Taking four years to complete (1933-1937), with roughly 41 million vehicles crossing it a year (About.com, Feb, 2011), weighing nearly 900, 000 tons and at 1.7 miles long and 90 feet wide, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco is a magnificent structure. After completion, the suspension span was the longest bridge in the world (1937), (About.com, Feb, 2011).

(Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, CA, Rich Niewiroski Jr, www.projectrich.com/gallery )

On Feb 10th, Harry Fogle (97 years of age), the last surviving worker who helped in the construction of the Bay and Golden Gate Bridge, died of natural causes. Mr. Fogle was a painter for the Golden Gate’s high towers and suspension ropes which were 400 to 500ft above the water and because of this became known as a member of the ‘high gang’ (Daily Mail, Feb, 2011). Mr. Fogle often commented that the taller Golden Gate was in fact safer to work on than the Bay Bridge, six miles away, which opened six months earlier. Mr. Fogle was a painter on several other bridges but returned to the Golden Gate to continue with maintenance work until his retirement in 1976, aged 62. Painters are still required on the bridge in order to prevent rusting and corrosion of the steel, which is caused by the air’s high salt content.

The bridge was named ‘Chrysopylae’ or Golden Gate, by John C. Fermont as it reminded him of a harbor in Istanbul named ‘Chrysoceras’ or Golden Horn. Fogle was one of hundreds to be part of the construction, which has been estimated would cost more than $1 billion if constructed today (About.com, Feb, 2011). The main material used to build the bridge was transported via rail and sea: the bridge’s fabricated steel, which was made in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland plants, was transported to Philadelphia by rail and then shipped through the Panama Canal to San Francisco.

Apart from being one of the world’s most impressive structures of its time (Daily Mail, Feb, 2011), the bridge was also well known for the 11 workers who died during construction (a fatality happened around every six weeks). Nowadays, the fatality rates are far lower for similar types of construction work due to advances in technology and improved legislation. In 1937, unsafe practice was not uncommon and the height of innovation at the time was a net suspended under the Bay and Golden Gate bridges i.e. falls were accepted as unavoidable. It had been estimated that 35 people were expected to die while building the Golden Gate Bridge, however the net saved the lives of 19 men during construction. Consequently, these men became known as members of the “Half Way to Hell Club.” (Golden Gate Bridge, Feb, 2011).

It will be the 75th anniversary of the Bay Bridge in November and the Golden Gate’s the following May.

We can be thankful for the advances in technology and legislation which help save lives and prevent falls every day, and make operatives confident and secure when working at any height.

Sources:
Golden Gate Bridge Facts, About.com, Feb, 2011, Betsy Malloy, http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/sanfrancisco/a/ggbridge_3.htm

A legacy left behind: Last surviving worker who built Bay and Golden Gate bridges dies, Daily Mail, Feb 21st 2011, Mark Duell, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1359219/Last-surviving-worker-Harry-Fogle-built-Bay-Golden-Gate-bridges-dies.html

Frequently asked questions, Golden Gate Bridge, 25 Feb 2011, http://www.goldengatebridge.org/research/facts.php#Name