Brooklyn Bridge Construction and History

Of all the engineering advances in the 1800s, the Brooklyn Bridge stands out as perhaps the most famous and most remarkable. It took more than a decade to build, cost the life of its designer, and was constantly criticized by skeptics who predicted the entire structure was going to collapse into New Yorks East River. When it opened on May 24, 1883, the world took notice and the entire U.S. celebrated. The great bridge, with its majestic stone towers and graceful steel cables, isnt just a beautiful New York City landmark. Its also a very dependable route for many thousands of daily commuters. John Roebling and His Son Washington John Roebling, an immigrant from Germany, did not invent the suspension bridge, but his work building bridges in America made him the most prominent bridge builder in the U.S. in the mid-1800s. His bridges over the Allegheny River at Pittsburgh (completed in 1860) and over the Ohio River at Cincinnati (completed 1867) were considered remarkable achievements. Roebling began dreaming of spanning the East River between New York and Brooklyn (which were then two separate cities) as early as 1857 when he drew designs for enormous towers that would hold the bridges cables. The Civil War put any such plans on hold, but in 1867 the New York State legislature chartered a company to build a bridge across the East River. Roebling was chosen as its chief engineer. The Brooklyn Bridge during its construction. Hulton Archives / Getty Images Just as work was beginning on the bridge in the summer of 1869, tragedy struck. John Roebling severely injured his foot in a freak accident as he was surveying the spot where the Brooklyn tower would be built. He died of lockjaw not long after, and his son Washington Roebling, who had distinguished himself as a Union officer in the Civil War, became chief engineer of the bridge project. Challenges Met by the Brooklyn Bridge Talk of somehow bridging the East River began as early as 1800, when large bridges were essentially dreams. The advantages of having a convenient link between the two growing cities of New York and Brooklyn were obvious. But the idea was thought to be impossible because of the width of the waterway, which, despite its name, wasn’t really a river. The East River is actually a saltwater estuary, prone to turbulence and tidal conditions. Further complicating matters was the fact that the East River was one of the busiest waterways on earth, with hundreds of crafts of all sizes sailing on it at any time. Any bridge spanning the water would have to allow for ships to pass beneath it, meaning a very high suspension bridge was the only practical solution. And the bridge would have to be the largest bridge ever built, nearly twice the length of the famed Menai Suspension Bridge, which had heralded the age of great suspension bridges when it opened in 1826. Pioneering Efforts of the Brooklyn Bridge Perhaps the greatest innovation dictated by John Roebling was the use of steel in the construction of the bridge. Earlier suspension bridges had been built of iron, but steel would make the Brooklyn Bridge much stronger. To dig the foundations for the bridge’s enormous stone towers, caissons—enormous wooden boxes with no bottoms—were sunk in the river. Compressed air was pumped into them, and men inside would dig away at the sand and rock on the river bottom. The stone towers were built atop the caissons, which sank deeper into the river bottom. Caisson work was extremely difficult, and the men doing it, called â€Å"sandhogs,† took great risks. Washington Roebling, who went into the caisson to oversee work, was involved in an accident and never fully recovered. An invalid after the accident, Roebling stayed in his house in Brooklyn Heights. His wife Emily, who trained herself as an engineer, would take his instructions to the bridge site every day. Rumors thus abounded that a woman was secretly the chief engineer of the bridge. Years of Construction and Rising Costs After the caissons had been sunk to the river bottom, they were filled with concrete, and the construction of the stone towers continued above. When the towers reached their ultimate height, 278 feet above high water, work began on the four enormous cables that would support the roadway. Spinning the cables between the towers began in the summer of 1877, and was finished a year and four months later. But it would take nearly another five years to suspend the roadway from the cables and have the bridge ready for traffic. The building of the bridge was always controversial, and not just because skeptics thought Roebling’s design was unsafe. There were stories of political payoffs and corruption, rumors of carpet bags stuffed with cash being given to characters like  Boss Tweed, the leader of the political machine known as Tammany Hall. In one famous case, a manufacturer of wire rope sold inferior material to the bridge company. The shady contractor, J. Lloyd Haigh, escaped prosecution. But the bad wire he sold is still in the bridge, as it couldn’t be removed once it was worked into the cables. Washington Roebling compensated for its presence, ensuring the inferior material wouldn’t affect the strength of the bridge. By the time it was finished in 1883, the bridge had cost about $15 million, more than twice what John Roebling had originally estimated. While no official figures were kept on how many men died building the bridge, it has been reasonably estimated that about 20 to 30 men perished in various accidents. The Grand Opening The grand opening for the bridge was held on May 24, 1883. Some Irish residents of New York took offense as the day happened to be the birthday of Queen Victoria, but most of the city turned out to celebrate. President Chester A. Arthur came to New York City for the event, and led a group of dignitaries who walked across the bridge. Military bands played, and cannons in the Brooklyn Navy Yard sounded salutes. A number of speakers lauded the bridge, calling it a Wonder of Science and lauding its anticipated contribution to commerce. The bridge became an instant symbol of the age. Its early years are the stuff of both tragedy and legend, and today, nearly 150 years since its completion, the bridge functions every day as a vital route for New York commuters. And while the roadway structures have been changed to accommodate automobiles, the pedestrian walkway is still a popular attraction for strollers, sightseers, and tourists.

