Ferris Wheel (1893)

Last updated

Ferris Wheel
Original Ferris.jpeg
George Washington Gale Ferris Jr.'s wheel
Alternative namesChicago Wheel
General information
StatusDemolished
Town or city Chicago
Country United States
OpenedJune 21, 1893;130 years ago (June 21, 1893)
DemolishedMay 11, 1906
Cost$385,000 [1]
Height80.4 metres (264 ft)
Known forWorld's first Ferris Wheel

The original Ferris Wheel, sometimes also referred to as the Chicago Wheel, [2] [3] was designed and built by George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. as the centerpiece of the Midway at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. Since its construction, many other Ferris wheels have been constructed that were patterned after it.

Contents

Intended as keystone attraction similar to that of the 1889 Paris Exposition's 324-metre (1,063 ft) Eiffel Tower, the Ferris Wheel was the Columbian Exposition's tallest attraction, with a height of 80.4 metres (264 ft).

The Ferris Wheel was dismantled and then rebuilt in Lincoln Park, Chicago, in 1895, and dismantled and rebuilt a third and final time for the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. It was ultimately demolished in 1906. In 2007, the wheel's 45 foot, 70-ton axle was discovered buried near where it was demolished. [4]

The original 1893 Chicago Ferris Wheel Ferris-wheel.jpg
The original 1893 Chicago Ferris Wheel
View through the Ferris Wheel World's Columbian Exposition Ferris Wheel, Chicago, United States, 1893.jpg
View through the Ferris Wheel
Chicago-ferris-wheel.jpg

Early history

External image
Searchtool.svg Axle of the 1893 Chicago Ferris Wheel

Before the Ferris wheel, the Eiffel tower stood as a new centerpiece in Paris and an idea that was thought to be needed in the States. Gustave Eiffel himself amongst other inventors had many ideas as to how they could bring this tower over to the states, but ultimately, Daniel Burnham thought up the idea of a monumental wheel. When he presented his ideas to a team of metal workers – George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. and his team – he thought the idea to be unsafe and unable to be done. Ferris kept on with the wheel ideas and proposed a bigger and taller tower, to stand as its own centerpiece at the World's Columbian Exposition. Once Burnham was off the project, Ferris's team brought the project to life and was able to give this new attraction to 1.4 million people in June of 1893. [5]

Design and construction

The Ferris Wheel was designed and constructed by Ferris, a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania bridge-builder. [6] Ferris began his career in the railroad industry before pursuing an interest in bridge building. He understood the growing need for structural steel and founded G.W.G. Ferris & Co. in Pittsburgh, a firm that tested and inspected metals for railroads and bridge builders.

The wheel was constructed in Jackson Park during the winter of 1892–93. To create a foundation for the wheel, dynamite was used to break through three feet of frozen ground. Piles of timber were driven thirty-two feet into the ground, on top of which was laid a grillage of steel that was then filled with concrete. Jets of steam were used by workers to thaw dirt and prevent the poured concrete from freezing. [7] With the foundation in place, the wheel was then constructed.

The completed wheel rotated on a 71-ton, 45.5 foot (13.9 meter) long axle that was at that time the world's largest hollow forging. It was manufactured in Pittsburgh by the Bethlehem Iron Company and weighed 89,320 pounds (40,510 kg), together with two 16-foot-diameter (4.9 m) cast-iron spiders weighing 53,031 pounds (24,054 kg). [8] There were 36 passenger cars, each fitted with 40 revolving chairs and able to accommodate up to 60 people, giving a total capacity of 2,160. [2]

On June 9, 1893, the wheel was primed for a test run with great anticipation and a good deal of anxiety. The engine that would activate the wheel was fueled by steam boilers whose underground mains rushed steam to propel the pistons of its thousand-horsepower engines. Upon first seeing the wheel which towered over everything in its vicinity, Julian Hawthorne, son of the author Nathaniel, was amazed that anything of such a size "continues to keep itself erect ... it has no visible means of support – none that appear adequate. The spokes look like cobwebs; they are after the fashion of those on the newest make of bicycles". [9] Ferris modeled his invention after the structural principles of a waterwheel near his childhood home in Nevada and modeled after the structural principles of a bicycle wheel. The Ferris wheel was supported by an enormous axle and powered by a one-thousand-horsepower steam engine. Correspondents made repeated requests for drawings and information, but Ferris would not release the details. As a consequence, no copies of the original plans or calculations have survived.

