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March 22, 2006

The Way We Were

Cold War-era survival supplies found at Brooklyn Bridge

In 17 years of working in the darkened nooks and crannies of the city's bridges, Joe Vaccaro has made some unusual finds: a 100-year-old copy of a newspaper, sepia-toned photographs. But none of them matched the level of intrigue generated by another discovery he and his co-workers made in the Brooklyn Bridge.

As they made their way through the musty, dusty and dark structural foundations on the bridge's Manhattan side last week, they discovered a Cold War-era cache of provisions to have been used in the wake of a nuclear attack: some 350,000 packaged crackers, paper blankets, metal drums for water and medical supplies.


Cool.

Posted by tree hugging sister at March 22, 2006 10:31 AM

Comments

What that explains the sandwiches our local deli delivers...

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at March 22, 2006 10:37 AM

Fascinating stuff. Only problem is this quote: This is a treasure of modern history," Weinshall said later. "It was a time when the country worried about a nuclear attack." I'd update the verb to present tense if I were you, Ms. Weinshall.

Oh, and does anyone else prefer the old "Department of General Services" to the new "Department of Citywide Administrative Services"?

Posted by: Nightfly at March 22, 2006 12:27 PM

Geesh, I'm more worried about Karl Rove, aren't you 'Fly?

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at March 22, 2006 12:42 PM

Well, but then we all know what's REALLY down under there: I mean, we DID see "Men in Black."

Posted by: Dave J at March 22, 2006 01:18 PM

I must say, I like the planning of the city, figuring that the bridge would have survived an attack. They never seemed to survive on the Twilight Zone, just the bank vaults and the basement bunkers, oh, and the library that one time.

Posted by: KG at March 22, 2006 01:37 PM

One is not permitted to worry about The Rove, Mr. B.

You are not of the body!

Posted by: Nightfly at March 22, 2006 01:51 PM

KG, weren't the bridge towers still there on the cover of Andre Norton's Daybreak, 2250 AD?

And welcome, btw!

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at March 22, 2006 01:54 PM