JOHN ROEBLING BRIDGE by Randall Branham
by Randall Branham
Title
JOHN ROEBLING BRIDGE by Randall Branham
Artist
Randall Branham
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
The brown glow of the stone and the reflections on the river make this shot a natural sepia toned capture of the John Roebling Bridge, when built it was the largest suspension span in the world of 1057'.
Cincinnati was the first major city in "The West", or what is today known as the Midwest. Its 1850 population of 115,435 ranked sixth in the United States, far ahead of St. Louis (77,860) and Chicago (29,963). Its cross-river neighbors of Covington and Newport were home to 20,000 more residents, and as ferry traffic increased, the necessity of a bridge became apparent. The 1849 charter issued by the state of Ohio required no piers in the river, a length of 1,400ft., and a deck clearance of 112ft. By the time construction started in 1856, a revised charter eased the required length to 1,000ft. and height to 100ft. The ensuing period of construction stretched over a decade, interrupted by financial shortages and the Civil War, during which the city and unfinished bridge were under threat of attack.
Uploaded
August 7th, 2012
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