The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-09-28
THE FERRIS WHEEL AND WATER
20 WEIR

THE EERRIS WHEEL AND WAITED
POWER
The greatest accomplishment In
modern engineering is illustrated by
the Ferris wheel at the Worlds Fair
The inventor and constructor of that
wheel is Mr.. G. w. G. Ferris, native
of Illinois, who, by one bold stroke OF
engineering, has astonished the world
in the perfection of mechanism. For
awhile nothing could be thought of to
rival the Eiffel tower, erected at the
Paris exposition, until Mr.. Ferris, by
stroke of mechanical genius, pre-
sented to the managers of the Fair at
Chicago his wonderful scheme. The
comparatively young engineer has
built a wheel 250 feet in diameter,
combining the principles of tension
as well as pinion wheel. The ten
sion wheel is not built with solid
spokes. The axis of this wheel is As
feet long, 32 inches in diameter
and weighs complete 20 tons. 1t
took excavations 35 feet below the sur
face and through 25 feet OF quicksand
and water to secure footing for the
supporting towers, which are sight in
number, 25 feet square and 30 feet
high, of solid cement. Buried in the
concrete are massive steel bars and to
them are bolted the steel towers, ris-
ing lao feet in the air, supporting the
wheel. The wheel in It's circular mo-
tion rises 270 feet in the air and Is as
delcately woven as the web of a
spider, but for the SO cars that are
capable of holding two regiments Of
soldiers, as obedient to the motion of
the wheel they revolve around its
vast circle. 1t is regarded by engi-
neers as the greatest mechanical
triumph of the times. This very in
telligent engineer has been inter-
viewed by the tireless and ubiquitous
reporter, in which interview he gives
some facts that will prove OF great in
terest to all whose hopes for
the progress and growth of
the city of Austin are in the
water power to he furnished by the
lake above Austin's great dam. He
says THAT the whole industrial
scheme OF cities will soon be revolu-
tionized." He adds, ~ look to see
two immense plants-0ne for the man.
uie cture Of compressed all and the
other for the generation of electricity.
Compressed air will be used in various
ways for propulsive purposes, eleva-
tors and the like. The electricity, on
the other hand, will run our street
cars, turn our machines, heat our
homes and buildings, do much of our
chemical woik. BY electricity we
will cook, and, for that matter, do
everything that Is now done by steam
and COAL" $50 tar from this being q
distant matter" said Mr.. Ferris, 81
look to see 1t come very soon. There
is absolutely at this moment no reaeon
why cities like Buffalo, Minneapolis
and st. Paul or any city that has q
great water power at hand should
consume single pound of coal in
their limits. Even with the present
appliances electricity in these cities
can do and in many places
know Is doing the work of coal not
only far cheaper but without dust,
without smoke or soot,"
Mr.. Ferris also said: "The condi.
ton which will determine the relative
expansion of towns and cities in the
next decade is the presence of water
power. The whole problem of cleo
tricity,.is one of cheap generation.
Now any city or town in this country
which has got a waterfall within an
available distance and that distance
is large one, has, so to speak, gold
mine. Water power means the mini
mum OF cbeapness and the generation
of electric power. You can easily see,
therefore. that any city which pos
0esses this advantage must take the
lead over any city that has not.
Buffalo, for example, will absolutely
double its population in or 10 years,