| February 14th is not only Valentines Day but it is also the anniversary of the birth of George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. Born in 1859 in Galesburg, Illinois, George received an engineering degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in1881. After spending a few years in the railroad industry, he started a Pittsburgh-based company that tested the integrity of steel structures. The Exposition In late 1890, renowned architect Daniel Burnham began plans for the 1893 World Exposition in Chicago. Burnham was determined to make the event more memorable than the1889 Paris Exhibition, the centerpiece of which had been the magnificent Eiffel Tower. Burnham assembled a team of designers and gave them one directive: “Make no little plans.” One designer envisioned a tower garlanded with rails to distant cities, enabling visitors to toboggan home. A second proposal put forward a gigantic tower from which riders would be propelled by rubber bands, a forerunner of bungee jumping. Gustave Eiffel himself proposed an even taller tower but Burnham was not interested. As the Exhibition’s opening date approached Burnham implored the designers to come up with “something novel, original, daring and unique”. George Ferris, whose company was responsible for inspecting the steel used by the exhibition, was struck by a brainstorm. He proposed an enormous revolving steel wheel which was held together by tension wires, just like a bicycle wheel. After several redesigns, his wheel was finally approved by Burnham, just four months before the exhibition’s opening. Ferris had already spent $25,000 of his own money on safety studies and redesigns. Now, Burnham told Ferris that he was responsible for all of the construction costs. Undaunted, Ferris raised funds, procured 45 tons of steel and had the wheel up and running by June 11,1893 – not in time for the opening, but still an amazing feat. There had never been anything like it and1.5 million curious people paid fifty cents admission to ride on the wheel. The 34-year-old Ferris was now America’s most famous engineer. The Exposition committee and Ferris’s company argued about the distribution of profits. Ferris not only lost the legal battles but suffered Ill-health because of the pressures of the litigation. He became despondent when the city dismantled the wheel after the exhibition closed. Adding insult to injury, George’s wife left him. In 1896, he contracted typhoid fever and died at the age of 37. A wrecking company bought the wheel and sold it to the 1904 St. Louis Exposition. Two years later, it was dynamited into scrap metal, ending the life of the original Ferris Wheel. Wheeling Around the World Prior to Ferris’ invention, the world’s largest tension wheel was 30 feet high. The Ferris Wheel rose 264 feet off the ground giving riders in the 30 gondolas a view further than anyone in Chicago had ever experienced. It has inspired numerous imitations. The five tallest Ferris Wheels today are: At 820 feet, “Ain Dubai” is three times the size of the original wheel. It features 48 luxurious, air-conditioned capsules that each accommodate 40 passengers. The 550 foot “High Roller” in Las Vegas is the largest Ferris Wheel in the Western Hemisphere. Each of the 28 glass-enclosed cabins can hold forty people. Guests can enjoy interactive video and music during their 30 minute rotation. At 525 feet, “The Star of Nanchang” held the title of the world’s tallest Ferris wheel from 2006 until 2008. Located in Nanchang, China, It features 60 capsules, each seating eight passengers. “The London Eye”, standing at 443 feet, provides spectacular views of all that the magnificent city has to offer. The wheel features 32 capsules, each representing one of London’s boroughs. The “Redhorse Osaka Wheel” stands at 404 feet. The glass floors in the capsules create an exhilarating experience for thrill-seekers. If your bucket list includes riding the world’s tallest Ferris Wheels know that you’ll need a large travel budget. Of the tallest eighteen Ferris Wheels, eleven are in Asia ( six in China, four in Japan and one in Taiwan). The Texas Star in Dallas is the only American wheel outside of Vegas to make the top eighteen. Safe travels. |
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