162. submitted a wire-cable bid: ENR, Oct. 6, 1927, p. 563; Oct. 13, 1927, p. 592; Oct. 20, 1927, p. 648.
163. “esthetic considerations”: ENR, Aug. 11, 1927, p. 215.
164. an early modification: ENR, May 24, 1928, p. 819.
165. model tests: ibid., pp. 819–22.
166. “He fully realizes”: ENR, Nov. 15, 1928, p. 741.
167. The basic idea for the towers: see Ammann (1924).
168. “another important part”: ibid., p. 25.
169. “The opposite extreme”: ibid.
170. “the combination and utilization”: ibid., p. 26.
171. “the architecture of the towers”: ibid.
172. “Not since December 1911”: Civil Engineering, Oct. 1933, pp. 583–84.
173. the Gilbert stonework: see, e.g., Billington (1977), p. 1663; see also Ammann (1933b), fig. 22.
174. “There is no part”: Ammann (1933b), pp. 46–47, 51.
175. “the fact that”: Moisseiff (1933), p. 165.
176. “When your car”: Le Corbusier quoted in a press kit prepared by the Port of New York Authority for the dedication of the opening of the lower deck of the George Washington Bridge, 1962.
177. six months earlier: NYT, Oct. 18, 1931, p. 16.
178. “George Washington Memorial Bridge”: NYT, Jan. 14, 1931, p. 1.
179. “ridiculous name”: NYT, Jan. 20, 1931, p. 22.
180. would continue to call: NYT, Jan. 22, 1931, p. 22.
181. alternatives suggested: see, e.g., NYT, Feb. 12, 1931, p. 14.
182. “Cleveland Bridge”: NYT, ibid., p. 27.
183. “named to suit”: NYT, Jan. 22, 1931, p. 41.
184. public was now invited: NYT, Jan. 23, 1931, p. 1.
185. “Verrazano Bridge”: NYT, Feb. 9, 1931, p. 39.
186. “volume of letters”: NYT, Feb. 12, 1931, p. 14.
187. decided on “George Washington Bridge”: NYT, April 24, 1931, p. 25.
188. “what the millions”: NYT, April 25, 1931, p. 18.
189. “get its workaday name”: ENR, May 7, 1931, p. 753.
190. “But probably the greatest”: NYT, Oct. 25, 1931, p. 30.
191. “designer of the great”: ibid.
192. “rendered special advice”: Ammann (1933b), p. 65.
193. “Defying the age-old rule”: NYT, Oct. 25, 1931, pp. 1, 30.
194. all the technical ingenuity: Doig and Billington, pp. 12 ff. 1923 article: Ammann (1923).
195. slightly skewed view: see, e.g., ibid., p. 1074.
196. unlikely extreme traffic condition: see Doig and Billington, pp. 15–16.
197. “every dollar spent”: quoted in ibid., p. 10.
198. economic attractiveness: ibid., pp. 17–18.
199. “the stiffening system”: quoted in ibid., p. 21.
200. “The setting”: quoted in Widmer, p. 19.
201. “great monument to Mr. Ammann”: see Ammann (1931b).
202. date of the first tunnels: ibid., p. 9.
203. “In my preliminary studies”: ibid., p. 17.
204. “a man of vast”: ibid., p. 25.
205. “There was one”: ibid., p. 27; cf. Waddell (1916), p. 5, for another version of the story of squaws used in proof testing.
206. engineers who were not in attendance: see Ammann (1931b), p. 3.
207. James Wilkins: Golden, p. 11; Golden Gate Bridge (1994), p. 9.
208. Hetch Hetchy Valley: van der Zee, p. 25; see also NYT, Aug. 5, 1987, pp. 1, 10.
209. Aeroscope: see Anderson, pp. 128–31; cf. U.S. Patent No. 1,235,506.
210. “Alcatraz and the Angel Islands”: Anderson, p. 130.
211. Joseph Baermann Strauss: Who’s Who in Engineering, 1937.
212. “to build the biggest thing”: Golden, p. 3.
213. “$100 and told him”: ibid., p. 5.
214. New Jersey Steel and Iron Company: see Darnell (1984).
215. “element of movement”: Strauss Bascule Bridge Company, p. 4.
216. O’Shaughnessy shared the data: van der Zee, p. 39.
217. It was an ungraceful hybrid: see O’Shaughnessey and Strauss, pp. 3, 5; cf. van der Zee, p. 42.
218. “to help stimulate”: van der Zee, p. 41.
219. An attractive booklet: O’Shaughnessy and Strauss.
220. “new cantilever-suspension type”: ibid., p. 6.
221. “so reasonable”: see ibid., p. 12.
222. Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District: ibid., p. 43.
