Sand swirled around him like a dense snowstorm, he later recalled. But he located his target. A large hunk of lead tied on the cable and came back to the surface. Eads went on to become one of the nation's greatest civil engineers. He built the very first bridge spanning the Mississippi river and south of its confluence with the Missouri, an impressive feat for a man who'd never built a bridge before. (12:46–12:51)
CLAIM
Asserts that James Buchanan Eads became one of the greatest civil engineers in the nation.
This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.
