But Washington Roebling recovered, although he continued to live in great pain. In a strange twist of fate, he outlived his wife Emily by over 20 years, and he even remarried. He was over 80 years old when he again became president of John A. Roebling's Sons Co; he was the only Roebling left, having outlived his younger brothers and even their sons. At the beginning of the 20th century, John A. Roebling's Sons was the largest wire business in the world. The company was the major provider of telegraph wire, balling wire, electrical wire, bridge cable wire, wire for ships; and, it was the exclusive provider of wire for the Panama Canal and the Otis Elevator Company. Roebling actively, innovatively, and forcefully ran the business until his own death in 1926.
Obviously, Washington Roebling was an extremely energetic and intellectually charged individual. For diversion, he directed these energies into his lifelong hobby and passion, his rock and mineral collection. That priceless 16,000-piece collection was eventually donated by his son, John A. Roebling II, to the Smithsonian Institution. It has since become the cornerstone of the Museum of Natural History's mineral and gem collection.
Have we gone on a little too long about engineers, the Roeblings and the Brooklyn Bridge? Well, it's a great story. And we've done so in honor Engineers' Week, February 18-24, 2000. Take an engineer to dinner! Or at least have dinner ready when she or he gets home.
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