Akram Youth Beware! Do Not Obstruct anyone | August 2015 | Akr | Page 19

In spite of his handicap, Washington was
never discouraged and still had a burning
desire to complete the bridge and his mind
was still as sharp as ever. He tried to inspire
and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his
friends, but they were too daunted by the
task.
It was his wife, Emily, who became his
aide. She had studied higher mathematics and
was aware of basic knowledge pertaining to
strength of materials and intricacies involved
in construction. Washington, lying paralyzed
in his bed, overlooking the river and the site,
developed a method of communication
through signs and movements of fingers or
hand with his wife Emily. For next 11 years she
assisted Washington Roebling to conduct and
supervise the entire construction work from
his apartment with a view of the work,
designing and redesigning wherever required
and provided critical link between her
husband and the engineers on the site.
Finally the moment of truth arrived. The
Brooklyn Bridge was opened for use on May
24, 1883. The opening ceremony was
attended by several thousand people
including government dignitaries. Emily

Warren Roebling was the first to cross the
bridge amongst the thousands of people and
vehicles on the opening day.
Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge
stands in all its glory as a tribute to the
triumph of one man's indomitable spirit and
his determination not to be defeated by any
circumstance. It is also a tribute to the
engineers and their team work, and to their
faith in a man who defied most of the negative
comments on his work plans. It stands as a
tangible monument to the love and devotion
of his wife for her contribution and assistance.
Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a
never-say-die attitude that overcame a
terrible physical handicap and achieved an
impossible goal.
Often when we face obstacles in our
day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in
comparison to what many others have to
face. The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that
'dreams that seem impossible can be realized
with determination and persistence, no
matter what the odds are'.
All obstacles can be overcome with
determination and persistence.

Akram Youth | 19