the.com/ferriswheel
a machine that charges you money to be temporarily, gloriously stuck in the sky
means A large upright rotating wheel fitted with passenger cars around its rim, spun slowly so riders rise high above a fairground and back down again for the view and the thrill.
from Named for George Washington Gale Ferris Jr., the American engineer who built the original towering wheel for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago — meant to rival and outdo the Eiffel Tower of the previous Paris fair. The man's surname simply stuck to the machine, so 'Ferris' the family name became 'ferris' the ride. The 'wheel' part needs no detective work — it is, gloriously, a wheel.
- chicago debut
- Built in 1893 to out-dazzle the Eiffel Tower
- original size
- First one carried over 2,000 riders per spin
- namesake
- Engineer George Ferris died broke at 37
- giant kin
- Tallest now tops 250 meters in Dubai
- slow flex
- One full rotation can take 30-plus minutes
london eye — thames-side observation wheel in london, 443 feet tall, opened 2000
the big wheel — las vegas high roller, 550 feet, world's tallest observation wheel since 2014