The Eiffel Tower
By : Daniela Sanchez
Have you ever wondered how the Eiffel Tower became a wonder of the world? The leaders of Exposition Universelle World Fair wanted to have a grand entrance for their fair in 1889 because of the 100th anniversary of the French Republic. They held a contest where many artists volunteered a design. The winner was Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel with his idea for the Eiffel Tower. Alexandre Eiffel owned the Company Eiffel et Compangie. The design and construction of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France has become an architectural wonder.
Construction for the tower began in Feburary 1887. When construction of the Eiffel Tower began a group of 300 artists, sculptors, writers and architects sent a petition to Alexandre Eiffel to stop the construction of the "ridiculous tower" that would dominate Paris like a "gigantic black smokestack. To their dismay, construction on the Eiffel Tower continued.
The base pillars of the tower are oriented with the four points of the compass. With a total of 132 workers and 18,000 pieces assembled on site the Tower was beginning to form. When the Eiffel Tower was finished it had taken a total of 2 years, 2 months and 5 days. The tower stood 1,063 feet tall and had a very complex structure. With the tower being composed of four large arched legs that is set on mastery piers that curve inward until joining together in a single taped tower. The Eiffel Tower stood proud and strong in 1889, just in time for the World Fair.
The Eiffel Tower has effected a lot of people and our history. After the tower was built, many people hated it because it was such a bold design and nothing had been built like it before.It was the tallest structure in the world until the Chrysler Building was built in 1930. However, they added the antenna to the Eiffel Tower so that it would surpass the Chrysler Building.During WWI, soldiers used the tower to communicate wirelessely with ships. They also used it to intercept messages with the Nazis. It was said that Hitler commanded the destruction of the tower but nobody listened and the tower continued to stand. Even in hard times, the Eiffel Tower has stood strong for many years.
Works Cited
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"Fun Eiffel Tower Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about the Eiffel Tower." Fun Eiffel Tower Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about the Eiffel Tower. Web. 20 Nov. 2014. <http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/engineering/eiffeltower.html>.
Mathias, Kevin. "Facts about the Eiffel Tower." Buzzle. Buzzle.com. Web. 20 Nov. 2014. <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/facts-about-the-eiffel-tower-paris.html>.
Palermo, Elizabeth. "Eiffel Tower: Information & Facts." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 7 May 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2014. <http://www.livescience.com/29391-eiffel-tower.html>.
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