my day, I have to stop. It’s been a couple of weeks since my wife’s been buried, on February 23rd, and since then, I don’t do anything. I sleep, cry sometimes, eat and sleep again. Now is the time when I have to wake up and return to my work on the Brooklyn Bridge.

It’s been a couple of years since I’ve not written in my journal .In 1908, and I’m in love again. It’s a young woman from Charleston and it’s been two years that we’ve been together. She’s called Cornelia Witsell. I will soon ask her for marriage! I’ve already prepared something: I will take her to her favorite restaurant and then ask for her hand in marriage at the end of the dinner with a beautiful ring that I bought very expensive at a friend’s store. I expect she’s going to say yes. Halas, my days are numbered. Even if Cornelia is taking care of me, I see my death coming. This is the Last time that I am writing in my journal as I can’t move my hand to write. So this is a goodbye, to you, my son. I really love you, don’t ever forget me.