The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-09-09
Cloud.Dlsturbing Tower.

Work is progressing on the great
Notwithstanding tower which Will be
erected in Chicago. towering l, lou feet
over the street level.
The structure is the outcome OF
patriotic desire by Chicagoans to fly
the American flag higher than any
other banner in the world, says the
New York Herald. The structure is
to be known as the city tower, and as
an attraction it will outrival anything
ever before undertaken except the
World fair. The base of the tower
is to be 1876 feet square, and it will
occupy an entire city block.
At the base, from the four-corner
support, ,-eachach Of which is 80 feet
square, will rise arches 200 feet across
the same in height. These arches
will support the first landing, which
will have 90, 900 square feet Of flooring,
where $4,000 persons can be accom-
modated at one time. There is
distance of 225 feet from the ground
to this first landing.
After passing the first landing there
is no other until another 225 feet up
in the air. There, at a height of 45O
feet, there is to be platform $50 feet
square. This second platform is about
as high as the top of the great pyramid
of Egypt, or the Washington monu-
ment. Six hundred and seventy-fve
feet above the ground is the third
landing, far higher then any building
in Chicago. At an elevation of 1000
feet above the earth is the fourth
landing, and from there stairs lead up
to the very top of the tower.
Thirty-four elevators are to be used
in this tower. They will be operated
by electricity, the power being derived
from the same plant used in lighting
the structure. There will be enough
steel used in the construction Of the
tower to build and equip small railway.
The plan of construction is very SINH
lar to that employed in the Eiffel
tower. The steel framework narrows
as it rises in the air, until, at the
heigh of 1000 feet, the fourth landing
is but 25 feet in diameter, or one
tenth the size of the lowest landing.
There are to be many unique fea-
lures in connection with. this scheme,
but they are not to be all amusement
features. Besides fireworks, balloons,
parachutes and tight-rope perform
ances, there is to be restaurant on
each lrnding. A theater, in which
there Y be continuous performances,
and bicycle rink are also to be
provided, while at the very topmost
landing there will be powerful tele-
scopes and searchlights.
The plan Of having United States
meteorological station at the very top
of the tower when it is completed has
already been discussed at Washington
and favorably considered by the Off
cials, and it is very probable that not
only will Chicago boast the highest
structure of mans making upon which
to float the Stars and Stripes higher
than the tricolor of France or the red
cross of St. George, but the city will
have the most remarkable scientific
observation station on earth-an as
Economical observatory above the
clouds, yet in the midst Of the city; a
sky laboratory of the Chicago univer-
sity and cloud-surrounded signal
tower for the government weather man.
The most important observations of
all on such q tower would be those re-
latipg to . atmospheric electricity.
What changes take place at this height
which are not duplicated at the earth's
surface Z? A few observations at the
Washington monument have already
shown some remarkable comparisons.
There is hardly a point regarding
diurnal change, abnormal change or
seasonable change of meteorological
element that would not be successfully
aided by records from such tower.
At the Eifel tower some very re-
markable results have been obtained
as to wind velocity. 1t is generally
known that at the earth surface the
wind dies down till it reaches mini
mum at about sunset. The time of
maximum at the earth's surface is
usually about 8 p. nj. At the Eiffel
tower these conditions are almost
exactly reversed in the colder months.
Then the maximum occurs near sun
rise and the minimum in the afternoon.
This would be a very interesting phe-
nomenon for study at Chicago.
The llifel tower cost 81, 200, 900,
while the estimated cost of the Chicago
tower will be but S800,000. The
structure and all connected with it
will be more of an invention than an
architectural problem. Special atten-
tion will. be given to showing on it the
best result Of electric skill, and among
the novelties will be new feature in
handling and operating the different
flags, tn 13 largest of which will wave
in the breeze without the use of hal
yards. By pressing an e'actric button
they will all at once unfurl to the
breeze in moments time. At sun
down, by again pressing the button,
they will disappear for the night. The
elevator service will develop many new
features never before used. While
all may ascend the tower by means of
elevators of the most approved kind,
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