As
construction was beginning, Roebling's
foot was seriously injured by a ferry
when it crashed into a wharf; within
a few weeks, he died of tetanus caused
by the amputation of his toes. His
son, Washington, succeeded him, but
was stricken with caisson disease
(decompression sickness, commonly
known as 'the bends'), due to working
in compressed air in caissons, in
1872. Washington's wife, Emily Warren
Roebling, became his aide, learning
engineering and communicating his
wishes to the on-site assistants.
When the bridge opened, she was the
first person to cross it. Washington
Roebling rarely visited the site again,
actually residing in Trenton, New
Jersey, and elsewhere during most
of its construction. In truth, he
spent little time looking through
the telescope at the project, his
near-sightedness causing the most
trouble
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