The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-06-25
A Big Seesaw.
From the New York Herald.


Think Of seesaw 600 feet long that
will carry load of passengers from the
ground to a height of 100 feet. Such Il
machine has been invented and patented
in Europe and America by the versatile
Imre Kiralfy, and will in a few days be
offered to New York city for erection in
Central Park.
Mr. Kiralfy started out to invent some
sort of a structure that would eclipse the
Eifel Tower and Ferris Wheel, and has
apparently succeeded. He has the tower,
and on it has balanced unique seesaw
that is most certainly marvel i'll construc
ton and operation. Engineers have passed
on his plans and said they are mechanically
correct; patents have been granted on his
invention, and the Paris civil authorities
have adopted it, and it will be one of the
great features of the Exposition of 1900.
Though decided on for both Paris and
London, New York may have the first
Kiralfy seesaw. The inventor has author
lied his attorney and agent A. H. Hum
mel, to petition the Park Commissioners
for a concession of plot of ground in Cen
tral Park for the erection of the seesaw;
Mr.. Kiralfy to have control Of it for Il
term of years, after which it, with the en-
tire plant, will revert to the city. The
petition is now being prepared, and will
soon be presented.
The structure as it will be built by Mr.
L
400 feet high. This tower will be re-
markably light and graceful in appearance,
and be in beauty of outline and detail very
much like the Eiffel Tower Securely
resting on bearings 225 feet above the
ground will be poised in exact balance the
giant seesaw, which will extend the enor-
nous length of 600 feet Like the tower,
the seesaw will be of steel, strong enough
to hold four times the weight that will
ever be placed in it. When viewed from
the ground as it is stretched across the
sky it will look like beautiful lace work
whose meshes have been formed by the
highest artistic skill.
Below the seesaw little less than half
way to the ground will be grand prone
made, and above it, half way to the top Of
the tower, will be restaurant, from which
a magnificent view can be had, but for
the view of views which surpass any now
existing the spectator must ascend to the
watch tower at the extreme top OF the tur
ret
The stately tower, with its far reach
ing, gracefully curved arms at rest, will be
most striking and impressive object, but
when these mighty arms are each swinging
through an arc of more than 400 feet in
length the sight will be awe inspiring.
This motion will be so gentle as to hardly
be perceived, and will be very readily ac
complished, for the exact balance of the
seeSaw, with friction reduced to Il mini
mum, will make it possible for very small
preponderance Of weight at either end to
raise the other.
On the seesaw will be railway tracks,
carrying cars, operated either by cable or
rigid wheels, and by the movement of these
cars the position of the great swaying bal
ance can be accurately relegated.
Did you ever stand astride Of the fnl-
crum on which rested Il plank seesaw, with
few pounds of humanity on either end,
and notice how readily-simply by swaying
your body-you could raise or depress
either end at will? Well, what you were
to the few feet of plank the cars will be to
Kiralfy's Giant seeSaW