Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-14
THE FAMOUS FERRIS WHEEL
GREAT SUM EXPENDED ON TT SINCE
ITS BUILDING.
mus Lost Its Novelty aud Is Likely
soon TO He Scrap Iron-Of Little
Value to EngineerInr.
From the Chicago Post.

From the Chicago Post
Nhen the Ferris wheel is sent 70 tho
scrap heap-a thing likely soon to happen
the greatest engineering vagary OF the
century will have passed into that ohliv-
ION reserved for fads. flying machines and
perpetual-motion contrivances. Not that
the great Ferris wheel is any OF these but
simply because II never could serve any
practical use, because II embodies no dis
tinctis new principle in engineering and be-
cause II has marvellous faculty of emptv-
ing the Golfers of those who try to make
i's huse 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
Lair OF iSs's-perhsps the chief wonder-the
ferr1s wheel stood unique. Its great size
marvellous construction and distinct nov
city made it not only the GROWING teatura
OF the Midway. but the gossip OF four com
tlhthts. During the continuance OF the ex-
position more than million and a half II
visitors from all quarters OF th. globe rod,
IN ITS suspended cars and from "A height OF
s64 feet caught birds-eye glimpse of the
ialr grounds, the lake and the distant ,i,y
Ihough less than third the height 81
the Eiffel tower of the Paris exposition
the Ferris wheel WAS 4 much greater wan
Ger The Eiffel tower was merely a con-
lnuouS projection of successive towers nm.
upon another. Given a suitable. base lis
constru' ton simply meant the stringinE Of
iron and steel straight into the air Rut
IN the Ferris wheel something new in con-
struCdon was accomplished-ncw because
OF Its great size. 1t vast the projection Of a
gigantic circle, carrying thousands Of tons
OF steel and iron suspended from an axle
ana readily movable by the application OF
machinery. To have built the Ferris wheel
simply to stand upon its periphery would
have been a comparatively simple task
To suspend this mass of metal from a CEN
fan h..
ception of genius
EiffeI and his engineers were three years
building the tower in Paris The Ferris
wheel was constructed and CARRYING mas
sengers within four months The idea Of
erecting this great wheel came to George
Washington Gale Ferris native of Illinois
ana an engineer for the Pittsburg Iron
company, about year before the opening
OF the worlds fair. Mr.. Ferris was then
known as one Of the most expert bridge
builders IN America, If not in the world but
when his scheme was mentioned to other
engineers it was promptly pronounced CHI
merical. Some went even so far as TO laugh
at MIN, and not one dreamed the project
ever would get beyond the speculative
Stage But MIR. Ferris was persistent. and.
besides had faith in himself. Courageously
he set to work and succeeded in interesting
sufficient capital to warrant him in order
ing material for the wheel.
About s2a.Dg was spent in plans tests
etc before the actual construction Of the
wheel began. Some thirty firms took part
IN us making ana chicago firm saw to its
erection. When ready to he turned the
Ferris wheel had cost $500 pp0 and had con-
stunned about S.nop.olO pounds of iron and
steel The movable part of It weighed
4.2nooo pounds, and it required two en-
gines of 1.ooJ horse power each to Keep it
turning. And SO nicely adjusted were all
the parts, well balanced was the great
steel circle with its thriy-six cars. capable
Of carrying . leo persons that it was under
as full control as a sewing machine or a
pony engine Once or twice during the
worlds fair the motive power needed adj
JuStment- but the only results far as the
public was concerned were humorous Incl
debts, which gave the newspaper men a
few columns of anything but duh reading
matter.
1t is barely possible that had the worlds
fair lasted year or two the Ferris wheel
might have paid for itself. This is based
on the assumption that it would have con-
tinued TO be novelty for twelve months or
more As ii was the gross earnings Of the
wheel during the fair were SSI2w1o About
one-ffth of this went to the stockholders az
profits The power necessary to operate the
big wheel would have run a cotton factory
of 100000 spindles and 5000 looms and en-
ploying 1900 operatives. The boilers of the
power plant consumed coal like an ocean
liner. No other single feature of the great
exposition represented such an expenditure
of energy.
But the fair lasted only six months. and
the Ferris wheel ceased paying dividends
with the closing Of the exposition gates
Had ii gone from its place the Midway
direct to the scrap pile or to Coney Island
as was al one time suggested NOR. than
one Chicagoan would have been some thou
sands of dollars richer today. The wheel
that was such drawing card on the shores
of Lake Michigan. where the surroundings
were somewhat proportional to its size
was moved to the North Side of the city
and placed in space small that the cars
hung over other property while the wheel
was revolving
There it has turned occasionally for the
last few eating coal Milling
cost an eyesore to the reghborhood and a
white elephant to its owners. What has
the big wheel cost to date? Deducting the
sum paid to stockholders during the wor DIS
fair. ard counting part of the cost what
it has lost to its owners, it is safe to say
that S1.9o9,esD Will not cover the total To
move it from jackson Park to the North
Side cost a one S1f5.oo0 and it is figured it
will require expenditure of at least
$25O0O to take ii down and remove it from
where ii now StaI.dS
With the passing of the Ferris wheel the
questions naturally arise. Why was it built?
What has it accomplished? Has il proved
any new and useful principle in engineer
ing? Aside from its being the concrete of
an idea conceived by its designer the Fer
ris wheel undoubtedly WAS built to make
money. Those who invested in IL purpesed
taking advantage of the popular craze for
novelties and fads. but the investment was
too large to permit the popular craze to
outlast it,
It's achievements are mostly on the wrong
side OF the ledger. 1t was a heavy loss to
the original investors; heavier burden to
subsequent owners; thorn in the side of
many North Side property owners and il is
a towering monstrosity il raises its huge
bulk above the clustering homes and stores
in its vicinity. Last, and 10y no means
Least of its Ills, it was reputed to have been
directly concerned in the death of its pro-
jector. Mr.. Ferris.
While ii showed marvellous skill in con-
struction and in the figuring of tensile
strength and proportions, it is questionable
if a single new principle in engineering has
been demonstrated by it. Taken section
ally. it may be seen readily that il is Simply
a combination of principles long well fecog-
nized in bridge building. The difference is
merely that of projection. 1t is a bridge
built till both ends meet, as the Eifrel tower
Is a bridge of simpler construction built on
one end. Suspending such a great weight
on an axle was daring. but not new in prin-
ciple.
Never Admit Defeat.
From Sucress.
Never admit defeat or poverty though