The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1893-08-19

Jackson Park, Special Correspond
ence-Midway Plaisance Is now partc-
ularly the center of attraction to Wis
itors to the worlds fair. Here the
crowds are always the largest ana the
fun the most furious Of any part OF
the exposition grounds. Americans
above all things, like to be amuseo'
and this heterogeneous collection OF
neoples from all over the world furnish
amusement as well as instruction to
those who examine into their mode
If living. It is possible for a visitor to
ooin more information in the Midway
Plaisance about the human FANNY tlan
he could acquire in months ana even
years of travel. An intelligent Engnsh-
man. who might be classed with the
element known as ''bOg trotters, re-
marked to me the other day as we
were gazing at a group of Egyptans
that anv intelligent person ould learn
more of the ways of foreign peoples
in Midway in a week than he coulo III
two years of travel in the Orient, De-
cause their distinctive customs were
brought out strongly in their encamp.
ments here. The Plaisance Is o WORTH
of peoples, gathered into q small space
and preserving their native character
istics with strict fidelity. N reaaeE'
however, can only imagine IN pictur-
esuueness of such a scene and now III
tensely interesting it is to an Ameri-
can who surpasses all nationahties IN
the traits of curiosity and the desire 10
learn. In my first visit to the Piaisance
I looked to find something which would
set forth to the public the idea OF the
greatness and other characteristics OF
America, and I certainly found that IL
was there in the shape of n OF the
greatest triumphs of modern engineer
ing. One of the South American com.
m%issioners at the worlds fair lamented
in a published interview that n Unlteu
States, unlike France, had not a dlst!n-
gushing feature, similar to the Eliel
at Paris to set off the great triumphs
of the exposition. This was before the
Ferris wheel was completed, which, K
that great achievement of French en-
cheering, furnishes a destructive work
that greets the eye Of the visitor for
MANY miles before the towers and
minarets Of the great white city burst
upon his view like an enchanted VISION:
This feat of American engineering skill
demonstrates the genius, courage and
enterprise Of G.. w. G. Ferris, who
undertook to show the world what
American skill could do without the
aid of emoluments of the Columbian
exposition behind him.
/ have but to mention the dimensions
or that gigantic achievement Of mechan-
ical engineering 10 clearly show what
a vast undertaking was the feat OF
constructing the great Ferris wheel.
It stands 264 feet high. The diameter
of the wheel proper is 25O feet. The
main shaft, upon which it revolves as
smooth and frictionless as the piston
rod Of some massive engine, Is 81 inches
In diameter and As IL feet in length
the largest steel shaft ever forged.
Upon the periphery Of the outer circle
Of the wheel is suspended thirty-six
commodiOus passenger coaches, thlr-
teen feet wide and twenty-six feet long.
Each of these coaches has q carrying
capacity fo- SIXTY passengers, WIN Torsv
chairs for those who may wish TO sit
down-many preferring to stand In or
der to catch every aspect OF the magnif-
cent view afforded. These thirty. six
cars can, therefore carry 2,1SO persons
around each trip. The structure weighs
200 tons, and requires the power OF
two 1000 horsepower engines to rotate
It upon it's axis, while the whole mas
sive superstructure is raised fifteen feet
above the earth upon pyramidal towers
Of gigantic size, that the great wheel
may sweep gracefully on It's axis
through the air. The towers are each
LAO feet high, 40 by 80 feet at the base
and six feet square at the top, and each
rests upon four square concrete founda-
tons.
The wheel itself consists Of a wheel
within q wheel. The inner wheel is
bounded by a periphery, which has a
diameter of 40 feet less than the outer
wheel, or in other words, the periphery
Of the inner wheel is 20 feet within that
Of the outer wheel. These wheels are
connected By heavy rods and struts.
The outer wheel, which Is over 1000
feet in length, has a double parallel
periphery, and the passenger coaches
are hung to the outer periphery Of the
big wheel by steel bars 61-2 inches in
diameter, extending across from m
parallel periphery to the other. The
great hub is 16 feet in diameter. be-
tween which and the outer pecipheries
Is arranged all the massive truss work
that holds the gigantic structure togeth-
Ell. Steel rods 2 GIG inches in thickness
run out from the hub, connecting it
with the circumference at every thir-
teen feet of space, measured upon the
circumference. Every possible provls-
ion is made for safety, although the
giant wheel Is moved SO slowly that it
requires 20 minutes to make one revo-
luton.
The wheel is fitted with a gigantic
air brake which will stop 1t In any DO
sition alta moments notice. The outer
line of the wheel contains immense
gear cogs, and these mesh with the
sprocket chain which ~rev0lves around
the immense cog wheels and thus the
easy, steady, graceful movement Ia at
tanned. The passenger coaches are ad-