John Stevens was appointed chief engineer of the Panama Canal Project in 1905 based on his accomplishments — some might call them feats — at James J. Hill's Great Northern Railway.
It wasn't until the late 19th century that manufacturers learned how to mass produce metals inexpensively, and to forge a material as useful as stainless steel.
Though the now-legendary Burlington Zephyr was in production, it was Averell Harrimann and the Union Pacific that gave America its first taste of streamline design.
Cinematographer Boyd Estus describes how he created the underwater scenes in the film, including shots of Eads' diving bell descending to the bottom of the Mississippi.
A railway to carry ships across Mexico? Find out more about the audacious plan Eads promoted to connect Atlantic and Pacific in the days before the Panama Canal was built.
