Daily camera., 1900-07-03
A FAMOUS BIG WHEEL
Probable End of the Great Nidvav
Feature.
The Invention Of Ferris Has AAeut
Served Its Purpose and WIN
Soon Find Its way t.
the Scrap Heap.

pen--the greatest engineering vagary
Of the century will have passed into
that oblivion reserved for fads, flying
machines and experimentation con-
trivances. Not that the great Ferris
wheel is any of these. says the Chicago
Post. but simply because it never could
serve any practical use, because it en-
bodies no distinctly new principle in
engineering and because it has mar
veIous faculty of emptying the Golfers
of those who try to make its huge bulk
earn even a small part of the cost Of
maintaining ito say nothing of the
cost of original investment.
AS one of the wonders Of the worlds
fair of 1s93-perhaps the chief wonder
the Ferris wheel stood unique. Its
great size, marvellous construction and
distinct novelty made it not only the
crowning feature of the midway, but
the gossip of four continents. During
the continuance of the exposition more
than million and half of visitors
from all quarters of the globe rode in
its suspended cars and from height of
264 feet caught bird's-eye glimpse of
the fair grounds, the lake and the dis
tant city.
Though less than third the height
of the Eitfel tower of the Paris exposi-
tion. the Ferris wheel was much
greater wonder. The EitfeI tower was
merely continuous projection of sue
ceSsive towers one upon another. Given
q suitable base. its construction simply
meant the stringing of iron and steel
straight into the air. But in the Fer
ris wheel something new in construc
tion was accomplished-new because
of its great size. 1t was the projection
of a gigantic circle, carrying thousands
of tons of steel and iron suspended
from an axle and readily movable by
the application of machinery. To have
built the Ferris wheel simply to stand
upon its periphery would have been
comparatively simple task. To sus-
pend this mass of metal from central
point and give it motion was the con-
ception of genius.
About $25GO0 was spent in plans,
tests. etc. before the actual construc-
ton Of the wheel began Some 80 firms
took part in its making and Chicago
firm saw to its erection. When ready
to be turned the Ferris wheel had cost
$2G2.UOO and had consumed about
100000 pounds of iron and steel. The
movable part of it weighed 100000
pounds, and it required two engines Of
1.O0O horsepower each to keep it turn
ing. And so nicely adjusted were ali
the parts, so well balanced was the
great steel circle with it's 36 cars
capable of carrying 2.l6o persons, that
it was under as full control as a sew
ing machine or pony engine. Once or
twice during the worlds fair the mo-
tive power needed adjustment. but the
only results so far as the public was
concerned were humorous Incidents
which gave the newspaper men few
columns of anything but dull reading
matter.
It is barely possible that had the
worlds fair lasted a year or two the
Ferris wheel might have paid for it.
self. This is based on the assumption
that it would have continued to be
novelty for l2 months or more. AS it
was the gross earnings of the wheel
during the fair were 1912, 100. About
one-fifth of this went to the stockhold-
ers as profits. The power necessary to
operate the big wheel would have run
cotton factory OF 100000 spindles and
5000 looms and employing 5000 opera
tives. The boilers of the power plant
consumed coal like an ocean liner. No
other single feature of the great ex-
position represented such an expendi-
ture of energy.
But the fair lasted only six months,
and the Ferris wheel ceased paying
dividends with the closing of the ex-
position gates. Had it gone from its
place on the Midway direct to the scrap
pile or to Coney Island, as was at one
time suggested, more than one Chica-
goan would have been some thousands
OF dollars richer to-day. The wheel
that was such drawing card on the
shores of Lake Michigan, where the
surroundings were somewhat proper
toned to its size, was moved to the
North side of the city and placed in a
space so small that the cars hung over
other property while the wheel was re-
volying.
There it has turned occasionally for
the last few years, eating up coal, pill
ing up cost. an eyesore to the neigh bor-
hood and white elephant to its own
ers. What has the big wheel cost to
date? Deducting the sum paid to stock:
holders during the worlds fair, and
counting as part Of the cost what it has
lost to its owners, it is safe to say that
81 900. 900 will not cover the total. To
move it from Jackson park to the North
side cost alone S175,0O0, and it is figured
it will require an expenditure of at
least $25,0OO to take it down and re-
move it frm where it now stands.
With the passing of the Ferris wheel
the questions naturally arise: Why was
it built? What has it accomplished?
Has it proved any new and useful prin-
ciple in engineering? Aside from it's
being the concrete of an idea conceived
by its designer, the Ferris wheel un-
doubtedly was built to make money.
Those who invested in it purposed TAX