The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-06-22
His Monster Revolving Creation at the Worlds
Fair Dedicated Yesterday and Tested
BY Thousands of People.
ModestSpeech by the Inventor, in Which
Credit Was Given His Assistants.
Nearly 10000 Persons at the Fair During
the Day and Evening-Well- Attended Con.
cert-Russian Exhibits Uncovered.
THE WHEEL GOES ROUND.

Inventor Ferries Circle of Iron and Steel
Dedicated and Successfully Tested.
Special 70 the Indianapolis Journal
CHICAGO. Juno 2l.-Midwsy Plalsance
was q moving macs of humanity this after
noon when the revolving creation of
George Washington Gale Ferris. of Pitts
burg. started first for the five thousand in
vited guests, and then for thousands of ex-
position visitors who had been patiently
waiting to take ride in the monster circle
of steel and iron. 1t was q great day for
the civil engineering profession in general.
and invento Ferris in particular. Old Sol
beamed on the people. and there was no
hitch In the proceedings. Everybody
among the FIVE thousand invited guests, of
more or less prominence. WAS elevated
slowly to o height Of $50 feet, and by
q gradual. indescribable motion lowered
through space to the five platforms No.
body was afraid to get on board the thirty
six cars of forty seats each. but some of tho
women. and men. too. experienced . dis
agreeable sensation in the motion of the
wheel. which made them resolve not to go
up and down again. Still that was not the
fault of the wheel, as tho motion of the
machine Is almost imperceptible. Before
the inaugural exercises began. and while
the guests were gathering inside the gates.
the Iowa State band. perched in the top
most car of the wheel, high above the
promenade on the roof of the Manufactures
Building. played appropriate music.
Robert w. Hunt. president of the Ferris
Wheel Company and architect of the Ad-
mlnistsation Building, led the way to the
platform. which had been erected under
h. hal toAs ohoi
surrounded by q. w. q, Ferris u. G. Rice.
the assistant to the Inv ntor; Chief Walker
Fearn, Of the foreign affairs deDartment;
Gen. Nelson A. Miles, U. s. A.; Sir Henry
Wood, of the British commission; Judg
Vincent. secretary of the wheel company;
Julian Kennedy, Major Handy, Hakky
Bey. the Ottoman Commission or gen er al;
Prof. Herbert VOs. art commissioners for
Holland; Commissioner Verseruyese. OF
Belgium; City Engineer Artingsrall. of Chi
cagO; Engineer G0ttlieb and other promi-
nent mem bers of the profession.
MIR. Ferris told how, at an informal
dinner in Chicago restaurant he had
conceived the idea of having the engineer
ing profession represented at the fair in a
striking manner, and planned the line of
structural iron and steel. After months of
hard work he had thought out and planned
the wheel. The newspaper press and many
wheels in his head: not on the ground. II
leave 1T to you, ladies and gentlemen"
said the yoang genius, Ito say if the
wheel is still In my head" Great
laughter II dedicate this plant to the
profession to which belong. For the sue.
cess wrought In the building of this wheel
i ana indebted to the constant devotion
and persistent encouragement of my wife,
my assistant ana the superintendent of
construction" MI. Ferris was loudly ap-
pla uded.
General Miles paid tribute to the genius
and practical worth of American en- glneers.
Major Handy and jude &c Vincent also spoke.
and then the guests were invited TO take q
ride in the wheel, which was decorated
with American flags and bunting of red,
white and blue.
The Ferris wheel Is Go the Colum bIan
exposition what the Eiffel tower was to the
Paris exposition of 1889. 1t has not yet De-
come widely known as that SIX ~ piercln &
structure, but there is no doubt that il
will be In time. The wheel, when the cars
are filled with passengers weighs l. 200 tons
and is 2e5 feet high.