Should Marijuana Be Legalized - 1407 Words

Cannabis also known as Marijuana has become a widely known and controversial topic in the United Sates. It is currently legal for recreational use in Washington, Oregon, and Colorado. Medicinal Marijuana has also been legalized in 11 other states. Many people are against the idea of legalizing marijuana for medical use in all states for reasons such as impaired driving, addiction, and a gate way to other drugs. Others say the pros outweigh the cons in this situation . I believe that marijuana is an effective and safe alternative than most legal drugs that are currently being used in our country and should be legalized in all states for medicinal use. Anti- Marijuana activists claim that the legalization of medical marijuana will rise the accident and death rates in the U.S due to intoxicated driving. Calmaca.org is a website for Citizens Against Legalizing Marijuana. On their web page they justified the so called myth that no one gets hurt by marijuana. The activist on this web page say, â€Å"26.9% of seriously injured drivers test positive for marijuana and 20% of all vehicle crashes are attributed to drugged driving.† . Unlike popular belief most citizens do not know that you can ingest cannabis and not feel the â€Å"high† that they are so against. There are hundreds of chemicals found in marijuana. THC is the primary active ingredient and stands for tetrahydrocannabinol. This chemical is the one that does all the psychological effects. There is one other chemical that makes upShow MoreRelatedShould Marijuana Be Legalized?849 Words   |  4 Pageswhether marijuana should be legalized. Around 23 states have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational use. In the state of Illinois, medicinal use of marijuana has been passed on April 17, 2013. Since January 2014, patients are able to obtain marijuana with a doctor s recommendation. The new debate is whether marijuana should be legalized for the general public as a recreational drug. Althou gh some believe that marijuana is harmless, and that it has beneficial medicinal uses, marijuana shouldRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1715 Words   |  7 PagesMarijuana in Society Cannabis, formally known as marijuana is a drug obtained from the tops, stems and leaves of the hemp plant cannabis. The drug is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. Only substances like caffeine, nicotine and alcohol are used more (â€Å"Marijuana† 1). In the U. S. where some use it to feel â€Å"high† or get an escape from reality. The drug is referred to in many ways; weed, grass, pot, and or reefer are some common names used to describe the drug (â€Å"Marijuana† 1). Like mostRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1489 Words   |  6 Pagescannabis plant or marijuana is intended for use of a psychoactive drug or medicine. It is used for recreational or medical uses. In some religions, marijuana is predominantly used for spiritual purposes. Cannabis is indigenous to central and south Asia. Cannabis has been scientifically proven that you can not die from smoking marijuana. Marijuana should be legalized to help people with medical benefits, econo mic benefits, and criminal benefits. In eight states, marijuana was legalized for recreationalRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1245 Words   |  5 PagesMarijuana is a highly debatable topic that is rapidly gaining attention in society today.   Legalizing marijuana can benefit the economy of this nation through the creation of jobs, increased tax revenue, and a decrease in taxpayer money spent on law enforcement.   Ã‚  Many people would outlaw alcohol, cigarettes, fast food, gambling, and tanning beds because of the harmful effects they have on members of a society, but this is the United States of America; the land of the free and we should give peopleRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1010 Words   |  5 PagesThe legalization of marijuana became a heated political subject in the last few years. Twenty-one states in America have legalized medical marijuana. Colorado and Washington are the only states where marijuana can be purchased recreationally. Marijuana is the high THC level part of the cannabis plant, which gives users the â€Å"high† feeling. There is ample evidence that supports the argument that marijuana is beneficial. The government should legalize marijuana recreationally for three main reasonsRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1231 Words   |  5 Pagesshows the positive benefits of marijuana, it remains illegal under federal law. In recent years, numerous states have defied federal law and legalized marijuana for both recreational and medicinal use. Arizona has legalized marijuana for medical use, but it still remains illegal to use recreationally. This is absurd, as the evidence gathered over the last few decades strongly supports the notion that it is safer than alcohol, a widely available substance. Marijuana being listed as a Schedule I drugRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1350 Words   |  6 Pagespolitics in the past decade would have to be the legalization of marijuana. The sale and production of marijuana have been legalized for medicinal uses in over twenty states and has been legalized for recreational uses in seven states. Despite the ongoing support for marijuana, it has yet to be fully legalized in the federal level due to cultural bias against â€Å"pot† smoking and the focus over its negative effects. However, legalizing marijuana has been proven to decrease the rate of incrimination in AmericaRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1145 Words   |  5 PagesLegalizing Marijuana Marijuana is a drug that has been actively used for centuries. This drug can be traced back to 2737 BC by the Chinese emperor Shen Nung. He spoke about the euphoric effects of Cannabis and even referred to it as the â€Å"Liberator of Sin.† Since early on, marijuana was seen as a medicinal plant that was recommended for medical uses. Marijuana is currently in schedule I, which means that physicians are not allowed to prescribe it in the United States (Hart, Ksir 2013). This drugRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?997 Words   |  4 PagesLegalize It: The Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana Should marijuana be legalized? Many Americans have been asked this question or have heard some type of news about the issue. Marijuana is commonly known as cannabis which refers to the dried up hemp plant cannabis sativa, even though marijuana is a plant and has no chemical additives it has been a tropic of controversy for many years but nowadays it is in the spotlight more than ever. For centuries, marijuana has been used by people throughout theRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized? Essay1457 Words   |  6 PagesSHOULD MARIJUANA BE LEGALIZED? Marijuana is a drug that has sparked much controversy over the past decade as to whether or not it should be legalized. People once thought of marijuana as a bad, mind-altering drug which changes a person’s personality which can lead to crime and violence through selling and buying it. In the past, the majority of citizens believed that marijuana is a harmful drug that should be kept off the market and out of the hands of the public. However, a recent study conducted