Both Ferris and his associate W. F. Gronau also recognized the engineering marvel the wheel represented, as a giant wheel that would turn slowly and smoothly without structural failure had never before been attempted. [10]

For its inaugural run, no cars had yet been attached. The workmen however, climbed the structure and settled themselves on the spokes to the accompaniment of cheers from an audience of fair employees who had gathered to watch the momentous event. After the wheel had completed its first rotation, Gronau deemed the test a success. "I could have yelled out loud for joy". [11]

The wheel was erected at a cost of $385,000. [1]

Operation

The Ferris Wheel took 20 minutes to make two revolutions, the first involving six stops to allow passengers to exit and enter and the second a nine-minute non-stop rotation, for which the ticket holder paid 50 cents (equivalent to $16.29in 2022).

The Ferris Wheel first opened to the public as the centerpiece of the World's Columbian Exposition at Midway Plaisance in Chicago on June 21, 1893, and continued to operate there until after the exposition ended in October 1893.

Almost 1.5 million paid to ride on the wheel, generating a profit of $395,000. [8]

After the Columbian Exposition

'Chicago, Grande Roue' (1896) – Lumière Brothers (Catalog no. 338)
The Ferris Wheel in Lincoln Park, Chicago, looking north from Wrightwood Avenue Original Ferris wheel in Lincoln park, Chicago (edit).jpg
The Ferris Wheel in Lincoln Park, Chicago, looking north from Wrightwood Avenue

The wheel itself closed in April 1894 and was then dismantled and stored until the following year, when it was rebuilt in the Lincoln Park, Chicago, neighborhood. [12] The amusement park was located at 2619 to 2665 N. Clark, which is now the location of a McDonald's and a high-rise residential building. [13] The original plan was to include a beer garden and vaudeville show, but the liquor license was not granted. [13] William D. Boyce, then a local resident, filed a Circuit Court action against the owners of the wheel to have it removed, but without success.

In 1896, the Lumiere Brothers, inventors of cinema, shot film (catalogue number 338 [14] [15] ) of the intersection of Wrightwood and Clark which included the Ferris wheel. [16] It is one of the first films of Chicago.

The wheel operated at Clark St. from October 1895 until 1903, when it was purchased at auction by the Chicago House Wrecking Company (CHWC) for $8,150 [17] (equivalent to $265,450in 2022).

Remains of the Ferris Wheel used at the 1904 World's Fair after demolition Remains of the Ferris Wheel used at the 1904 World's Fair after demolition.jpg
Remains of the Ferris Wheel used at the 1904 World's Fair after demolition

It was then dismantled for a second time and transported by rail to St. Louis for the 1904 World's Fair, where it earned the CHWC about $215,000 (equivalent to $7,002,630in 2022).

Demolition and disposition

After the 1904 World's Fair closed on December 1, 1904, no purchasers were found who would pay for the relocation of the great Ferris Wheel, despite many efforts. It was finally destroyed by controlled demolition using dynamite on May 11, 1906 (18 months after the fair closed), to be sold for scrap. This was necessary because the contract with the city of St. Louis required the "restoration of Forest Park." [18]

In 2007, a magnetic survey using a cesium magnetometer [19] indicated that a long, steel or iron object (presumed to be the axle) was buried under a major street roughly 200 feet (61 m) from where the wheel was demolished. It has not yet been excavated. [4]

Since 2000, other published documents and research into original papers (from the Chicago House Wrecking Company, c.1904–1906) indicate that the axle was taken back to Chicago, where it was eventually cut up for scrap when oxy-acetylene torches improved sufficiently to cut the hardened steel axle up for scrap. These references include Norman Anderson's book Ferris Wheels: An Illustrated History, [20] several unpublished CHWC letters and documents, an article by Leo Harris (grandson of the CHWC's Treasurer) who wrote that "...the giant axle of the wheel was returned to the yards of the CHWC, where it remained until it was cut up for its steel content at the beginning of World War I", [21] and an article published on February 1, 1907, in the Clinton (IL) Register, indicating, "The last of the Ferris Wheel has been taken away... It was found necessary to blow off the flanges from the axle ... before it could be loaded on a (railroad) car". [22]

Lasting legacy

Stereoscopic card showing the Ferris Wheel at the 1904 World's Fair, St. Louis Ferris Wheel from balcony of Illinois Building. Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. Louis, by Keystone View Company.jpg
Stereoscopic card showing the Ferris Wheel at the 1904 World's Fair, St. Louis

