In an attempt to surpass the Eiffel Tower or the story of the first Ferris wheel

The Columbian World Exhibition was held in Chicago in 1893 and has become one of the most ambitious and ambitious in history. It was dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America, which is why it was named in honor of its discoverer Christopher Columbus. One of the main tasks that its organizers set for themselves is to present a project that would overshadow the Eiffel Tower, which was presented at the 1889 exhibition. Then the Americans built the world's first ferris wheel.

Especially for the exhibition in an area of ​​2.4 square kilometers, a whole complex of exhibition pavilions was created, consisting of more than 200 buildings. They were built of wood and were painted white, for which they received the name White City.

The organizers approached the preparation very responsibly. A couple of years before the event, they announced a competition for the best construction project, which could overshadow the visiting card of the world exhibition in Paris - the Eiffel Tower, presented four years earlier. However, most of the letters they received were drawings of the same tower, only larger in height.

Finally, one project earned the attention of the judges. George Ferris, a young engineer from Illinois, suggested building a huge wheel with cabs that could spin, and people inside would view the area from above.

At first, the idea seemed absurd to everyone, if not for the persistence of its creator. In the end, he had to find the means himself. Despite the fact that the cost of the construction was $ 250,000, the engineer managed to find the money. The world's first Ferris wheel was 80 meters in diameter and sat on a 14-meter axis. It was installed 36 booths, in total, able to accommodate 60 visitors.

An entrance ticket to an amazing attraction cost 50 cents, and during the exhibition about 1.5 million people managed to ride it. Thus, Ferris and the organizers received huge profits from his creation.

Exhibition pavilions in Chicago in 1893.

Cafe De la Marine.

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