The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1904-07-22
When Visiting the Worlds Fair, Ride
on the Ferris Wheel

necung and constructive ability.
One Of these, the Eiitel Tower, was
designed and built by Frenchman
at Paris for the Exposition Of 1883;
the other, the Ferris Wheel, was de-
signed and built by the late Geo. W.
q. Ferris for the Worlds Columbian
Exposition at Chicago, in 1898.
Paris agaip held a great Exposi-
tion ln 1900 but failed 10 produce
any feature to take the place Of the
Elhel Tower. In America, St.
Louis, in 1904. planned and pro
duced the greatest Exposition the
World has ever seen. Scores Of at
temrts were made to invent some
thing more wonderful and more at
,ractve than the Ferris Wheel, but
as Paris failed to outdo her own
II nsl Tower, 80 did 81, Louis fail to
equal the far-iamed Ferris Wheel OF
the Worlds Columbian Exposition
III 1898 Arrangements were ac-
.c0rdingly made to bring the Ferris
Wheel TO the Louisiana Purchase
Exposition and II was given loca-
ZION near the geographical center Of
the grounds.
The problem Of moving the Ferris
Wheel from Chicago to -. Louis
vas stupeud0us-l 200 tons Of ma.
lterial including the 70-ton axle,
besides engines, boilers and derrick-
and falsework, had to be transpor
ted. One hundred and seventy-fiye
freight cars were required to move
this material.
A brief resume Of the dimensions
and description Of the Ferris Wheel
may be interesting. The Wheel is
built upon the bicycle principle
with immense tension spokes. . 10
llG in. diam. The wheel is $50 It.
IN diameter and stands PSI #. high.
In reality il two wheel. securely
braced together. Between the outer
rims OF these wheels the eleven-ton
cars are suspended on 6a in. pins,
l6 #. long. These cars are l3 II.
wide, 26 #. long, 9 It. high and
Twill carry go persons each. There
lare 36 Of them, 80 the total capacity
of the wheel is 2,lGO persons. AT
several times in its history the
iWheel has been filled to It's capacity
The axle Of the Wheel is a solid
steel forging, 80 in. in diameter and
l45 #. long
The solid bronze bearings upon
which it rests are each 8 It. long and
lc0ntain nearly two tons OF metal
rhe weight Of the wheel Is carried
lpon two f0ur.post towers, 6 It
square on top and 80 by 80 it. at the
base. These in turn rest upon solid
concrete and steel beam pillars,
(which are carried down to solid rock
-I26 fl. below the surface Of the
ground. The towers are anchored
10 the bottom Of this mass OF con-
crete by by 6 in. eyebars, so that
the Wheel Is perfectly safe, even in
the most violent storms. The side
lvibration.of the Wheel IN an SO mile
lao hour wind is less than 2 inch
The Wheel i run by double re-
versing engine with cylinders 30 by
IS in, capable Of developing 2,0Ot
horse power. The power is applied
through a series Of cogs to a sproc-
ket chain which engages wide cogs
Ion the outside Of each rim.
Two revolutions are given each
passenger, and the time required Is
iron 20 to 30 minutes. The siew
during this half hour ride Is most
interesting and. instructive. Grad
ually, as the majestic and mighty
wheel rolls one up higher and
higher, a grand paorama unioids IL
seli to view. A City million dollar
Exposition in all lis grandeur Is be-
fore you. The location Of the Wheel
in the center Of the Fair Grounds
gives one an opportunity to thor
oughly familiarize themselves with
the lay Of the grounds and get a
better general idea Of the Fair than
they could by days Of tramping.
The Cascades, the Piateauof States,
all the bic buildings, The Pike, Fes-
tiAal Hall, the Art Building, For
eign Bulldogs, Philippine Reserva-
ton, the Air Ship Enclosure, in TACT,
every point Of interest in the
grounds can be seen from the big
Wheel. In addition one gets a
view Of st. Louis, the Mississippi
River. and the beautiful forests, hills
and dales for fifty miles around. AT
night the view Of the illumination oi
the buildings ana grounds is simply
magnificent. Eve has not seen nor
AR heard OF more striking specta-
cie than the night view Of the great
Exposition from the top OF the Fer
rls Wheel.
\ Hundreds Of thousands Of incan4
descent lights bring the outlines oil
lalI the buildings in bold relief. The