223. Charles Alton Ellis: ibid., pp. 48–50; cf. van der Zee and Cone.
224. Moisseiff prepared plans: van der Zee, p. 57.
225. Among the engineers: ibid., p. 78.
226. Ammann had accepted: ibid., pp. 78–84.
227. O’Shaughnessy: see, e.g., ibid., p. 86.
228. newly printed letterhead: see ibid., p. 72.
229. “the lowest ever written”: ibid., p. 85.
230. Strauss sued: ENR, Nov. 19, 1936, p. 732.
231. Early plans: van der Zee, p. 94.
232. It was Ellis who assured: ibid., p. 100.
233. “the stepped-off type”: ibid., p. 114.
234. John Eberson: ibid., pp. 114–15.
235. He produced a design: see ibid., p. 124.
236. Irving F. Morrow: ibid., p. 115.
237. “the Golden Gate Bridge”: ENR, May 28, 1931, p. 877.
238. The university’s president: van der Zee, p. 125.
239. “Mr. Strauss gave me”: ibid., p. 126.
240. “who stands high”: ibid., p. 128.
241. “even if Mr. Strauss:” ibid.
242. “a problem of this nature”: ibid., p. 110; cf. van der Zee and Cone.
243. “the structure was nothing unusual”: van der Zee, p. 142.
244. “vexed” even Moisseiff: ibid., p. 155.
245. “without diagonals”: ENR, Jan. 25, 1934, p. 125.
246. “in protest over”: van der Zee, p. 156.
247. “principal engineer”: Golden Gate Bridge (c. 1987).
248. a plaque: van der Zee, p. 295.
249. Strauss’s final report: Strauss.
250. Pedestrian Day: see van der Zee, pp. 296–98.
251. fiftieth anniversary: see, e.g., Kuesel, pp. 58, 59.
252. known among engineers: see, e.g., Ketchum and Heldermon.
253. $128-million project: ENR, Jan. 6, 1992, p. 12.
254. disagreements over liability: ENR, Jan. 4, 1993, p. 19.
255. “At last the mighty task”: San Francisco News, May 26, 1937, Golden Gate Bridge and Fiesta Section, p. 4; cf. Golden Gate Bridge (c. 1987).
256. It is known that Ellis: van der Zee and Cone.
257. “When Telford planned”: Ammann (1933a), p. 429.
258. Triborough Bridge Authority: see, e.g., Caro, pp. 657–59.
259. Tammany engineers: Caro, p. 391.
260. The proposed design: see Shanor, pp. 149–56.
261. “so that the structure”: Embury (1938c), p. 265.
262. “It is now well established”: Ammann (1939), p. 218.
263. “in no small degree”: ibid., p. 217.
264. architect to the elite: Caro, p. 365.
265. “had the good fortune”: Embury (1938b), p. 85.
266. worked with Dana de novo: ibid.
267. “wanted the anchorages”: ibid., p. 86.
268. “until traffic conditions”: ibid., p. 87.
269. “an anachronism”: ibid., p. 88.
270. “how often do engineers”: Embury (1938a), p. 4.
271. “a reversal of function”: Embury (1938b), p. 89.
272. “it is always easier”: ibid.
273. “pendulum action”: ENR, Dec. 5, 1940, pp. 54–55.
274. Golden Gate moved sideways: Vincent, pp. 1817–1–1817–2.
275. Two much shorter suspension bridges: see Billington (1977), pp. 1667–68.
276. stranded on Deer Isle: NYT, May 31, 1978, p. 16.
&nbs
p; 277. “We have had to deal with”: ENR, Dec. 5, 1940, p. 56.
278. Leon Solomon Moisseiff: see “Memoir”; DAB, suppl. 3, pp. 530–31.
279. “Although he did not”: DAB, suppl. 3, p. 531.
280. Tacoma Narrows Bridge: see Ammann et al.
281. traffic over the bridge: ENR, Aug. 1, 1940, p. 139.
282. “Unless there are”: Moisseiff, in Ammann et al., p. II-1.
283. “raise the west end”: Moisseiff, in ibid., p. II-2.
284. “result in a neat”: Moisseiff, in ibid., p. II-4.
285. “be about one cent per lb. less”: Moisseiff, in ibid., p. II-6.
286. In a second part: ibid.
287. “height of the towers”: Moisseiff, in ibid., p. II-7.
288. Theodore L. Condron: NYT, Apr. 14, 1955, p. 29.
289. identified the board: Condron, in Ammann et al., p. IV-1.
290. “full confidence in Mr. Moisseiff”: quoted in ibid., p. IV-6.
291. Condron’s tabulation: ibid., p. IV-5.
292. “certain tests had been made”: Condron, in ibid., p. IV-3.
293. “Moisseiff and Lienhard”: quoted in ibid., p. IV-3.
