Liverpool Mercury, Tuesday, 15th May,
1894
THE
BLACKPOOL TOWER.
OPENING YESTERDAY.
Perhaps the principal feature of Whitsuntide at Blackpool was the
opening of the Blackpool Tower yesterday. This great structure, in connection with
which close upon £250,000 has already been spent, has been in course of
construction for over two years.
The
surrounding buildings are not yet completed, but the tower itself is in such an
advanced state that the directors decided to open it on Whit Monday, and the fact
that crowds were almost fighting to gain admittance to the lift the whole day
throughout demonstrates the great interest taken in this, the first tower to be
opened in England.
As
yet one elevator only is working, and this was kept going up and down with hardly a
minute's interval throughout the day. About 500 people an hour were taken to the
top where there is promenading space for over 1000, and the elevator worked in the
smoothest possible fashion. In the new Tower Circus three entertainments were given
during the day, and at each there were attendances of over 3000 persons, the
variety and aquatic performances being of the most successful
description.
The
foundations of the Blackpool Tower, which are great blocks of concrete 40
feet square by 12 feet thick, were constructed during the winter of 1891-92. The
contractors for the tower, Messrs. Heenan and Froude, of Manchester, got to work in
the spring of 1892 and the work of erecting the tower was completed about Christmas
last.
The
tower proper is supported by four legs, each leg consisting of four pillars braced
together with lattice girders, while the legs themselves are also braced together
with the main girders. The base of the tower forms the circus, and here there is
seating accommodation for over 5000 persons. The first main floor is 55 feet from
the ground, and this large area is entirely covered in. Broad flights of steps lead
to it from the entrance hall, while two small lifts are also constantly ascending
to this floor. From the staircases also, the platform, 85 feet from the ground can
be reached, and it is intended to lay this out as a pleasure garden, and it is
expected that it will form a most popular lounge and promenade, as there will be
accommodation for several thousand people at one time.
The elevators to the top of the tower start from the 55
feet platform, and the main balcony at which the passengers by the lifts arrive is
formed at a level 380 feet above the ground. The area at this height is 44 feet
square. The platform to which the cars ascend is entirely covered in so that wet
weather need make no difference to those going to the top of the
Tower.
From
this 380ft. platform access is gained by two staircases to the open-air platforms
above, respectively 400ft. and 420ft. from the ground. A spiral staircase leads to
the higher platforms, and finally there is an iron ladder to the crow's nest, which
is over 500ft. from the ground and 550ft. above the sea level. On clear days a
splendid view may be obtained from the top of the tower, and at favourable times
the Isle of Man, Southport, Liverpool, Barrow, Preston, Blackburn, Chorley, and
surrounding towns can plainly be distinguished.
The
two lifts to the top of the tower run quite independently of one another. They can
accommodate about 45 passengers each, and while the weight of the car and
passengers combined can never exceed ten tons, the seven Reel ropes attached to
each car have been tested to carry a weight at least ten times as great. Then
safety brakes are attached, which come into action automatically should anything go
wrong with the mechanism. Every possible care has been taken to make the elevators
perfectly safe, and an accident is believed to be quite out of the bounds of
possibility.
The
north wing of the building is not yet completed, and the various surroundings of
the tower are as yet unfinished, so that the opening of the tower yesterday was of
an informal character. The work will be pushed on after Whitsuntide, and the
building will be finally completed when the tower comes to be formally opened in
another month or two.
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