The Man behind Ferris Wheel

George Washington Gale Ferris Jr.

A man named George lived in Pittsburg, United States of America. He was a civil engineer.

In 1889, Eiffel tower was built in Paris. It was the world’s tallest and breath taking man-made iron structure with pointy tower. The tower is 986 feet tall with 81 stories and the centre of attraction in France’s world fair.

The next World fair was planned in Chicago, America in 1893. Now it was America’s turn to show the world they had something much better than the Eiffel tower. A national wide contest was announced for the tallest and best engineered monument four months before the World fair. Many good engineers came with their drawings and sketches but it was not enough to out beat the Eiffel tower.  

George Ferris thought it was a national pride more than a contest. America owned one of the world’s tallest sky scarpers, The Home insurance building, built in the year 1885, with 10 stories and 138 feet tall. This building’s structure model was inspired from a simple bird cage.

George Ferris, being an engineer, designed and built many bridges, buildings, tunnels and so on. He thought of different shapes and designs of the structure for the contest. Finally, he and his engineer partner, William targeted on a structure which could dazzle and move. Both of them calculated and recalculated, measured and remeasured their structure again and again, because a small mistake in numbers will tear their structure into pieces.

George took the design to the chief of World fair, who organized the contest. He showed him the blue print of the design. The chief rejected and said “This looks too flimsy and it would collapse”. George answered “You are an architect, I am an ENGINEER”. I will build this structure with Steel and Alloy. It will be lighter and stronger than Eiffel tower. 

The chief didn’t have any other choice but to agree with George and approved his design, on a condition that the World fair will not pay any money and George should fund for his own design. 

George and his friend tried all the banks for funds. His applications got rejected as no banks wanted to take risk on a new venture. People teased and laughed at him.

Without losing hope, George used all his savings and convinced few wealthy people to fund the project. He ordered steel and parts from many steel manufactures in and around the country.

In 1893, there was heavy snow fall in the history of Chicago. The frost ice was 3 feet deep from the ground. George boldly started the work. He broke the frosted ice using dynamite. The next scarier surprise waited below the frost. It was Quick sand! Mixed with water for 20 feet depth. Again he and his construction manager, Luther, found a solution for the problem.

Using steam, the quick sand was thawed into hard stone and broken and removed. Pumps were inserted to suck the water. After 35 feet of digging, the shovel hit the ground. Two huge steel towers attached to the crossbars were inserted and bolted to Earth. An axle (a rod through which two wheels can rotate) 45 ft long and weigh 70 tons was fixed in the middle of two steel towers. 1, 00,000 steels parts of the structure was carried by trains and quickly assembled.

After two months of hard work, the gigantic wheel – 834 feet circumference and 265 feet tall was raised. George got the idea of his wheeled structure from a common water wheel which carried wooden buckets of water for agriculture purpose.

Now the biggest test is to make the wheel spin carrying people in each cabin hung to the wheel’s spokes. Each cabin was in the size of a living room with 40 seats and big windows all over. Two hidden steam engines were attached to the wheel. A large chain drove the mighty machine in the wheels.

On June 21, 1893 the gigantic wheel was opened for public. George and his wife along with some guest stepped into the cabin no.1 and soon the other cabins were full.

The Gigantic 2000 tons steel wheel began rotating. People inside awed when the cabin rotated. They stood up from the seats and gazed at the beauty of Chicago and Lake Michigan and all the far away streets.

The wheels rotated twice for 20 mind blowing minutes for its passengers. It was a huge SUCCESS!

People from all around the world came to Chicago to experience a ride on the giant wheel. They were charged 50 cents for a ride. 1.5 million Passengers rode it and the wheel revolved more than 10,000 times without a single repair. Hats off to the master mind- George Washington Gale Ferris Jr.!

Another brand new invention of fixing 3000 electric bulbs to the giant wheel was done in the time when government announced electricity was safe for residential use.

At night, farmers and sailors from 40 miles could see the wheel’s spectacular blaze of lights.

Later the investors, named the gigantic monster wheel as “THE FERRIS WHEEL”.

 

 MORAL : Winning is overcoming obstacles to reach goal, but the value in winning is only as great as the value of the goal reached.