The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-06-27
TIE LARGEST OF TOPS.
TO BE FOUR HUNDRED FEET
 HIGH
And to be spun at the St. Louis Expo
 sition.

A novelty in the way of worlds fair concessions is in course of presentation to the concessions committee of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition-one promising to surpass in novelty and in terest the great Ferris Wheel at the Columbian Exposition at Chicago in in l 1893. In fact as an engineering pro- blem it presents features which, like those of the Ferris Wheel. have never before been attempted, but which, passed upon by the same engineers who said the Ferris Wheel could be built, even though the American Society of Engineers declared against it, promises to be equally feasible and more novel. The proposal is nothing more than the construction out of steel of an immense peg top" the same old shape familiar to every youngster in the land, even to the plug on top, which every young American thinks he must cut off before he has satisfactory article of top fur niture
 This immense top is to be some four hundred or more feet high. The center Is to be an immense hollow steel shaft, thoroughly anchored within which some twelve elevators are to be run to carry passengers up and down. Around this is to be built the top proper in perfect similarity to the boyhood's play thing. The plug at the top, of course, will be the upper end of the huge core referred to, and in the extreme of this plug will be an open observatory, sta tionary and commanding a view of the entire fair grounds and more. Just be- low the plug will come the curved up per section, which like huge umbrella, will serve as a roof, protecting the lower portions Below this umbrella" will be built the remainder of the top in decreasing diameter and cut in lateral sections into circular floors, upon which will be rented concession space for va- rious attractions, such as candy booths, restaurant, summer garden. with beer accompaniment, Sc The main floor it is proposed to reserve for a concession to an immense theatrical presentation, something on the order of "1492," pre- scented at the Columbia Exposition with wealth of scenic investiture which made it one of the most profitable of the individual attractions at the fair
 Probably the most novel feature of the whole scheme Is the fact that it is proposed to build each floor indepen- dent of the one above and below and to arrange for the revolving of each floor about the huge axis in which the elevators are to run. Running these floors independently, it is planned to cause each to revolve in opposite direc- tion to that next to 1t, providing q change of scene for those on all of the floors and bringing the various parts of the whole exposition into view in the course of the revolution. The entire top will be built of steel on the canti- lever plan, and willabe open to the air on all sides, but it will also be arranged to inclose it during inclment weather with Venetian blinds, so that those who may wish to patronize the exposition on it's bad days shall not be deprived of this feature, which it is believed will prove to be a greater attraction than | the Ferris Wheel at Chicago. It is un- that the interests behind the | are such as to put 1t in the | same class as the Ferris Wheel, so far | IS support goes. Among the minor features of the con- | struction will be the painting of each i atera section with a contrasting color md the illumination of each of these | sections with different colored lights by | night, presenting something in addition | Q the immensity of the scheme to at ract the eye. On the observatory it is llso proposed to place features which will add to the novelty of the attrac- ion by night as well as by day, The otal floor space, according to the fig lres, will be about one hundred and orty thousand square feet, of which one hundred thousand will go to sub-con- essionaries.-St. Louis Globe-Deme- rat.