Workforce Skills Qualifications

Question: Discuss about the Workforce Skills Qualifications. Answer: At present, it is the new normal in many organizations to conduct endless training aimed at the improving the performance of employees. According to Bairu Chin, (2012), there are numerous training programs which target potential employees that teach skills for people to acquire employment. In the light of the above events, it is clear that securing a job and work retention is the primary goal of every individual. Singapore has shown its efforts by ensuring that its workforce gets the proper training so as to become productive employees. This paper focuses on the Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) framework in Singapore and how it deals with the challenges brought about by VUCA environment. Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) is a national credential in Singapore that gives training, assessments, and development to individuals ("Skills upgrading", 2017). Besides, WSQ helps in identifying individual competencies and shapes an individual to become more employable. Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) is as a result of Singapores Workforce Development Agency (WDA) in cahoots with industries to set a standard of primary qualification of a workforce. The main aim of WSQ is to ensure that people realize their worth and that they take charge of their competencies regarding their field of profession ("WSQ Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ)", 2017). On the other hand, employers benefit from this program because they receive employees who are up to the task hence an organization performance is likely to increase. Ultimately, WSQ framework aims at providing leadership training to business leaders thus proving a roadmap to be in tandem with todays business practice s. Singapores Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) is aimed to deal with the problems that result from VUCA world. VUCA world is the new normal as far as business problems are concerned. It is characterized by Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity (Mack, Khare, Kramer, Burgartz, 2017). Volatility implies that changes are unprecedented and may exist for unknown periods for example, price fluctuations due to a natural disaster. Uncertainty is lack of information about a particular change hence making a solution to be a problem. Complexity means situations have a lot of variables and a lot of interconnected parts making a process to be difficult. Ambiguity is about facing unknowns unknowns. Agility is one of the ways that WSQ framework has to utilize as a way of dealing with VUCA. Leaders are equipped with knowledge on how to anticipate change and ways of dealing with the same. Leaders who can be flexible with any changes that come into the market, can register exemplary performance. Previously, leaders have been dealing with VUCA by trying to come up with countermeasures which at the end turn to be catastrophic thus leads to a lot of losses. WSQ framework also deals with VUCA environment by ensuring that individuals especially business leaders, have high personal resilience. Resilience is the mental ability to deal with ones personal life and professional life in a very calm and mature manner. A successful organization has realized the importance of training their workforce on personal development and also on improving their professional skills (Smither, Houston, McIntire, 2016). Google is an example of an organization that helps its members to build resilience and personal growth through Search inside Yourself so as to be tackle emotional problems associated with VUCA. A growth mindset is being used in WSQ framework to deal with VUCA. It is evident that ones mind grows as a person grows. Also, it is true that age does not define an individuals intelligence. Individual ability and talent develops with time and in the right environment (Vlikangas, 2010). WSQ framework assists in educating that, hard work and willingness to learn is what is important. In conclusion, Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) is a unique program that helps individuals to learn the value of being able to overcome any obstacle. WSQ framework instills agility, resilience and a growth mindset to individuals, especially business leaders thus equipping them with the knowledge on how to deal with VUCA. References Bairu, M. Chin, R. (2012).Global Clinical Trials Playbook: Capacity and Capability Building(1st ed., p. 113). Academic Press. Mack, O., Khare, A., Kramer, A., Burgartz, T. (2017).Managing in a VUCA World(1st ed., p. 22). Springer. Skills upgrading. (2017).Ministry of Manpower Singapore. Retrieved 10 March 2017, from https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/skills-training-and-development/skills- upgrading Smither, R., Houston, J., McIntire, S. (2016).Organization Development: Strategies for Changing Environments(1st ed., p. 397). Routledge. Vlikangas, L. (2010).The Resilient Organization: How Adaptive Cultures Thrive Even When Strategy Fails(1st ed., p. 14). McGraw Hill Professional. WSQ Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ). (2017).Hu-techconsulting.com. Retrieved 10 March 2017, from https://hu-techconsulting.com/wsq-singapore-workforce- skills-qualifications-wsq/