I picked up this book on one of Charley’s & I’s little adventure walk in one of those free standing libraries. Take one, Leave one. I started flipping through the book and some of the facts intrigued me. A lightbulb went off in my head. Wouldn’t it be interesting to see if these facts were true, and if so, how much have they changed? It was written in 2015, so I don’t things in there would be much different. It actually sounds like it might be kind of fun.
It was then that I decided to fact check each fact and write it down. That would be something to write about. 1 a day, 5000 facts, 5000 days. That would take me a few years. It would give me something to do. So, why not.
I will start with
- FACT #1
"THE WORLD'S FIRST FERRIS WHEEL- DESIGNED BY ENGINEER GEORGE FERRIS FOR THE CHICAGO WORLD'S FAIR IN 1893- COST 50 CENTS TO RIDE, AND COULD HOLD MORE THAN 2,000 RIDERS AT A TIME."PAGE 8 5,000 AWESOME FACTS, National Geographic KIDS,
The first ferris wheel in America, was named after George Ferris, an engineer, and was constructed for the opening of the 1893 Columbian Exposition to rival with the Eiffel Tower, which was the first engineering marvel at that time. The axle was 45 feet long, 32″ diameter, weighed 70 tons, and cost $385,000 to build. The height was 196′ with a length of 45.’ The wheel could hold up to 2160 people, 38 people per one of the 62 gondolas, 50 cents to ride, and put them 264 feet in the air for a 10-20 minute trip.
After the fair, it was disassembled, moved to Lincoln Park, Chicago, assembled for a fair going on there, then transported to the 1903 World Fair in St. Louis where it was demolished with 200 lbs. of dynamite in 1906, leaving a massive pile 35-40 feet in the air of steel and iron. The axle was too large to move, so it was abandoned in St. Louis, forgotten, becoming a mystery as to where it was later on.
Supposedly it was found around the same location that was buried in 2007, but the mystery still remains for some and many theories exist.
This is the ferris story in a nutshell. I started down the internet rabbit hole and before I knew it I was researching about the wheel, clicking on Harris, Chicago Fair, and on and on. I believe I know most of the wheel’s story. There is so much information on this first fact in the book.
I am going to like this project I’ve given to myself, I believe. There is so much to learn everywhere in this world. So much to learn. And such a short time to do it.
I can say my brain, felt like it got a really good workout. So good I forgot how to walk for a few minutes.
Original Ferris Wheel, 1893
CHARLEY WAFFLE 