of how America works.
>> ONE OF THE MOST FRIGHTENING
THINGS I THINK I’VE EVER SEEN IN
MY LIFE.
>> HOW THEY ERECTED THE LONGEST
SUSPENSION BRIDGE.
>> THERE’S NO QUESTION THAT,
THIS WOULD NOT BE AN EASY TASK.
>> THEY CALL IT THE MIGHTY. ♪
♪
>> I AM STUART VARNEY AND FIST
IS AMERICAN BUILT.
♪
ASK ANYONE FOR DIRECTIONS IN
MICHIGAN AND THEY WILL PROBABLY
SHOW THEIR HAND LIKE THIS.
THAT’S ONLY THE LOWER HALF OF
THE STATE.
IT USED TO BE IF YOU WANTED TO
KNOW HOW TO GET TO THE TOP HALF,
THE ANSWER WAS YOU CAN’T GET
THERE FROM HERE.
>> THEY CALL MICHIGAN THE WATER
WONDERLAND.
♪
WHETHER YOU’RE SKIMMING ALONG OR
NOT BANK OR FISHING FOR SOME
OTHER GAME FISH.
♪
THAT’S MY IDEA OF A VACATION.
>> THE OTHER UPPER PENINSULA IS
DICKSTEIN THOUSAND SQUARE MILES
FORESTS AND LAKES, IT’S PARADISE
AND HOME TO INDUSTRIES LIKE
COPPER, AND TOURISM.
>> THE UPS RECALL IT, UPPER
PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN IS A VERY
WILD PLACE ALMOST LIKE ITS OWN
COUNTRY IN SOME WAYS.
>> THIS UPPER PENINSULA THAT’S
TOTALLY DISCONNECTED FROM THE
REST OF THE STATE SO YOU WANT TO
BUILD A COMMUNITY, ONE STATE.
>> THE GREAT LAKE STATE IS
DIVIDED BY 5-MILE STRETCH OF
TURBULENT WATER CALLED THE
STRAITS OF MACKINAC.
>> FOR THOSE OF YOU UNFAMILIAR
WITH THE STATE OF MACKINAC IS A
5-MILE STRETCH OF WATER
CONNECTING TWO OF OUR GREAT
LAKES.
>> MICHIGANDERS LONG WISH TO
BRIDGE THE STRAITS BUT.
♪
SOME OF THE EXPERTS SAID
IMPOSSIBLE.
THIS WAS A 5-MILE WIDE STRAIGHT.
WATER WAS 300 FEET DEEP, THE
CRIMES WERE TREMENDOUS, ICE IN
THE WINTER, THE WINDS WERE
HORRIBLE.
♪
>> THE ONLY WAY TO GO FROM
MACKINAC CITY IN THE SOUTH TO
THE NORTH WAS A CAR FERRY BUT
THE FAIRIES COULDN’T KEEP UP
WITH DEMAND.
>> AS MORE PEOPLE ARE DRIVING,
MORE ARE COMING TO THE AREA, YOU
ARE SEEING 19 OUR DELAYS TO GET
AN HOUR LONG FERRY RIDE.
>> IN THE WINTER, THINGS GOT
WORSE.
♪
>> AREAS WERE HAVING ICEBREAKERS
BUT STILL GETTING THE ICE SO IT
BECOMES UNTENABLE FOR THE
PEOPLE.
♪
>> ONE PARTICULARLY HER VOYAGE
CHANGED EVERYTHING.
A FRIGID DISGRUNTLED COMMUTE,
THE HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY.
HIS NAME WAS PRENTIS BROWN.
>> WAS A STATE SENATOR WHO
CHAMPIONED THE CAUSE FOR GETTING
A BRIDGE BUILT, HE THOUGHT A
BRIDGE WOULD BE HELPFUL TO THE
UPPER PENINSULA.
>> A BRIDGE WITH A VITAL
TRANSPORTATION ROUTE WOULD HAVE
TO MAKE SURE NOT TO DISRUPT
TRAFFIC.
♪
>> YOUR BRIDGE DECK HAD TO BE
HIGH ENOUGH TO ALLOW FOR VESSELS
TO CROSS BECAUSE IT WAS STILL A
SHIPPING AREA.
