The Princeton union., 1893-08-10
in MIDW AY PLAISANCE.
AHE MOST INSTRUCTIVE FEATURE
OF THE FAIR:

OF THE FAIR:
OfoRe Can De Learned of the Ways
and Customs of Different NATIONAL
hties Than in u Trip to e rope
The Ferris Wheel u Triumph Of
American Ingenuity.
Jackson Park, Special Corresponds
-ence-Midway Plaisance is now partic-
uiarly the center of attraction to Wis
'ators to the worlds fair. Here the
crowds are always the largest and the
fun the most furious of any part of
the exposition grounds. Americans,
above all things, like to be amused,
and this heterogeneous collection of
Peoples from all over the world furnish
amusement as well as instruction to
those who examine into their mode
or living. 1t is possible for a visitor to
8zfn more information in the Midway
Rtaisance about the human family than
ne could acquire in months and even
years OF travel. An intelligent English
snaTi, who might be classed with the
element known as bog trotters re-
marked to me the other day as we
wefe gazing at q group of Egyptians
that any intelligent person could learn
z11aEe Of the ways Of foreign peoples
an Midway in 4 week than he could in
MWo years OF travel in the Orient, be-
cause, their distinctive customs were
Drought out strongly in their encamp-
nents here. The Plaisance is Il world
OF peoples, gathered into small space
and preserving their native character
astics with strict fidelity. The reader,
hnWever, can only imagine the pictur-
esqueness OF such a scene and how in
eensely interesting it is to an Ameri-
CAN who surpasses all nationalities in
Che traits of curiosity and the desire to
Aearn. In my first visit to the Plaisance
IL 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 it
rSSsas there in the shape of one Of the
greatest triumphs Of modern engineer
'sHg. One of the South American COM
TnIssioneEs at the worlds fair lamented
I'm q published interview that the United
States, unlike France, had not a distin-
ssulSlling feature similar to the Eifel
at Paris to set off the great triumphs
tof the exposition. This was before the
lsfeE,E1S wheel was completed, which, like
aiEaG great achievement of French en-
Gmeering, furnishes 4 destructive work
that greets the eye of the visitor for
8nany miles before the towers and
'sriInarets Of the great white city burst
upon his view like an enchanted vision.
TtaSs feat of American engineering skill
the genius, courage and
enterprise of G. w. G.. Ferris, who
undertook to show the world what
tsitnerican skill could do without the
aiA of emoluments Of the Columbian
exposition behind him.
Il have but to mention the dimensions
pr that gigantic achievement of mechan-
teal engineering 10 clearly show what
e. vast undertaking was the feat of
constructing the great Ferris wheel.
Kt stands 264 feet high. The diameter
of the wheel proper is $50 feet. The
r1ssm shaft, upon which it revolyes as
smooth and frictionless as the piston
rod OF some massive engine, is 80 inches
I'm diameter and 45 1-2 feet in length
s4IIe largest steel shaft ever forged.
Upon the periphery Of the outer circle
of the wheel is suspended thirty six
rCUmmot7ious passenger coaches, thir
teen feet wide and twenty-six feet long.
Each Of these coaches has 4 carrying
capacity for sixty passengers, with forty
chairs for those who may wish to sit
down-many preferring to stand in Or
der to catch every aspect Of the magniti-
cent view afforded. These thirty six
scsrs can, therefore carry 2,1SO persons
around each trip. The structure weighs
2,1OO tons, and requires the power OF
two 1000 horsepower engines to rotate
fEt 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
140 feet high, 40 by 50 feet at the base
and six feet square at the top, and each
rests upon four square concrete founda-
kiOnS.
.Taae wheel itself consists Of a wheel
Avithin q Wheel. The inner wheel is
bounded by Il periphery, which has a
diameter of 40 feet less than the outer
wheel, or in other words, the periphery
of the Gnner wheel is 20 feet within that
OF the @rtter wheel These wheels are
connected by heavy rods and struts.
The outer wheel, which is over LOGO
feet in length, has double parallel
.pecaphery, and the passenger coaches
are hung t. the outer periphery OF the
'big wheel ty steel bars IL inches in
diameter, extending across from one
parallel periphery to the other. The
great hub il 16 feet in diameter, be-
tween which and the outer pecipheries
is arranged all the massive truss work
that holds the gigantic structure togeth-
er Steel rods GIG inches in thickness
aun out from the hub, connecting it
with the circumference at every thir
teen feet of space, measured upon the
circumference Every possible provls-
don is made for safety, although the
giant wheel is moved so slowly that it
requires 20 minutes to make one revo-
SutiOn.
The wheel is fitted with 4 gigantic
air brake which will stop it in any po-
ssftion at moments notice. The outer
Vine of the wheel contains immense
gear cogs, and these mesh with the
Sprocket chain which reyolves around
fIy6, Immense cO,r yyhpn1S and th11s thn