Brooklyn Bridge

• 12 Dec, 2013
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As Washington Roebling immersed himself in the Brooklyn Bridge project, he developed caisson disease, which affected him so badly that he became bed-ridden. It was at this point that Emily stepped in as the “first woman field engineer” and saw out the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge. She took over much of the chief engineer's duties, including day-to-day supervision and project management. Emily and her husband jointly planned the bridge's continued construction. She dealt with politicians, competing engineers, and all those associated with the work on the bridge to the point where people believed she was behind the bridge's design.