May 24, 1883 - After 14 years and 27 worker deaths, the Brooklyn Bridge over the East River opened, connecting the cities of New York and Brooklyn for the first time in history. Among those killed during its construction was the designer, John Roebling. After working in watertight caissons dozens of feet below the surface of the river, many workers died from serious cases of compression sickness, more commonly known as “the bends.” The bridge itself was called “the eighth wonder of the world.”