Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-11-16
PLEASURE PARK FOR COCKNEYS.
Tower Taller Than EiffeFs VIII Have
Stories 500 Feet in the Air.

Wembley Park, London's new subur-
ban pleasure resort, is being pushed
to completion, and is expected to be
fully worth 4 visit next May. 1t is
located about twelve miles north of
the metropolis, and will include among
its wonders the highest tower on earth.
Sir Edward Watkin, a well-known rail
road man, conceived the idea of fur
nishing this playground for London's
millions. The tower is to be taller
than EiffePs by 166 feet The Partisan
fabric stands about 9S4 feet high above
the level of the Seine. The Wembley
tower is to rise l ,150 feet above the
summit of the prettily wooded slope
which itself attainS to $50 feet above
the Thames at high water. On the
first platform, somewhere about $50
feet in the air, will be a concert hall
with 10000 square feet of floor space
and capable Of accommodating an au-
dience of two or three thousand peo-
pie. AT Il height of about 400 or 500
feet there will be another platform of
smaller dimensions and here will be
be ample accommodation for refresh
ments." There will be restaurants and
in one way or another room will be
found for $50 or 200 shops and stalls.
and in addition to these there will be
various kinds of "side shows" A third
platform will be reached at level of
$50 feet above the ground This will
be the highest accessible point and will
be thirty feet above the top platform
of the Eiffel tower. Above this gallery
will be an ornamental summit, adding
another 200 feet to the structure Hy-
draulic elevators will be provided suffi-
GENTLY capacious and rapid in action
to carry up and down 10000 visitors
a day The tower will be light-loOk-
ing and graceful structure of open
steel work, rising from a base of about
300 feet square, the ground beneath
and immediately around it being laid
out in an ornamental garden. Sir Ben
jamin Baker is the engineer, and the
80 men at present engaged upon the
work were all employed upon the Forth
bridge .....
The park itself-apart from the dis
NAL Disagreement inevitable in such
a schemes at present one Of the
most charming spots to be found any
where within an equal distance of Lon
don. The entire area purchased was
go acres, but a portion of this is to
be destroyed by building, and the actu-
al park may comprise 80 acres. This
has been placed under the skill of a
landscape artist, who has for the past
year or two been doing all that may
be done to substitute artificial for ma
tural beauty, though the cunning of
the artist has been handicapped by
the many features required by popu-
lar London playground. These consist
of innumerable refreshment pavilions,
merry gO-rOundS and cinder bicycle
tracks. There will be archery and ten
mis- lawns and there are tea houses
and refreShment paviiions in various
parts Of the grounds. The finest Of
these is on the highest point of the
park. 1T has the appearance Of a large
conservatory and visitors may sit here
and lunch or take tea or dinner in full
view Of one of the finest prospects
in Middlesex. A little lower on the
slope is a handsome band stand and
down in the valley is a large basin
with a very effective system of foun-
tains, while away to the right is a
most happily designed ornamental lake.