This passage occurred after both the resolution of the Chicago World's Fair on October 30th, 1893 and the beginning of the economic depression that engulfed Chicago’s businesses. Larson's purpose in this passage is to develop the connection that the Ferris Wheel and its inventor shared. Larson explains that the Ferris Wheel, the hallmark of the Chicago World’s Fair, remained in place until, “the spring of 1894”- only a year after the end of the Fair itself- and was moved elsewhere because it, “began losing money.” The amount of money spent transporting the wheel in combination with the steady decline of his steel-inspection company, Ferris, the inventor, had no choice, “but to sell most of the ownership of his wheel,” states Larson. Shortly thereafter, in 1896, Ferris and his wife separated, and two months after their separation he died at age thirty-seven of typhoid fever.
James A. Young died Thursday in a roller coaster accident at Six Flags Amusement Park in Chicago, IL. While riding the American Eagle, James’s safety harness came unbuckled while in a climb and he was launched out of his seat on the descent at one hundred and twentyseven feet above the ground, breaking his spine and severing his nervous system. James died shortly after impact. James’s wife, Diana, was a seat behind her husband when the accident happened and she describes the incident as heart wrenching. The owner of Six Flags has made a memorial speech in memory of James and his family that is expected to be announced this Thursday, July 30th at 3 PM. The speech will take place at Six
In the book, “The Devil in the White City,” Erik Larson tells the story of two formidable men and their activities during Chicago’s World Fair of 1893. Daniel Burnham is an architect and the fair’s brilliant director. The book takes the reader through the tremendous obstacles and tragedies that Burnham faces in an attempt to create a fair that will give America its fame. However, H.H Holmes is a young doctor, who uses the attraction of the great fair and his charms to lure dozens of young women to their inevitable and tragic deaths. Not only did Chicago’s World Fair of 1893 showcase Daniel Burnham’s success as an able director and H.H. Holmes cunning nature, it changed America as a whole, introduced some lasting inventions, and influenced many historical figures of both that time and our current time period.
From first impression, Burnham found that Chicago had a murky factorial image lined with a “fantastic stink that lingered in the vicinity of Union Stock yards” (41). The dreadful surface that Chicago was maintaining allowed Burnham to be determined to collaborate and recreate its image. His efforts would also make a reputational comeback for America’s poor representation in the Exposition Universelle (15). One major feature that transformed public opinion of the state was to illuminate the entire fair with clean white buildings that outlined the goodness of the area (252). Eye-catching whiteness contradicted the presumed dirtiness of the town. Making a contradiction from what was assumed of the city would allow the fair to generate a much bigger transformation. The lights also gave the fair a unique, whimsical edge. “The lamps that laced every building and walkway produced the most elaborate demonstration of electric illumination ever attempted”, incorporating new technology in a grand-scale way merely to keep the theme of brightness ongoing throughout each day and night (254). Most importantly, it displayed the town’s potential to become a thriving and respected city. The theme of whiteness interlaced with the neoclassical outline in The World Fair’s de...
Ferris, his wife and the Mayor were the first ones to ride the wheel. People visiting the fairs were kind of scared to go but at the end everyone went on. The wheel was 264 feet above the MIdway and had a circumference of 825 feet. The wheel weighed 2.6 million pounds, the ale itself weighing more than forty-six tons. The wheel thirty-six closed cars which could hold more than forty passengers each time. The ride lasted twenty minutes and fifty cents at the time. Even people who couldn't afford to go on the ride watched it carefully as it went around. The Ferris Wheel was powered by two house 1,000-horsepower steam engines and it was light with more than 3000 light bulbs. The wheel was safe and it was center of attention at the fair that year. Until the fair lasted the wheel had more than a million passengers and it won the hearts of many people. This ferris wheel was the first example in technology that was “being harnessed purely as a pleasure machine, and it captured the imagination of a nation”(Adams-Volpe, 2002). During the Fair Ferris received a profit of approximately $750,000( approximately twenty million dollars today). Ferris got a lot of attention and fame for his design of the Ferris
One half of the story was of a man named Daniel Burnham, who was a famous architect of his time. It’s in this half of the story that can you see the good part of the city. Pride can be seen mainly throughout his story. His life in these pages was based on the construction of the World Columbian Exposition which was a fair held in Chicago in 1893. This magnificent fair was in honor of one of America’s most well known discoverers, Christopher C. Columbus. This was the 400th anniversary of his discovery of the new world. Through Burnham’s pride and his determination, he was able to complete the fair in almost a year. However, it was not truly ready for opening day due to a few construction issues, such as the world’s f...
...he building would not be designed the way they are now in the city. The fair allowed Chicago to be the great city it is today and have the magnificent downtown envied by many other cities.
