, 1886-06-26
THE TOWER OF BABEL.
THE STRUCTURE PLANNED FOR THE
PARIS EXPOSITION.

Twice the Height of Egypt's Pyramids
Construction of the EIevators-An OBJ
servatory for Astronomer and Electro
cians-Niew from the CupoIa.
No feature of the plans for the great ex-
position of 1889 is so much talked about as
the gigantic tower, 1000 feet high, or
twice the height Of the pyramids of Egypt,
designed by NJ. Eiffel, the engineer of the
department of arts and manufactures, to
decorate the Champs de Mars. Nothing
like it has been attempted since the Tower
of Bable, and scientific progress may per
init the descendants of those whom God
dispersed because of their impiety to
carry out a similar design.
As the workmen will soon begin digging
the foundation OF the tower, a description
of the plan will be of interest. The base Of
iron is composed of four pyramids, each
one square, fifty feet n side, and diminish
ing towards the top, which il twenty feet
"A side. These four pyramids are sepa-
rated from each other by a space OF 800
feet. and for stability they are anchored in
solid masonry. Two hundred and thirty
feet above the ground these pyramids are
united by n gallery fifty feet wide. This
,~,,2llery, which is covered with glass, will
be useL for restaurants, ~soirees, etc. The
next story has n room, covered with glass,
100 feet square. At the summit is n glass
dome, with terrace, and from this terrace
the exposition will be lighted by cleo
tricity.
Visitors will reach the dome by means
OF elevators. Four of these elevators,
constructed like the Swiss railways, will
be placed in the four pyramids II we
can go seven times as high as the Column
Nendome and stand 600 feet higher than
the top of Mont Nalericn. The eyes can
sweep the horizon for 100 miles, and Com
piegne, Rheims, F~ontaineblau, Charities,
Dojou, with the little villages lost in the
woods. and the rivers, wandering through
the valleys, will all seem n continuation
Of Paris. Ten departments OF France will
be at our feet. There have been no nc
cidents with this system of railway, be
cause the car is drawn by n cable and the
axle attached TO n steel hook, so If the
cable breaks the car remains fastened to
this hook. That is the system for the
elevators, and in addition to the -four
placed in the pyramids a fifth will take
visitors from the center directly to the
summit.
ASTRONOMERS y ELECTRICIANS
In the cupola astronomers will be es-
tablished with their telescopes, plurio-
metres, etc. This observatory, fitted up
with n metallic armature, destined to re
ceive all the atmospheric electricity, will
be surrounded by n p%aratonerre. Ex-
%periments heretofore impossible can be
made here; atmospheric electricity, speed
OF the wind, Foneault's experiment to
demonstrate that the earth revolves-all
can be studied. Spectroscopes, destined
To u,,utx1. tI.a lfrht ~ tl,o ~, and etnru
and an enormous telescope, to follow stars
which could hardly be perceived from the
other ~observatories, will be placed in this
cupoln. Another interesting study will
he that Of the variation OF temperature,
with altitude. The tower will form an i'm
mensc p-arntonncrre, and when there Is a
storm everybody in the tower VIII be
struck by lightning and not feel my eff
feet. To produce thisr result the conduc-
tor will be interrupted for n distance of
two yards and the lightning will jump
from one section to the other, with con
tinual explosions.
The iron used in the construction of this
gigantic monument will weigh about
1000 tons. of course the critics are very
busy prophesying the failure of the work.
"rhe tower will never be diminished; it
cannot be scientifically utilized, for ut the
slightest wind there will be an oscillation
preventing all observations" NJ. Eifel
answers by saying that with an impetu-
Gus wine of seventy feet n second and a
pressure of 100 pounds to every
square yard, the tower will not sway more
than four inches. With n tempest-the
wind 10 feet u second and n pres
sure Of 10 pounds a yard-the oscillation
will not be more than six inches. The
oscillations will be very slow because OF
the great length of the part which vi
brates, and it is certain that it will be
much less thar in columns OF masonry,
where the elasticity of the mortar is the
chief cause Of marked oscillations.-Paris
Cor. Philadelphia Times.