When The Golden Gate Bridge Was Built In 1933, Its Engineer Installed A Genius Life-Saving Feature

Up on the soaring heights of the Golden Gate Bridge, a workman is crossing the girders. His profession is a dangerous one what with the ever-present danger of falling into the churning waters below. But the man works for an engineer who puts safety first, and one innovation in particular will keep this worker – and many others – alive.

Breaking the stereotype

The worker and his mates are used to the danger. It’s become the fashion for them to show off how unafraid they are. But Joseph Strauss, head engineer of the new bridge, wants end the idea that working on bridges needs to be a risky business. So the man tiptoes across the span of steel secure in the knowledge that Strauss has thought of everything.

Architectural icon

It’s a glorious job, working on the Golden Gate Bridge. When the bridge’s completed, it’ll be renowned for its beauty. And there’ll truly be no other like it, with that graceful build and shining color setting it apart aesthetically. Beyond that, it’s a wonder of construction, a tribute to Strauss and the men who made it.

Emperor of America

The mile of water that connects San Francisco Bay and the Pacific forms a formidable barrier to traffic from the north of the bay to the city of San Francisco. And it’s no surprise that someone came up with the notion of spanning it with a bridge. It wasn’t likely that that someone would be listened to, though. No, that’s because he was Joshua Norton, a clinically insane man who claimed to be emperor of the U.S.A.

Fantasy bridge

But not too long after Norton’s 1869 idea first surfaced, it actually got some real backing. This came from Charles Crocker, a rail tycoon. And he didn’t just have some whimsical idea. No, he had a proper scheme, with figures and designs. Still, no one really wanted to listen, and the bridge remained a dream.