294. “there seems to be some question”: Condron, in ibid., p. IV-4.
295. “In view of”: Condron, in ibid., p. IV-3.
296. Freudian slipping: cf. Moisseiff and Lienhard.
297. “gratifying”: Derleth, in discussion of Moisseiff and Lienhard, p. 1123.
298. “had its inception,” ibid., p. 1122.
299. “With regard to the super-structure”: Condron, in Ammann et al., p. IV-5.
300. “the Bridge was undulating”: Cone, in ibid., p. IX-1.
301. “It might seem”: quoted in Ammann et al., p. IV-6.
302. Construction bids: see Farquharson, pt. 1, p. 17.
303. Even before the bridge was completed: see, e.g., Ammann et al.
304. on November 7, 1940: see ibid.; cf. NYT, Nov. 8, 1940, pp. 1, 5.
305. “felt an obligation”: Pagon (1934a), p. 348.
306. a series of eight articles: Pagon (1934a through 1935d).
307. “must reading”: Farquharson, pt. 1, p. 14.
308. The letter: ENR, Nov. 21, 1940, p. 40.
309. Theodore von Kármán: Current Biography, 1955; NYT, May 18, 1963, p. 39.
310. “an eccentric study”: NYT, May 18, 1963, p. 39.
311. The committee’s report: Ammann et al.
312. “the Tacoma Narrows Bridge”: ibid., “Summary of Conclusions,” n.p.
313. bombastic autobiography: von Kármán.
314. “the bridge was built correctly”: ibid., p. 212.
315. “took home from Cal Tech”: ibid., p. 213.
316. “long standing of the prejudices”: ibid., p. 215.
317. “difference in thinking”: ibid.
318. “more complete theory”: Woodruff, p. 214.
319. “The most perfect system”: ibid., p. 215.
320. “analyze all the assumptions made”: ibid., p. 214.
321. “probably induced”: Ammann et al., “Summary of Conclusions,” n.p.
322. Professor Farquharson: see Farquharson.
323. consulting board: see ibid., introduction.
324. “came as such a shock”: ibid., p. 13.
325. “bridges severely damaged”: ibid., p. 14.
326. J. Kip Finch: see Finch (1941).
327. “This time the problem”: ibid., p. 407.
328. “the modern bridge engineer”: ENR, March 27, 1941, p. 459.
329. John Roebling: see J. A. Roebling (1841).
330. J. Scott Russell: see Russell.
331. “It is also a mistake”: Finch (1941), p. 459.
332. “assisting in the solution”: ENR, Sept. 23, 1943, p. 451.
333. obituary: ENR, Sept. 9, 1943, p. 373.
334. unusual number of letters: ENR, Sept. 23, 1943, pp. 74–75.
335. “The one great disappointment”: ibid., p. 75.
336. memoir of Moisseiff: see “Memoir.”
337. “one of the best informed”: “Memoir,” p. 1509.
338. Charles S. Whitney: Cohen, p. 734.
339. Ammann & Whitney: Widmer, p. 20.
340. “the unprecedented increase”: Port of New York Authority and Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, p. 6.
341. The consulting engineer: ibid., p. 62.
342. “to help him”: Dunham, pp. 90–91.
343. “While the truss members”: Ammann (1946).
344. “inadequate vertical stiffness”: ibid., p. 102.
345. motor-vehicle registration: Port of New York Authority and Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, pp. 11, 13.
346. “masterpiece of traffic relief”: NYT, Aug. 29, 1962, p. 31.
347. “small man”: Durrer, p. 32. (Note that a typographical error has Ammann as only “4 feet, 6 inches” tall.) “it took a few minutes”: NYT, Aug. 30, 1962, p. 59.
348. bust of Ammann: see ENR, Sept. 6, 1962, p. 24.
349. “reflect favorably”: NYT, Aug. 29, 1962, p. 59.
350. “no one man designed”: NYT, Aug. 30, 1962, p. 28.
351. “one of America’s outstanding engineers”: NYT, Sept. 11, 1962, p. 32.
352. “anyone who would take”: NYT, Aug. 29, 1962, p. 59.
353. statue of chief engineer Strauss: ENR, Dec. 7, 1939, p. 735; Feb. 1, 1940, p. 143;June 5, 1941, p. 862.
354. Clarence Dunham: see Dunham, p. 90.
355. Charles Worthington: NYT, Nov. 13, 1910, pt. 7, p. 2.
356. “mercantile development”: ibid.
357. “Every one of them”: Rensselaer, Dec. 1992, p. 7.
358. Milton Brumer: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Distinguished Service Award, 1972, program.
359. “and it was on Milton Brumer”: Cohen, p. 736.
360. “his simply styled office”: NYT, Aug. 29, 1962, p. 59.
