The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-11-14

A press writer OF extensive personal
|acQuaIntanceship and lat time as inti-
Imately associated In business af1cire
with Civil Engineer G. w. @. Ferris. the
author OF the world lannon's Ferris
Wheel, says OF him that he Is inyinci'
bile In tho courage OF his convictions
and does not know the power Of his
own resources until opportunity tests
the came, and that he ls generous and
brave. The success OF the great wheel
has brought out hundreds Of newspa'
per interviews. notices and other pub
iications from which II Is now easy to
gather the leading facts Of bis life.
| He was born In Gulesburg. Illinois,
In 1859, his father being one Of the five
Ferris brothers who migrated there
up extensive lands In Knox county
ILL.,, for tho founding OF Knox Semi
nary and Knox College. we'll known
and excellent institutions of educa
ton. His father is Mr. G. w. G.. For
ris, farmer and stock raiser OF Kiv
erside. Cal. His grandfather. OF Scotch
Irish extraction. was native and citi'
zen OF Connecticut.
George, the subject of our sketch
removed at four years of age to Vir'
ginla City, Nevada, famous for the
Comstock Lode, and from there. at
thirteen years Of age. went TO the Cali
fornia Military Academy at Oakland
where In 4 years. he was graduated
with the rank OF Captain In the State
Militia.
He then entered tho most.efIicient col
ilege OF Its kind Ia the world, the Rem
saillarn Polytechnic College,, at Troy
n. y, where he was graduated Civil
Engineer In 1881.
Subsequent positions he held were
Assistant Chief Engineer. In charge
Of the construction of railroad II
West Virginia, chief engineer ant
manager OF coal works on Kanaha
river. W. Va, assistant engineer to The
Louisville Bridge and Iron Co, a
Louisville. KY. who built the great
tlbridge across the Ohio river.
At its completion In 1854 Mr.. Ferris
returned to Pittsburg. Pa. and es
Itablished the metalurRical firm OF g.
wv. e.. Ferris g. Company. the strongest
company Of Its kind III the world, o
which he is president, as he also Is Of
Ferris, Kaufman d Company, bridg'
engineers, who have built some OF TIT
largest bridges In America.
Mr.. Ferris seems to inspire his en-
slployees with the same brave. gen
. erous executive and indomitable spirl
Z (which he possesses. Apparently no
IN few OF these will do, dare. and ever
, die for him In the discharge OF duty
iris Wheel, had not received ordeii
from his superior officer to stop sell
! ling tickets on November LIST. He said
I to the people: ''As you have passed
tour companies of Columbia guards
the moment you step on my land
LEASED until January lst, IL one o
them touches you the Chicago police
will arrest him"
One guard was arrested and fined a
scourt, and 1900 people rode ever til,
wheel that day, although the paid ad
missions to the fair were not over is.
1000. Revolved still the Ferris wheel
, It was so triumphant In the spirit o
great business success that 1t nppar
emily could not afford to stop. 1t wa
, lighted and turned at evening.
SOME FERRIS WHEEL FIGURES.
] Earnings about $685. IS per day. o
,Itotal of about $3.50. 900 in rs months
/ No accident to any one of the NOR,
than ], 100000 people carried over til,
!. wheel. or nearly 100000 including
. free rides.
: Weight. rs tons; length of iron axle
: As feet; thickness. 32 inches, support
, ed by two skeleton, pyramidal, iroI
! towers, 40x50 feet at the bottom and
, feet square at the top with a heigh
Iof 140 feet. Diameter of wheel. 20
r feet; circumference, S25 feet; width
! 80 feet; cars, 80. each 81 It. by 10 1T. b.
20 1t. Electric lights nearly 5000. Tw,
8 500-light Edison dynamos and two SOC
. light Western dynamos driven by tw,
: Dick g. Clunch Compound Engines.
3 The weight OF the wheel. engines ant
/. machinery Is 1900 tons. The SO car
i weigh 10 tons each. The weight o
, the wheel and cars is 2l00 tons belnl
, 1850 tons on each end of the axle. Th
, steel In motion weighs 100 tons.
! TRINITY OF TRIUMPHs.
AS prerequisite to attract tho PEG
..lple the Commissioners of the World
a Columbian Exposition advertised TO
1.-The schemes, plans and estimates o
a distinguished competing civil engi
/ neors of every civilized country on th,