January 5, 2013 - Golden Gate Bridge Begun

– 1933
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nItncouldn’t be built, some experts said. And if it were built, itnwouldn’t last. A bridge across what was termed the “golden gate”nto San Francisco Bay certainly couldn’t stand up against the vigorousntides, swirling currents, and strong winds common in that area.

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nButnit was a terrible hassle for people living in San Francisco to drivenall around the bay to reach the land just 6,700 feet (some 2,000nmeters) away to the north, which is now Marin County. Instead ofndriving all that long way, people had to take a ferry boat—carefullyndriving their cars onto the ferry, traveling for about half an hournacross the water, and then driving off again as they reached theirndestination.

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nPeoplenwished that it was practical and affordable to build a bridge!

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nWell,nsome people wished for a bridge. The owners of the Southern PacificnRailroad were dead-set against building a bridge, because they alsonowned the ferry service, and it was very profitable. Very, verynprofitable—after all, they had a monopoly…people who wanted to gonfrom San Francisco to Marin County, or vice versa, didn’t have toonmany choices!

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Whenna dreamy, ambitious engineer named Joseph Strauss promised the citynof San Francisco that he could build an affordable bridge across thenstrait, the railroad company opposed the project and even brought anlawsuit against it.

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nSonpeople boycotted the ferry service. That means that, even though theynwould normally use the Southern Pacific’s ferries—even though theynwanted to and needed to use the ferries—they didn’t usenthem, in order to make a point. The point was this: We want a bridge.nAnd if you prevent us from getting our bridge, we won’t use yournferry service.

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nThenmassive boycott worked. A few pro-bridge court rulings plus a statenlaw later, planning went forward, and construction began on thenGolden Gate Bridge on this date in 1933.

nHooraynfor poets and dreamers!

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nJosephnStrauss, head engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge, was also a poet andnwas even class poet at his university. He is credited with buildingnmore than 400 bridges around the world; after the Golden Gate Bridgenwas complete, he wrote his most famous poem, “The Mighty Task IsnDone.”

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nAtnlast the mighty task is done;
Resplendent in the western sun
Thenbridge looms mountain high;
Its Titan piers grip ocean floor,
Itsngreat steel arms link shore with shore,
Its towers pierce the sky.

nOnnits broad decks in rightful pride,
The world in swift parade shallnride,
Throughout all time to be;
Beneath, fleet ships fromnevery port,
Vast land-locked Bay, historic fort,
And dwarfingnall–the sea.

nLaunchedn’midst a thousand hopes and fears
Damned by a thousand hostilenseers
Yet ne’er its course was stayed
But ask of those who metnthe foe,
Who stood alone when faith was low
Ask them the pricenthey paid.

nAsknof the steel, each strut and wire,
Ask of the searching, purgingnfire
That marked their natal hour;
Ask of the mind, the hand,nthe heart,
Ask of each single stalwart part
What gave it forcenand power.

nAnnhonored cause and nobly fought,
And that which they so bravelynwrought
Now glorifies their deed;
No selfish urge shall stainnits life,
Nor envy, greed, intrigue, nor strife,
Nor false,nignoble creed.

nHighnoverhead its lights shall gleam,
Far, far below life’s restlessnstream
Unceasingly shall flow;
For this was spun its lithe finenform
To fear not war, not time, not storm,
For Fate had meantnit so.

nOnenof the best things I read about Strauss was that he came up with anway to use movable safety netting beneath the construction site. Thisninnovation was credited with saving 19 workers’ lives.n(Unfortunately, 10 workers died when the netting failed under thenstress of a fallen scaffold, and one more died in another way.) Butnthe death toll from falls would have been 30 rather than 11!)

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nAlsonon this date:

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