Golden Gate Bridge-金门大桥

GoldenGateBridge|金门大桥Thebridgehasalwaysbeenpaintedthecolorcalled“InternationalOrange.”Thecolorwaschosenbecauseitwentwellwiththenaturalsurroundings.Italsoiseasiertoseeintheheavyfogthatoftencoversthearea.ButtheGoldenGateBridgewasnotnamedforitsorangecolor.Itwasnamedforthebodyofwaterthatitcrosses,theGoldenGateStrait1.TheGoldenGateStraitistheentrancetotheSanFranciscoBayfromthePacificOcean.TheGoldenGateBridgelinksthecityofSanFranciscowithMarinCounty2,California.PlanningforthebridgebeganinthenineteentwentieswhentheareaaroundSanFranciscowasgrowing.Peoplelivingintheareaneededanotherwaytogettothecitybesidesthesmallferryboats3.ThechiefengineerfortheprojectwasJosephStrauss.Workbeganin1933.MisterStraussdemandedthestrongestsafetyprotectionsinthehistoryofbridgebuilding.Theseprotectionsincludedthefirstuseofthehardhatandspecialglassestoprotecttheworkers’eyes.Aspecialsafetynetwassuspended4underthebridge.Thisnetsavedthelivesofnineteenmenduringtheconstruction.Still,elevenotherswerekilledwhentheyfellfromthebridgethroughthenet.TheGoldenGateBridgeopenedin1937.Itextendsonethousandtwohundredeightymetersacrossthewater.Itwasthelargestsuspensionbridgeintheworlduntil1964.ThatiswhentheVerrazanoNarrowsBridge5openedinNewYorkCity.JosephStrausswroteapoemcalled“TheMightyTaskIsDone”aftertheGoldenGatebridgewascompleted.Hereishowthepoembegins:Atlastthemightytaskisdone,Resplendent6inthewesternsun,TheBridgelooms7mountainhigh;Itstitan8piers9gripoceanfloor,Itsgreatsteelarmslinkshorewithshore,Itstowerspierce10thesky.=========================