361. also kept an apartment: see NYT, March 26, 1964, p. 37.
362. “lucky”: NYT, March 26, 1964, p. 38; cf. Katz, p. 36.
363. “at a thinly disguised”: NYT, Oct. 23, 1964, p. 26.
364. Italy also issued a stamp: NYT, Nov. 29, 1964, sect. II, p. 35.
365. “a brave vagrant”: NYT, Nov. 3, 1964, p. 30.
366. ever-popular numbers: Cohen, p. 739.
367. “the success of”: Joseph Gies, quoted in Talese, p. 38.
368. Cornelius Vanderbilt: Réthi, pp. 8, 10.
369. “the most important link”: ibid., foreword.
370. long-established neighborhoods: see Talese, ch. 2.
371. “essentially the application”: Ammann, in preface to Réthi.
372. upper and lower decks: Talese, p. 45.
373. The opening ceremonies: Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge Dedication, Nov. 21, 1964, program.
374. Robert Moses rode: see NYT, Nov. 22, 1964, p. 30.
375. “the careers of two men”: ibid., sect. IV, p. 8.
376. “Through the bound cable strands”: quoted in ibid.; see The Bridge, sect. viii, “Atlantis,” in Crane, p. 55.
377. Talese had written: Talese.
378. “generals, admirals”: NYT, Nov. 22, 1964, p. 30.
379. “I now ask”: ibid.
380. “It’s Ed Sullivan”: Durrer, p. 32.
381. “reshaping the skyline”: Blum, p. B1.
382. “The rain was coming down”: Trump, quoted in ibid.
383. “dreamer in steel”: “Remarks of Robert Moses on the Occasion of the Dedication of the Othmar Ammann College,” Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, February 18, 1968, program.
Chapter 6 Ammann
384. David Bernard Steinman: see Ratigan; see also Current Biography, 1957.
385. “his father lashed him”: Ratigan, p. 23.
386. “softly weeping”: ibid., p. 17.
387. “He could rattle off”: ibid., pp. 21–22.
388. A boxed charlotte russe: ibid., p
. 22.
389. Talk about building a new bridge: NYT, May 2, 1883, p. 5.
390. “steel wire suspension bridge”: EN, March 7, 1895, p. 145.
391. Leffert Buck had had: EN, Feb. 13, 1896, p. 103; June 18, 1896, p. 393.
392. bare steel towers: EN, Aug. 20, 1896, p. 126; Aug. 4, 1898, p. 66.
393. He climbed upon the steelwork: S. R. Watson and Watson, p. 145.
394. Morrill Land Grant Act: see Grayson, p. 43.
395. “The most deserving case”: quoted in Current Biography, 1957, p. 527.
396. “built by a troop”: EN, Sept. 25, 1913, p. 614.
397. Steinman personally calculated: Ratigan, p. 101.
398. Steinman reported the results: Steinman (1918).
399. “special acknowledgement”: ibid., p. 1042.
400. “able paper”: Lindenthal, in discussion to ibid., pp. 1089–90.
401. unspecified “suggestions”: Steinman (1918), p. 1072.
402. “The analysis”: Ammann, in discussion to ibid., p. 1106.
403. “the expense”: ibid., p. 1108.
404. In his closure: Steinman (1918), p. 1131.
405. deliberately introduced titles: ibid., p. 1132.
406. “wedding present”: Ratigan, p. 101.
407. “commissioned him to write”: ibid., p. 103.
408. biographer Ratigan: see Ratigan, [p. 460].
409. “Steinman, bridge engineering is easy”: Ratigan, pp. 103–5.
410. service under Lindenthal: see, e.g., Who’s Who in Engineering, 1959.
411. “in the slums”: Daley, p. 33.
412. Irene Hoffmann: Ratigan, pp. 100–101.
413. he would be identified: see M. Davis.
414. “active in Presbyterian affairs”: Daley, p. 33.
415. “a man who modestly”: “Memoir” of Robinson, p. 1532.
416. He went into private practice: S. R. Watson and Watson, p. 147; cf. Daley, P. 33.
417. “a drafting table”: “Memoir,” p. 1533.
418. Holton Duncan Robinson: see “Memoir.”
419. “he suffered excruciatingly”: ibid., p. 1533.
420. “Even in his last years”: ibid., p. 1535.
421. Steinman’s article: Steinman (1924).
422. “most pleasing outline”: ibid., p. 779.
423. “for better appearance”: ENR, Nov. 27, 1924, p. 883.
424. The review itself: ENR, Dec. 21, 1922, pp. 1080–81.
425. Carquinez Strait Bridge: see Steinman (1927).
426. “to take the Island”: see Robinson & Steinman.
Engineers of Dreams: Great Bridge Builders and the Spanning of America Page 52