People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 July 1893 — A MAMMOTH WHEEL. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A MAMMOTH WHEEL.

IS Ww* the Piece of m Tower et the World’s- Felr. After the various tower schemes lor the world’s fair were abandoned there came to the front a man by the name of Ferris who had what incredulous people termed a monstrous wheel krhis head. Mr. Ferris became the object of much ridicule on account of * pet project of his, which was to build a .big wheel which would carry passengers to an altitude of 270 feet. His plan was regarded as exceedingly visionary, but after frequent rebuffs he succeeded in obtaining^'permit to put up his wheel in the Midway Plaisanoe. The work was begun last March and has just reached successful completion and has been put in operation. Its highest point is 265 feet above the surface of the earth. The diameter is 250 feet, and the circumference 825, the entire thing being raised 15 feet above the ground. In reality there are two wheels, twins, 80 feet apart, but it takes them both to make the Ferris wheel. These twins are connected by iron rods and struts which do not approach nearer than 20 feet to the periphery. Outside of these rods- the cars are hung and supported by steel bars of about five inches in thickness extending from one wheel to the other. Each wheel has for its outline a curved iron beam 25by 19 inches. Forty feet inside is another beam, forming a smaller circle. From these beams or circles

extends the massiVe iron truss work which holds then? together. The axle on which the great wheel turns is a steel bar 32 inches thick and 45 feet long. It is fastened td each of the twin wheels in a steel hub 16 feet in diameter. .All of this great mass, the hubs and the two circles, is held together by 2X-inch steel rods, arranged to run out in pairs from the axle to spread 18 feet apart at the circumference. - There are thirty-six cars on , the wheel, each capable of comfortably seating forty people. The cars are 27 feet long, 13 feet wide and-9 feet high, and 'each one weighs 13 tons. The wheel, ‘with its passengers, weighs 1,200 tons. The whole thing rests on two pyramidal towers at the axis. The towers are IAO feet high, 40 by 50 feet at the 0 feet square at the top. 'Each has 4 feet resting on 20-fiJot cube concrete foundations. Underneath these are crossbars of steel. The motive power comes from a 1,000-horse power steam engine under the wheel. It will find no difficulty in revolving the wheel and the passengers as fast as the latter want to go. There is a brake on, however, to regulate the speed and stop everything in case of danger. The wheel is moved by <eogs on the periphery passing over a . chain that looks like a mammoth bicycle chain. In the construction every precaution has been taken against accident.

THE FERRIS WHEEL.