Part Forty-Four

"I always get those bridges confused," said Florence.

"This is the Manhattan Bridge," said Raoul, holding up a photo. "See the tower, toward the right?"



Florence leaned over Raoul's arm more than she needed to, Peggy noticed from the opposite seat on the 5:20 ferry. She felt strangely unconcerned.

"And here's the Brooklyn. The towers are made of granite," said Raoul.



"Which one was built first?" asked Kelly. Peggy looked passed him at the lights of Seattle twinkling in the distance across Puget Sound. It was going to be dark every morning now, she realized. Maybe it was time to start taking a different ferry.

"The Brooklyn Bridge was completed first, in 1883," said Raoul. "It was truly amazing because the East River is really not a river. It's actually tidal sea water, and at the time it was one of the busiest patches of salt water on the planet due to the shipping activity in and out of New York. From the outset the bridge builders believed that what was needed was a great big arch over the river. No drawbridges or anything like that. Sailing ships had to be able to go under it."

Peggy smiled to herself. She remembered Raoul sitting up half the night reading a book about the bridge, and remembered being charmed by his youthful enthusiasm.

"Sounds extremely challenging for the period," said Kelly.

Peggy looked at him. "Fortunately, a woman was in charge."

"Really?" said Florence.

"Yes," said Peggy. "The chief engineer was a man named Roebling. But during early construction the working conditions left him paralyzed. They had been working in large pressurized containers, underwater, to build the foundations of the towers. A lot of men died, and many more got sick, including Roebling. His wife, Emily, took over his duties. She studied mathematics and engineering and directed the construction of the bridge. When it was finished there was a dedication ceremony with the president and the governor, and Emily Roebling was the first person to ride across, with a rooster on her lap."

"A rooster?" said Florence. "I hope she was dressed appropriately."

"Apparently the rooster was some kind of symbol of victory," said Peggy.

"I have an early photo of the Brooklyn Bridge," said Raoul. "You can see how it completely dwarfed everything around it."


(Photo from Library of Congress. Taken in 1900.)

"Where do you walk on the bridge?" said Florence.

"There's a boardwalk. It runs above the roadways, and between them," said Raoul.



Florence squinted through her glasses to see the picture, using that as an excuse to throw her body over Raoul's lap. It was amazing to Peggy how interesting bridges could be. She fumed. It was the audacity of it that got her.

Peggy had made a pact with herself the previous evening: she was not going to do anything about Raoul. It was up to him to salvage the relationship. She enjoyed having her time back, and was relieved to find the solitude so comforting. She visited Eagle Harbor Books (www.eagleharborbooks.com) and found several things she liked, including an outrageously funny novel by Terry Pratchett called Mort. In her current cynical mood, his brand of snappy satire appealed to her. She was also thinking of getting a dog. Someone had suggested a Miniature Schnauzer.

"...I was amazed when I read the cost of the bridge," Raoul was saying. "Fifteen million dollars. Today that wouldn't even buy the worker's compensation insurance."

"I'll bet the workers at the time wished they had had it," said Peggy. "They got paid $2 dollars an hour and worked in horrible conditions."

"Two dollars might have been a good wage at the time," said Raoul.

"I'm sure they didn't have much choice. There were certainly no unions going to bat for them."

"In the age of unions that bridge wouldn't have been built."

"I disagree. It would simply require more time and creativity."

"And money. Unions seem to think it grows on trees."

"You mean it doesn't? When you read in the paper about the board of directors of a company giving a departing executive more than a hundred million dollars even though he didn't do anything but help the company lose money, then you must conclude that money does, in fact, grow on trees."

Kelly and Florence looked like they were watching a tennis match, swiveling their heads to follow the exchange between Peggy and Raoul.

"I thought we were talking about bridges," said Raoul.

"Perhaps we are. You can burn them or build them," said Peggy.

Florence and Kelly turned their heads back to Raoul and waited for the next volley. Raoul sighed. "I think we're at an impass."

"I think I have whiplash," said Florence, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Makes the ferry ride go faster," said Kelly, standing up.

They all stood as Peggy felt the bump of the ferry docking at the Seattle terminal. "Have a good day everybody," Florence said with a grin as she walked away.

"Maybe I'll see you folks at the farmer's market on Saturday," said Kelly to Peggy and Raoul.

Peggy avoided Raoul's gaze as she put her tea Thermos in her bag. "I plan to go early. I want to make sure I get eggs," she said. "I'll look for you."

Then she walked away without looking back.

----
PS:
I found a photo of the Brooklyn Bridge dated 2000 that looks in the same direction as the one above.

Can you spot the difference?

BB