Although the original Ferris Wheel was demolished, a new wheel lives on in Chicago at Navy Pier in Chicago, with structural similarities and inspiration from Ferris's original wheel. Similar to the Chicago wheel, this Ferris wheel gives participants a 10–20 minute ride in an enclosed cart at a similar height to the original. [23]

The original Chicago Navy Pier Ferris Wheel was modeled off of the Chicago Ferris Wheel and set on July 1, 1995, with 40 cars fitting six passengers in each one. The now Centennial wheel has enclosed cars at an elevated height closer to the original Chicago Wheel. [24]

Coordinates

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Burnham</span> American architect and urban designer (1846– 1912)

Daniel Hudson Burnham was an American architect and urban designer. A proponent of the Beaux-Arts movement, he may have been "the most successful power broker the American architectural profession has ever produced."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World's Columbian Exposition</span> Worlds Fair held in Illinois, U.S. in 1893

The World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in Chicago from May 5 to October 31, 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The centerpiece of the Fair, held in Jackson Park, was a large water pool representing the voyage that Columbus took to the New World. Chicago won the right to host the fair over several competing cities, including New York City, Washington, D.C., and St. Louis. The exposition was an influential social and cultural event and had a profound effect on American architecture, the arts, American industrial optimism, and Chicago's image.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World's fair</span> Large international exhibition

A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large global exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a period of time, typically between three and six months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisiana Purchase Exposition</span> 1904 Worlds Fair in St. Louis

The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds totaling $15 million were used to finance the event. More than 60 countries and 43 of the then-45 American states maintained exhibition spaces at the fair, which was attended by nearly 19.7 million people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferris wheel</span> Amusement ride

A Ferris wheel is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, they are kept upright, usually by gravity. Some of the largest modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on the outside of the rim, with electric motors to independently rotate each car to keep it upright. These cars are often referred to as capsules or pods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Washington Gale Ferris Jr.</span> American civil engineer (1859–1896)

George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. was an American civil engineer. He is mostly known for creating the original Ferris Wheel for the 1893 Chicago World's Columbian Exposition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of Chicago</span> Regional architecture

The buildings and architecture of Chicago reflect the city's history and multicultural heritage, featuring prominent buildings in a variety of styles. Most structures downtown were destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire in 1871.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Le Baron Jenney</span> American architect and engineer

William Le Baron Jenney was an American architect and engineer known for building the first skyscraper in 1884.

<i>John Bull</i> (locomotive) British-built railroad steam locomotive

John Bull is a historic British-built railroad steam locomotive that operated in the United States. It was operated for the first time on September 15, 1831, and became the oldest operable steam locomotive in the world when the Smithsonian Institution ran it under its own steam in 1981. Built by Robert Stephenson and Company, it was initially purchased by and operated for the Camden and Amboy Railroad, the first railroad in New Jersey, which gave it the number 1 and its first name, "Stevens". The C&A used it heavily from 1833 until 1866, when it was removed from active service and placed in storage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midway (fair)</span>

A midway at a fair is the location where carnival games, amusement rides, entertainment, dime stores, themed events, exhibitions and trade shows, pleasure gardens, water parks and food booths cluster. The midway is located between the entrance and the big top of a circus; thus, a carnival is essentially a travelling midway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midway Plaisance</span> United States historic place

The Midway Plaisance, known locally as the Midway, is a public park on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is one mile long by 220 yards wide and extends along 59th and 60th streets, joining Washington Park at its west end and Jackson Park at its east end. It divides the Hyde Park community area to the north from the Woodlawn community area to the south. Near Lake Michigan, the Midway is about 6 miles (10 km) south of the downtown "Loop". The University of Chicago was founded just north of the park, and university buildings now front the Midway to the south, as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2-4-2</span> Locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles and two trailing wheels on one axle. The type is sometimes named Columbia after a Baldwin 2-4-2 locomotive was showcased at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition held at Chicago, Illinois.

Richard W. Bock was a German-born American sculptor known for his collaborations with the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. He was particularly known for his sculptural decorations for architecture and military memorials, along with the work he conducted alongside Wright.

