世界之旅:The Eiffel Tower,

Eiffel Tower, the symbol of Paris was built in 1887 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. It is named after its designer, Eiffel. The 320-meter-high tower is a hollow steel framed structure and shoots straight up to the clouds. It weighs 9000 tons.

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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 King Edward VII of England,

opened the tower.

Of the 700 proposals submitted

in a design competition,

Gustave Eiffel's was unanimously chosen.

However it was not accepted

by all at first,

and a petition of 300 names - including

those of Maupassant,

Emile Zola,

Charles Garnier

(architect of the Opéra Garnier),

and Dumas the Younger -

protested its construction.

At 300 metres

(320.75m including antenna),

and 7000 tons,

it was the world's tallest building until 1930.

Other statistics include:

2.5 million rivets.

300 steel workers,

and 2 years (1887-1889) to construct it.

Sway of at most 12 cm in high winds.

Height varies up to 15 cm depending on temperature.

15,000 iron pieces (excluding rivets).

40 tons of paint.

1652 steps to the top.

It was almost torn down in 1909,

but was saved because of its antenna -

used for telegraphy at that time.

Beginning in 1910

it became part of the

International Time Service.

French radio (since 1918),

and French television

(since 1957) have also made

use of its stature.

During its lifetime,

the Eiffel Tower has also witnessed

a few strange scenes,

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 accounts 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.

Notes

The tower has three platforms.

A restaurant (extremely expensive;

reservations absolutely necessary),

the Jules Verne is on the second platform.

The top platform has a bar,

souvenir shop, and the (recently restored)

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,

the panorama is at its best.