Great Wheel
The Great Wheel, also known as the Gigantic Wheel, was built for the Empire of India Exhibition at Earls Court, London, in the United Kingdom. Construction began in March 1894 at the works of Maudslay, Sons and Field in Greenwich[1][2] and it opened to the public on 17 July 1895.[3] Modelled on the original Ferris Wheel which featured at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, US, it was 94 metres (308 ft) tall[4] and 82.3 metres (270 ft) in diameter.[5][6][7] and weighed about 900 Tons. It stayed in service until 1906, by which time its 40 cars (each with a capacity of 30 persons) had carried over 2.5 million passengers. It was demolished in 1907[8] following its last use at the Imperial Austrian Exhibition.[9]
| Great Wheel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| |
| General information | |
| Location | Earls Court, London |
| Coordinates | 51.48835°N 0.19889°W |
| Construction started | 1894 |
| Opening | July 17, 1895 |
| Demolished | 1907 |
| Height | 94 m (308 ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Structural engineer | Adam Gaddelin and Gareth Watson |
| Main contractor | Maudslay, Sons and Field |
References
- Clive Aslet, The story of Greenwich
- The Great Wheel, Earl's Court Exhibition Ground
- The Ferris Wheel's London Rival
- Spot the difference: London landmarks, then and now
- Anderson Norman. Ferris Wheels:An illustrated history. p. 97. ISBN 087972532X.
- Richard Weingardt. Circles in the Sky: The Life and Times of George Ferris. p. 109. ISBN 0784410100.
- Richard Moreno. A Short History of Carson City. p. 74. ISBN 0874178363.
- The Great Wheel, London
- Anderson Norman. Ferris Wheels:An illustrated history. p. 100. ISBN 087972532X.
External links
Media related to Big Wheel London (1895-1906) at Wikimedia Commons
| Preceded by Ferris Wheel |
World's tallest Ferris wheel 1895-1900 |
Succeeded by Grande Roue de Paris |