Dunns Bridge is an unincorporated community in Kankakee Township, Jasper County, Indiana, United States. It sits along the Kankakee River at the south end of two bridges over the river, connecting Jasper and Porter counties. The historic Dunns Bridge lies just west of a modern bridge that carries Porter County Road 500 East and Jasper County Road 400 East over the Kankakee.

White City is the common name of dozens of amusement parks in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Inspired by the White City and Midway Plaisance sections of the World's Columbian Exhibition of 1893, the parks started gaining in popularity in the last few years of the 19th century. After the 1901 Pan-American Exposition inspired the first Luna Park in Coney Island, a frenzy in building amusement parks ensued in the first two decades of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Technocosmos</span>

Technocosmos, later renamed Technostar, was an 85-metre (279 ft) tall giant Ferris wheel that was built for the Expo '85 World Fair in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. It carried almost 3 million passengers during the exposition.

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-2-2-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, four independently driven driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels. The arrangement became known as double single.

Hermann Hammesfahr was a Prussian-American inventor who invented a type of fiberglass cloth in which glass was interwoven with silk. He was awarded the patent by the United States Patent Office in 1880. This was the earliest fiberglass of any kind that is known to have been patented.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Woman's Building (Chicago)</span> Building at the Worlds Fair held in Chicago in 1893

The Woman's Building was designed and built for the World's Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in 1893 under the auspices of the Board of Lady Managers. Of the twelve main buildings for the Exhibition, on June 30, 1892 The Woman's Building was the first to be completed. It had exhibition space as well as an assembly room, a library, and a Hall of Honor. The History of the World's Fair states, "It will be a long time before such an aggregation of woman's work, as may now be seen in the Woman's Building, can be gathered from all parts of the world again."

References

  1. 1 2 Russell, Alan (1986). The Guinness Book of Records 1987. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 108. ISBN   0-85112-439-9 . Retrieved March 10, 2024 via Internet Archive.
  2. 1 2 Anderson, Norman D (1992). Ferris wheels – an illustrated history. Popular Press. ISBN   9780879725327.
  3. "The Kensington Canal, railways and related developments". Survey of London. 42: 322–338. 1986.
  4. 1 2 orangebeanindiana (September 26, 2021). "The First Ferris Wheel Still Exists!". OrangeBean Indiana. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  5. Magazine, Smithsonian; Malanowski, Jamie. "The Brief History of the Ferris Wheel". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  6. "Bird's-Eye View of the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893". World Digital Library . 1893. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  7. The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson, p. 193.
  8. 1 2 Meehan, Patrick (2000). "Chicago's Great Ferris Wheel of 1893". Hyde Park Historical Society. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013.
  9. Larson (2003), p. 258
  10. Larson (2003), pp. 258–259
  11. Larson (2003), p. 260
  12. "Paradises Lost" by Stan Barker in Chicago History March 1993, p. 32
  13. 1 2 "Hyde Park Historical Society -Ferris wheel followup article". Archived from the original on May 14, 2012. Retrieved May 26, 2012. Hyde Park Historical Society Ferris Wheel Follow-up
  14. Parrill, William B. (2006). European Silent Films on Video: A Critical Guide. McFarland. ISBN   9780786464371 . Retrieved October 16, 2016 via Google Books.
  15. "Chicago, grande roue". January 1, 2000. Retrieved October 16, 2016 via IMDb.
  16. "Grande roue". December 3, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  17. The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson, p. 380
  18. Ulizio, Lindsey (2006). "Ferris, George Washington Gale Jr". The Pennsylvania Center for the Book. Archived from the original on May 7, 2010. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  19. Sheldon Breiner (May 2007). "Magnetic Survey to Find Axle from Observation (Ferris) Wheel Used in the 1904 St Louis World's Fair" (PDF). breiner.com. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  20. Anderson, Norman (1992). Ferris Wheels, an Illustrated History. Popular Pr of Bowling Green State. ISBN   9780879725327 . Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  21. Harris, Leo (Fall 2015). "Wrecking to Save World's Fairs" (PDF). The Ephemera Journal: 9. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  22. N. R., H. (February 1, 1907). "At The World's Fair Ground". The Clinton Register . Clinton, Illinois. p. 1. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  23. "Chicago's Ferris wheel story". www.architecture.org. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  24. "History of the Centennial Wheel at Navy Pier". Navy Pier. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  25. "That Ferris Wheel in Lincoln Park". Chicago Athletic Association. 2015.[ dead link ]
Preceded by
None
World's tallest Ferris wheel
1893–1894
Succeeded by