The Progress., 1893-07-01
THE BIG FERRIS WHEEL
1t Is the Chief Sensation OF the
Worlds Fair.
INVENTOR DECLARED A GENIUS.

When He First Broachcd Ills Plans Ia tbc
Directors of the Worlds lair They
Thought He Was CrWy-N Description
of the wheel a. II Stako in Midway
FIaisanCc.
WORLDS FAIR, june 2s.- Especial -
There is nothing in the Worlds Colum-
hian exposition that compares in genuine
novelty and ScnsatiuuaiiSm with the great
vertical wheel which stands in the very
center of Midway plaisaucc. In these lei;
tiers long ago predicted that this giant
structure would bc the chief sensation of
the Worlds fair. just as the EfTel tower
was the chief sensation of the Paris eypo-
'ition, and my prediction has been verified.
Though the wheel has been in operation
to the public but n few days, vast crowds
of people constantly surround it watching
its movements, and thousands more pav
their half dollar apiece for the privilege of
going around upon it.
Considered from the engineering stand
point as well as from that of popular in
terest this is n greater marvel than the
Eiifel tower, which earned n great reputa-
tion for its builder and small fortune for
its owners. Whereas the EifTcl tower was
simply bridge u Thousand feet long
erected upon a strong foundation and
placed on end, n simple construction ike n
couple Of Chicago's tall steel buildings
stood one upon the other and resting upon
a tall foundation of sufficient strength to
ho'd them, the vertical wheel is n bridge
SD feet long, 30 feet wide and constructed
of steel, twisted into n circle and hung
upon an axle round which il rcvolves by
means of the force given it by powerful
steam engines. The Eifrel tower involved
no new engineering principle, and when
finished was a thing dead and lifeless The
wheel, on the other hand has movement.
grace, the indescribable charm possessed
by a vast body in action.
What the genesis of the vertical wheel
was i'm the brain Of its inventor is an in
tercsting thought. Undoubtedly it had
its origin in the horizontal merry y-go-round,
and that started in the whirligig which
country boys used TO make with a post
and n plank set across the top of it, pin
ioned at its middle. From the whirligig
to the flying horses or merry -go-round was
but a step. The merry-go-round has had
its greatest development at the sea shore
resorts of Coney island and Atlantic city
At the latter place the owner of the merry
go-round owns also good share of the
town. The nimble nickels flowinginto his
Golfers i'm an uninterrupted stream all sum
mer long have enabled him To buy no end
Of corner lots and erect brick blocks
thereon.
Some one saw that the horizontal wheel
was coming money and concluded to go
it one better by building n vertical wheel
There are vertical wheels at the sea shore,
and some of their Kind have been brought
to the Worlds fair and may he seen out
side the fair gates taking passengers round
at the old rate of nickel ride These
small vertical wheels must have been the
suggestion to Ferris, the bridge builder
and engineer He said he would build
wheel that would astonsh the world, and
by the side of the little wheels of the sea
shore he as the ocean itself to II mill pond.
lie prepared his plans and came to Chi
cago to ak permission to erect his wheel
within the Worlds fair grounds At first
the fair directors only laughed at him.
They thought he was crazy, that he was a
crank. Then they granted him conces-
sion, but without any thought that he
would ever build his wheel. After a time
they concluded that it was not wise to
bother themselves further with such a Wis
ionary individual, and they cancelled the
concession. They were not going to have
II wild-eyed man with wheels in his head
numbering up the center of the plaisance
with his contraptions. But Ferris conf
dent of success and backed 10y ample cap
ital, stuck to the scheme and induced the