The Eiffel tower,
or tour de Eiffel, is located in Paris, France. It is very famous and a
wonderful tourist attraction. The wrought-iron skeleton is located on Champ de
Mars. It also contains restaurants, a weather station, and spaces for
experiments, but they all came at a cost of over $1 million, but the fees for
these spaces in 1889 alone nearly paid for it. During World War I, it even was
used for a military observation station. Ever since 1953, though, its been used
to transmit television programs.
The Eiffel Tower
was built for the International Exhibition of Paris of 1889 commemorating the
centenary of the French Revolution. The Prince of Wales (later becoming King
Edward VII of England), opened the tower. Of the 700 proposals submitted in a
design competition, Alexandre
Gustave Eiffel's
was unanimously chosen.
However, it was
not accepted at first, and a petition of 300 names - including those of
Maupassant, Emile Zola, Charles Garnier, and Dumas the Younger - protested its construction.
At 300 meters
(320.75m including antenna), and 7000 tons, it was the world's tallest building
until 1930. Other points of interest include:
It took 2.5
million rivets to build.
It also
took 300 steel workers, and 2 years (1887-1889) to construct it.
It sways
no more than 12 cm in high winds!
It's height can
vary up to 15 cm depending on temperature.
It's made up of
15,000 iron pieces (excluding rivets).
It took 40 tons
of paint!
The base of it is
101 meters.
There are 1652 steps
to get to the top.
It was almost
torn down in 1909, but was saved because of its antenna - used for telegraphy
at that time. In 1910 it became part of the International Time Service. French
radio, and French television have also made use of its stature.
During its
lifetime, the Eiffel Tower has also had a few strange incidents, including
being scaled by a mountaineer in 1954, and parachuted off of in 1984 by two
Englishmen. In 1923 a journalist rode a bicycle down from the first level. Some
people say he rode down the stairs, other accounts suggest the exterior of one
of the tower's four legs which slope outward.
However, if its
birth was difficult, it is now completely accepted and must be listed as one of
the symbols of Paris itself.
The tower has
three platforms. A restaurant (extremely expensive), the Jules Verne is on the
second platform. The top platform has a bar, souvenir shop, and the office of
Gustave Eiffel.
From its
platforms - especially the topmost - the view upon Paris is superb. It is
generally agreed that one hour before sunset is when the best view is
available.
No comments:
Post a Comment