LIFE.com

20 Facts About the Brooklyn Bridge

Storms Over the Brooklyn Bridge

Storms Over the Brooklyn Bridge

Fact No. 18: The bridge turned out to be a tragedy for the Roebling family. The designer, John Roebling, died from tetanus after a ferry crushed his foot as he was scouting locations for the bridge. His son, Washington Roebling, of Trenton, N.J., fell prey to the bends from his time in caissons laying the foundations for the towers, and became an invalid. Washington's wife, Emily, became the de facto head of construction in his stead.

Photo: Andreas Feininger./Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

Mar 01, 1946