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So let's start off this story with a
possible trick question: Who invented the Ferris wheel? Was it
George Washington, George Washington Carver or George Ferris?
Actually, Washington was the middle
name of the inventor. That narrows it down a bit. Now was it George
Washington Carver or George Washington Ferris?
It was George Washington Ferris. But
there were two George Ferrises, and they both lived in Carson City,
Nev. Was it the first George Ferris, a bridge engineer who was born
on Valentine's Day on 1859 in Galesburg and moved to Carson City,
Nev., at age 5? Or was it the second George Ferris, an architect who
was born in Philadelphia two weeks after the first George Ferris and
who also moved to Carson City, Nev.?
It was the first George Ferris. His
full name was George Washington Gale Ferris -- the name of Gale came
from his family's relationship with the founder of Galesburg.
When George introduced his Ferris
wheel, at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, it
was hoped that it would rival France's Eiffel Tower. More than a
million customers paid to ride on it, which led to receipts of more
than $725,000 during the 19 weeks of the fair.
George originally built the Ferris
wheel for sightseeing purposes. At a cost of $400,000 to build, it
was 264 feet tall and had 36 cars, with each one capable of seating
40 people.
So did George Washington Gale Ferris
become wealthy and live happily ever after from the proceeds of his
invention? After all, isn't that what usually happens?
No.
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Contrary to popular belief, that's
not the way it usually turns out. By the time George paid the fair,
his suppliers and his employees, there was very little profit left
over for him.
After the Columbian Exposition, they
took it down, moved it and reassembled it near Chicago's Lincoln
Park, then again at the St. Louis World's Fair. But this was after a
bankruptcy sale, and George Ferris no longer owned his invention.
The wheel failed to cover its expenses when it took in $250,000 at
the St. Louis World's Fair in 1903.
The inventor died bankrupt in 1896
at age 37, and his invention died 10 years later. The cause of death
(of the wheel, not George) was a dynamite blast.
The portable Ferris wheels that you
see at county fairs are smaller versions of George Ferris' original
invention. They are referred to as "Big Eli Wheels" because they are
made by the Eli Bridge Company. The company was founded by W.E.
Sullivan (ever notice how they used their initials instead of their
first names back then?) after he saw the original at the Columbian
Exposition in Chicago. The first Big Eli made its debut in 1900 in
Jacksonville, which is where the company is still located. Despite
its name, the Eli Bridge Company has never built any bridges.
Today the company is run by W.E.'s
great-granddaughter. Too bad George isn't around to see it.
[Paul Niemann]
Paul Niemann is the author of Invention Mysteries. He may be
reached at niemann7@aol.com.
© Copyright Paul Niemann 2005
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