>> THE BRIDGE WOULD HAVE TO BE
EXTRAORDINARILY LONG, THE
SHORTEST DISTANCE FROM ACCRA WAS
MORE THAN 6 MILES.
TO CUT THE DISTANCE FROM A
HIGHWAY COMMISSION JUMPED THE
GUN.
THEY BUILT TO THE SHIPPING LANES
WITHOUT A BUDGET FOR A BRIDGE OR
EVEN A PLAN IN PLACE. >> THE PROGRESS THEY GOT WAS TO
>> THE PROGRESS THEY GOT WAS TO
BUILD A 1 MILE CAUSEWAY SOUTH
NOW IS IN SHALLOW WATER BEEN
EXTENDED INTO THE STRAITS.
>> JUST AS A BRIDGE AND STARTED
TAKING SHAPE, IT WAS HALTED BY
WORLD WAR II.
♪
>> SPECTATORS WERE SURE.
THE UNITED STATES WAS AT WORK.
>> THIS PREVAILING THOUGHT THAT
HAD WORLD WAR II NOT HAVE BEEN
IN PLACE, WOULD HAVE BEEN BUILT
IN 42.
>> THEY WANTED A BRIDGE EVEN
MORE.
>> AMERICA WAS IN MY WITH THE
AUTOMOBILE SO LET’S GET OUT AND
SEE OUR COUNTRY.
THEY WANTED TO TAKE VACATIONS.
>> WITHOUT A BRIDGE, MICHIGAN
COULDN’T CASH IN ON THE POSTWAR
BOOM’S APPRENTICE BERM GOT TO
WORK WEEDING THE BRIDGE ON A
SEARCH TO HIGHER AN ENGINEER AND
COMPETITION FOR THE JOB WAS
FIERCE. >> THE FINAL THREE INTERVIEWED
>> THE FINAL THREE INTERVIEWED
WERE OFF MARAN CONTINENTS.
AND THERE WERE SOMETHING ELSE.
♪
>> GROWING UP IN THE SHADOW OF
THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE.
AS A YOUNG BOY HE WAS VERY MUCH
IN ALL OF WHAT THE BROOKLYN
BRIDGE WAS.
>> WHEN IT OPENED 70 YEARS EARLY
EARLY, THE LONGEST SUSPENSION
BRIDGE.
THE NAME IMPLIES SUSPENSION
BRIDGES SUSPEND ROADWAY WITH
CABLES FROM TWO TALL TOWERS.
THIS DESIGN ALLOWS THE LONGER
SPANS.
TWO NEW YORK’S MAJESTIC BRIDGE
OPENED, EVEN MORE THAN
MICHIGANDERS GOT INSPIRED.
>> A STORE OWNER PUTS AN AD IN
THE NEWSPAPER WHERE HE
SUPERIMPOSES THE BRIDGE OVER THE
STRAITS OF MACKINAC SAYING THIS
COULD HAPPEN HERE.
♪
>> THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE WAS JUST
1 MILE LONG AND MANHATTAN’S EAST
RIVER WAS ONLY 80 FEET DEEP.
>> MACKINAC STATE DEPRESSOR
YOU’RE LOOKING AT DRILLING DOWN
78 FEET, YOU ARE LOOKING AT
DRILLING DOWN 200 FEET.
>> HE BELIEVED IT COULD BE DONE.
♪
HE PROPOSED A BRIDGE THAT WOULD
SIT ON 34 UNDERWATER PEERS.
THE TWO TOWERS WERE SORE I 50
FEET ABOVE THE WATER.
THE DECK WOULD BE SUSPENDED BY
HUNDREDS OF SUSPENSION CABLES
COME FROM TWO MAIN CABLES.
THE UNPRECEDENTED 5-MILE SPAN
MAKE STEINMAN’S BRIDGE THE
LONGEST SUSPENSION BRIDGE IN THE
WORLD.
THE BRIDGE AUTHORITY LOVED
STEINMAN’S PLAN.
>> THE EARLY CONCEPTS OF GETTING
THE BRIDGE BUILT WERE APPROVED
BY THE MICHIGAN LEGISLATURE BUT
WITH THE CAVEAT THAT IT NOT BE
PAID FOR WITH PUBLIC FUNDS.
