Module 13.2: Ferris Wheel

Jessica Fontenot, Kyle Mitsunaga, Karina Myles, Kaleob Busmann

 

The feature that our group selected is the ferris wheel, one of the most popular attractions at the 1893 World’s Fair. Based on our own definition of engineering, the ferris wheel qualifies as an engineered structure in many ways. First: the ferris wheel was constructed of raw materials such as; steel, wood, and glass. Second: the time, calculation, and planning that had to go into building such a large and oddly shaped feature was enormous. Third: obstacles such as; the weather, union workers, and acquiring enough steel stood in the way of George Ferris and the progress of the wheel. A plan never goes directly from an idea on paper to a standing structure without issues. It was hard work, collaboration, and vision that led to the opening of the ferris wheel on Wednesday, June 21, 1893.

In an article by Patrick Meehan in 1964 (1), a secondary source, the ferris wheel is described in great detail. The author elaborates on the ferris wheel’s architect, George Ferris, and his background. The author then describes the ferris wheel itself and its massive size. This article goes into length about the difficulty it took to not only create this enormous structure, but all of the hardships faced during construction.

In the article by Patrick Meehan, the author holds more of an objective view about the ferris wheel. The article goes into detail about the facts and materials needed to complete the wheel, as well as explaining the difficulty it took to build this structure. Erik Larson and Patrick Meehan both really enjoyed the story of the ferris wheel. Both discuss the struggle it took to complete this section of the exposition and, we believe, they would not have done this if they did not find the construction of the ferris wheel compelling. There are many reasons as to why their views could be interpreted differently. Larson, the author of Devil in the White City, is telling a story and using the detail explained to give further insight into the plot and character analysis. Patrick Meehan is giving us the details and facts as it happened in history, while Larson is describing the details of the ferris wheel in the time period of 1893.

We find the article by Patrick Meehan to be the most persuasive interpretation. The information is concise and to the point. It focuses on the before, during, and after of the events surrounding the World’s Fair and the Ferris Wheel. We think this article does a better job of explaining how hard it was in the beginning for Ferris to be taken seriously and all of the obstacles he faced. The impossible deadline he was given, how he was taken advantage of, and the fact that nothing like this had ever been built before makes for a interesting view of George Ferris. Most of the articles and books that we read had similar information and they all describe the Ferris Wheel as a main attraction, running smooth and quiet, and offering great views.

The Ferris Wheel was built to rival the Eiffel Tower. Burnham wanted the World Fair to have a distinct feature that was,”novel, original, daring, and unique” (1) and was designed and built by an American. This was to show the world that America was the leader when it came to architecture and engineering innovation.

Money and ability play a major role in these types of innovative ideas. It was a very hard sell and took a lot of time, dedication, and calculations to get the approval of the committee. Armed with the needed financing and plans, that had been reviewed and approved by other notable engineers and architects for accuracy, Ferris was able after several attempts to get the approval he needed. Even with the approval he was not given a spot on the main grounds and had to agree to give a substantial amount of the proceeds to the Exposition. Without dedication and hard working American’s like Ferris, we would have never built something that was one of the architectural monuments of the World’s Columbian Exposition.

 

1. http://www.hydeparkhistory.org/2015/04/27/ferris-wheel-in-the-1893-chicago-worlds-fair/
2. http://www.jstor.org.libproxy.boisestate.edu/stable/pdf/29774913.pdf

I chose the site as the engineered place of my choice from the world fair. The site was the most important part in my opinion because it was monumental in the experience of the fair as a whole. The site is engineered because it was found because it was perfect for the fair and was the best meeting place for all of the buildings and rides to be able to fit. They chose Chicago in order to help make it a more important city and to bring it up as a global city. In The Book of the Fair, the site was extremely well thought out because it needed to be on a shore or lake, also there was a need for a flat area for the rides that were to be built. There would only be success if they would be able to build all of the rides and buildings sturdily so as there would not be any safety worries.

I like how the site is described in The Book of the Fair best because it focuses on the necessary aspects of the physical necessities for the fair to be a success, whereas the Devil in the White City focuses on the universal city for the site instead of the layout of the area, it is more concerned with the actual city it was chosen for. This was very important because Chicago was a highly populated city, which would help with popularity of the fair and the ability of people to be able to reach the fair, but I prefer the description of the physical land. In The Book of the Fair, it describes the site as “easy of access by land and water, and yet not intersected by streets or railroads; it must afford space, without crowding, for a group of edifices much larger in size and number than those of any former international exhibition, and it must contain as few improvements as possible, or better no improvements in the shape of buildings, so as to present no difficulty in the way of securing and preparing it for the purposes of the Fair.” These are the necessities for the success of the fair according to that book, and it is much more detailed than the other book. I also think it is much more persuasive because it gives reasons for all of the geographical features, so that it is obvious why it is necessary.

In an article about the site, World’s Fair Remnants, it is noted how there was a beautifully flat area in which there was the ability to build buildings and domes that were necessary for the fair as meeting places.

I think that the authors explained the site differently because it was important for the book author to state why they chose the particular site, when there could have been a better choice on the east coast, with the popularity of the coast, but instead Chicago was chosen. So I think that he was trying to justify the choice in location, instead of education on the geography of the site.

The geography was important in the second book because it was describing the means of success to the location of a fair, not just the city that it is chosen, but the geography of the surrounding area. Because that is really how the success of the fair is found, in whether there is an ability to build the rides and buildings necessary for success.

Near the end of this section of the reading, Erik Larson writes of the “turmoil and grief engulf[ing] Chicago.” “The old world,” he notes, “was passing” (121-22). Based on what you’ve read so far, what do you think was the most significant issue or tension in the United States in the 1880s and 1890s, and why? Cite evidence from the book to support your choice

– the expansion of availability to other counties and cultures

“New York was the nation’s capital of cultural and social refinement, and it’s leading citizens and newspapers never let Chicago forget it” (16). not only that but the landscape was drastically changing due to  growth in the cities because of immigration

why did

• i think he chose the two stories to show a more rounded view of the country during this period. becoming macro and micro (big and smaller perspectives) though all in all provide a compelling lens for the past. True , the epitaph of North Americas first serial killer of the time is interesting enough but that would not have garnered enough reason to read this for a historical engineering class. not only does the inclusion of the two stories make this a relevant but also fascinating,