What's Beneath the Brooklyn Bridge?
The Brooklyn Bridge spans the East River from Manhattan Island to Brooklyn. It is the oldest suspension bridge in the United States, designed by John Augustus Roebling in 1870 and completed by his son, Washington, in 1883. Both men suffered greatly in service of the bridge: John died after a surveying accident (his foot was crushed by a ferry giving him tetanus); Washington contracted the bends, a debilitating illness often suffered by divers, after spending too much time in the compression chambers beneath the bridge.
But despite this tragic history, the Brooklyn Bridge remains one of the city’s most scenic bridges and a symbol of technological prowess and hope. The poet Hart Crane wrote a book-length poem in its honor.
The vault that Euri and Jack visit beneath the great anchoring structure of the bridge is one of many that really exist. The vaults have served over the years as shelter for the homeless, work areas, and wine cellars. In 2006, city inspectors even found a Cold War bunker in one of the vaults with survival supplies in case of a nuclear war. Read more about it here.