Chicago wins the bid for the 1893 World's Exposition or as some call it the World Fair. Author Larson includes two different plots. One of the plot lines is about an architect, named Daniel
The “White City” was a vast collection of architecture and arts that were put on display in the year 1893. The Chicago World Fair, also called the “White City”, was a major event in American history that impacted America’s culture, economic, and industry. The Chicago World Fair was held to honor Columbus’ discovery of the New World. The real reason why it was made was to proudly have back their wealth and power. Larson said, “the tower not only assured the eternal fame of its designer, Alexandre Gustave Eiffel but also offered graphic proof that France had edged out the United States for dominance in the realm of iron and steel…”(15). To accomplish this, architects led by Daniel Burnham and John Root made numerous buildings and beautiful scenery
Gender and Race play the most prominent role in the criminal justice system. As seen in the movie Central Park 5, five African American boys were charged with the rape of the a white women. In class decision we’ve discussed how the media explodes when it reports cross-racial crimes. The Central Park 5 were known everywhere and even terms were being made up during the process such as wilding. Also, during one of the class discussions it was brought up that victims of crime are of the same race of the perpetrator. However, the media likes to sensationalize crime of the victim being of a different race, because it makes for a good story. By doing this, the media does create more of a division of race. As seen in the video Donald Trump was trying
At this time the United States was constructing massive amounts of railroad track that eventually grew to connect the entire country. The World’s Fair acted as a jumping off point for the creation of the railroad in some respects. For example, the powerful 999 steam train was presented at the World’s Fair. This train made fast train travel more accessible and ushered in the age of the locomotive. The quadricycle was another important invention that was present at the fair. The quadricycle was an extremely early iteration of an automobile. The quadricycle itself was not necessarily a huge step in history, but it was seen by the man who would go on to create the greatest advancement in automobile technology 20 years after the fair, Henry Ford. Henry Ford, of Ford Automobile fame, was inspired to create his revolutionary automobile design by the quadricycle. The quadricycle gave Ford an idea that changed the world, without the quadricycle Ford may not have gone into the auto industry and produced the first widely used automobiles. The quadricycle is indirectly responsible for one of the single most important inventions ever, the world would have been very different had the quadricycle not existed. The World’s Fair acted as a breeding ground for new ideas and inventions that went
An epidemic of water born diseases in Chicago was rampant in the early 1880s. In order to stop the spread the diseases, Chicago exercised their right to reverse the flow of the once stagnant river, thus saving the lives of Chicago residents.
Hi folks, thanks for the response to my previous blog. However, my slothful ways have caught up to me and I need to complete this blog that’s become a few weeks overdue for the Minnesota State Fair. Although, I enjoyed my time at the Minnesota State Fair, although being worn down and tired of hordes of people, I decided not to travel to the Renaissance Fair the following day. However, The Minnesota State Fair was delightful and was able to partake in the music, the culture, and the delicious food. Although my dental regimen was not on par for the toothache that started after eating those sweet delectable cookies. I will explain later in the blog, certainly read further on a few tips for the 2016 Minnesota State Fair.
In 1893, the great Chicago World’s Fair took place. Just climbing to the second largest populated city in America, Chicago had a lot to prove. The World’s Fair was a perfect opportunity for Chicago to come together and show that they can compete with other large cities like New York and Philadelphia. For the World’s Fair to be as successful as it was, there was a need for leaders, innovators, new inventions, and tremendous attractions. Without these, the fair could not have been designed and constructed as well as it was. Eventually, Chicago had convinced the entire United States that they could be just as powerful and influential as all the other larger, big-name cities of the country. America transformed into an advanced country as a result of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.
A roller coaster is a thrill ride found in amusement and theme parks. Their history dates back to the 16th century. It all started in Russia, with long, steep wooden slides covered in ice. The idea then traveled to France. Since the warmer climate melted the ice, waxed slides were created instead, eventually adding wheels to the system. The first roller coaster in which the train was attached to the track was in France in 1817, the Russess a Belleville. The first attempt at a loop-the loop was also made in France in the 1850s. It was called the Centrifuge Railway. However, government officials quickly diminished the idea when the first accident occurred. Inventors since then have continued to capitalize on people’s love of a great thrill, always trying to make them bigger, faster and scarier!
I have always been fascinated by carnival rides. It amazes me that average, ordinary people eagerly trade in the serenity of the ground for the chance to be tossed through the air like vegetables in a food processor. It amazes me that at some time in history someone thought that people would enjoy this, and that person invented what must have been the first of these terrifying machines. For me, it is precisely the thrill and excitement of having survived the ride that keeps me coming back for more.