Behind the Scenes with Cinematographer Boyd Estus
Cinematographer Boyd Estus talks about filming the Pioneer Zephyr exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and the joys of shooting historical documentaries.
Rockefellers at Play
Home videos of Rockefeller family members at the family estate -- playing in the yard, learning to drive, swimming, and John D. Sr. arriving home.
The Rockefellers Chapter One
John D. Rockefeller was the world's first billionaire and the most hated man in America. Watch the epic story of the man who monopolized oil.
Paul Krugman Interview
In this exclusive interview, Princeton economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman discusses the relevance of the Rockefellers in today's business environment of mergers, monopolies, and the new "age of the heroic entrepreneur."
Attica Prison Riot
Robert Douglass served as Counsel and later Secretary to Governor Nelson Rockefeller from 1965-1972. He was sent to Attica during the uprising to represent the Governor and to help quell the riot and appease the inmates. Frank Smith was an inmate at the prison and acted as a guard during the uprising, trying to assure that none of the officials sent in to negotiate with the prisoners were harmed.
Prospects of Mankind with Eleanor Roosevelt
"Prospects of Mankind with Eleanor Roosevelt" first aired on WGBH in October, 1959. The monthly series was a forum for prominent leaders and decision makers to discuss current issues with Eleanor as mediator and host. "Prospects of Mankind" is an example of Eleanor Roosevelt's fervent interest in world affairs during the last years of her life.
The Government's Plan
Building the 700 foot high dam was only one piece of the puzzle. Workers would also build two power plants, dig four tunnels into rock yard canyon, divert the flow of the river, pour 4 1/2 million cubic yards of concrete, and build a city in the desert to house 5,000 families.
Building Diversion Tunnels
The most dangerous phase of Hoover Dam's construction was building the diversion tunnels, two on each side of the Colorado River. Blasting holes 56 feet in diameter, three-quarters of a mile through the canyon rock, the workers faced a huge engineering challenge along with strict time constraints. Chief Engineer Frank Crowe solved the problem by building a contraption called a drilling jumbo.
The High Scalers of Hoover Dam
People came from across the country to witness the construction of Hoover Dam. One worker's daughter compared the scene to a hill of ants. "It was just fantastic to watch... It was a monument task," she said. During the dam's construction, the job of the high scaler was by far the most dangerous, as well as the most dramatic.
Rerouting the Colorado River
Throughout the course of a day, workers dumped rocks into the river's path. By the next morning, they moved the Colorado River from the bed it had known for 12 million years.
Hoover Dam: Moving the Concrete
On June 6, 1933, workers began pouring concrete to build what would become the face of the dam. To move the concrete across the construction site, Chief Engineer Frank Crowe designed a network of cableways to carry material. Pretty soon, a cable would deliver a 20-ton bucket of concrete every 78 seconds!
Truman: Part 2 Preview
He was a farmer, a businessman gone bankrupt, an unknown politician from Missouri who suddenly found himself president. Facing some of the biggest crises of the century, Truman would end the war with Germany, use the atomic bomb against Japan, confront an expanding Soviet Union and wage war in Korea-all while his wife Bess refused to stay in the White House and play the role of First Lady.
Truman: Part 1 Preview
He was a farmer, a businessman gone bankrupt, an unknown politician from Missouri who suddenly found himself president. Facing some of the biggest crises of the century, Truman would end the war with Germany, use the atomic bomb against Japan, confront an expanding Soviet Union and wage war in Korea-all while his wife Bess refused to stay in the White House and play the role of First Lady.
Powering New York's Subway System
Running the Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) required the most powerful electrical plant in the world. The central powerhouse generated alternating current, which could be sent over long distances. Rotary converters were then built to change the alternating current into direct current needed to run the trains. These rotary converters were placed in substations scattered throughout the city.
Danger in the Tunnels
One of the most dangerous sections on the Interborough Rapid Transit's route was assigned to a subcontractor, Ira Shaler, who was also a friend of chief engineer, William Parsons. On June 17th, 1902, Parsons inspected Shaler's work in the east tunnel. During the inspection, a boulder fell on Shaler. He died a few days later, bringing work in the east tunnel to a halt.
The Pneumatic Subway
In order to get congestion and filth off the streets of New York, Alfred Ely Beach had an idea for a pneumatic subway, pulled by a rope of air. A giant fan would drive a train through a tunnel, as fast as 10 miles per hour. After gaining the legislature’s approval for an experimental pneumatic tube for packages, Beach began working on a real subway.
Constructing New York's First Subway
Construction on New York's Interborough Rapid Transit, or IRT, began in 1900. William Parsons, the project’s chief engineer, used a variety of techniques for underwater digging. Sometimes hydraulic shields were used; other times methods were improvised, like digging a trench in the riverbed, then sinking the tunnel roof down on top of it. At least 7,700 men would be needed to build the IRT.
Engineering in the Late 19th Century
Engineer William Parsons wrote, "Of all human activities, engineering is the one that enters most into our lives." Parsons was the Interborough Rapid Transit’s chief engineer. His 21-mile route for the IRT ran up the east side of Manhattan to Grand Central Station, then continued across 42nd Street and proceeded north, dividing into two branches heading under the river into the Bronx.
New York's Topography Challenges
Construction on New York's underground rail system began in 1900 with William Barclay Parsons as the project’s chief engineer. The city's topography presented a special engineering challenge for Parsons and his team. With many dips, valleys, patches of quicksand and above-ground infrastructure to take into account, digging underneath Manhattan became a monumental task.
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