IT HAD TO BE PRIVATE FUNDS.
>> WHERE TO GET THAT KIND OF
MONEY?
THE ANSWER AGAIN WAS IN LOWER
MANHATTAN.
STEINMAN AND BROWN WERE TAPPED
THE NEW YORK BOND MARKET.
♪
>> HE WAS TOLD YOU’VE GOT THE
MONEY, THE BOND HAD SOLD. HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE PAID?
HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE PAID?
HE SAID I GUESS A CERTIFIED
CASHIERS CHECK WOULD DO.
THEY GAVE HIM A CERTIFIED
CASHIERS CHECK FOR 96 MILLION
$400,033.33.
>> GROUND HEADED BACK TO
MICHIGAN WITH THAT CHECK, VERY
SECURELY IN HIS SHIRT POCKET.
♪
BUILDING A FOUNDATION 200 FEET
BELOW TREACHEROUS WATERS WOULD
BE HARDER THAN IT LOOKED ON
PAPER.
♪
FOR STARTERS, MOST OF THEIR
PEERS REQUIRED AT LEAST TO THEIR
OWN COVER THEM.
>> CONFIDENCE ARE AN ENCLOSURE
YOUR PUMP THE WATER OUT TO DO
YOUR CONSTRUCTION.
>> ARE NOT OF THE WATER IS TOO
DEEP.
HE WOULD PRESSURIZED WATERTIGHT
CHAMBERS FOR GREAT DEPTHS.
>> THE TWO MAIN TOWERS, 19 AND
20 USE CASE ON.
>> THE TOWERS WOULD TAKE MONTHS
TO CONSTRUCT AND TIME WAS
RUNNING OUT.
THE MICHIGAN WINTER WAS
APPROACHING.
>> WE HAVE TO FINISH THIS BUT
THERE WAS NO TIME.
IT HAD TO BE FUNKING UP AND
WINTERIZED INTEREST OF FINGERS
CROSSED SITUATION. ♪
TWO THIRDS OF THE MACKINAC
BRIDGE IS NOT VISIBLE TO THE
NAKED EYE.
TWO THIRDS OF THE STRUCTURE IS
LOCATED BENEATH THE SURFACE OF
THE WATER.
>> THE TOWERS OF THE MACKINAC
BRIDGE WOULD STAND ON TWO,
200-FOOT PEERS.
TO BUILD PEERS THAT DEEP, THEY
NEEDED TO CONSTRUCT WATER ON
CAISSONS BEFORE WINTER SET IN
BUT THEY ALSO NEEDED AWAY TO GET
THEM THROUGH BEDROCK SO DIAMOND
SHARP IN THE ARCHERS.
>> HE CAME UP THE IDEA OF
BUILDING A GIANT CAISSONS WITH
BEVELED CUTTING EDGES THAT WOULD
SINK DOWN THROUGH THE LIMESTONE.
>> THE PRECISE PLACEMENT WAS
CRITICAL BUT THE UNPREDICTABLE
CURRENTS WENT THE WHOLE WAY DOWN
SO STEINMAN BROUGHT IN
SPECIALISTS.
>> DIVERS WOULD HAVE TO DESCEND
TO DO THE INSPECTIONS TO MAKE
THE FINAL CONNECTIONS IN SOME
CASES, MAKE REPAIRS.
♪
>> THE WATER WAS COLD AND THAT’S
EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.
STEINMAN LEARNED THAT FROM
STUDYING THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE.
>> WHEN THE BROOKLYN BILGE
BRIDGE WAS BEING BUILT, THERE
WERE DIVERS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES
BECAUSE OF GETTING COMPRESSION
SICKNESS.
>> IT’S BRUTAL AND OFTEN FATAL
CONDITION CAUSED BY SERVICING TO
PAST.
>> BECAUSE THEY WERE USING SOME
SIMILAR INSTRUCTION FOR THE
FOUNDATION AT THE MACKINAC
BRIDGE, THEY HAD HYPERBARIC
CHAMBER AVAILABLE ON SITE.
>> THE HYPERBARIC CHAMBER
BROUGHT DIVERS UP SLOWLY WHILE
GRADUALLY ADJUSTING PRESSURE BUT
DESPITE STEINMAN’S EFFORT, THE