Brooklyn Bridge a celebratory banquet at his house on the day of the bridge opening. Further festivity included the performance of a band, gunfire from ships, and a fireworks display. Since the New York and Brooklyn Bridge was the only one across the East River at that time, it was also called East River Bridge. On that first day, a total of 1,800 vehicles and 150,300 people crossed what was then the only land passage between Manhattan and Brooklyn. Emily Warren Roebling was the first to cross the bridge. The bridge's main span over the East River is 1,595 feet 6 inches
St. Blaise's Church (Brooklyn, New York) St. Blaise's Church (Brooklyn, New York) The Church of St. Blaise is a former Roman Catholic parish church in the Diocese of Brooklyn, located at East Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York City, New York. The parish was established in 1905 out of the Holy Cross parish for the burgeoning Italian community, who had—since 1897—been administered to by Father Ludeke and Father Malone. The parish was merged with that of St. Francis of Assisi's Church (Brooklyn, New York), which had been established in 1898, to form the parish of St. Francis of Assisi / St. Blaise. The combined parish is located at