Fun with Maps ISSUE 2025-017
By Steve Kovacs (Introduction by Chuck Gibson)
LOVELAND, OH (January 28, 2025) – In today’s edition of Fun with Maps, we recall the historic beginning of construction on one of the most recognizable structures ever built.
The Iron Lady
The locals affectionately call it the Iron Lady. The rest of us call it the Eiffel Tower, bearing the name of its lead architect and engineer.
Construction began on January 28, 1887, and it was the centerpiece of the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris.
It is made primarily of wrought iron with the parts riveted together. The net weight is about 22 million pounds. The Eiffel Tower is 1,083 feet tall and was the tallest man-made structure for 41 years.
Eiffel and his firm were experienced engineers designing mostly bridges and they used this know-how to deal with the elements, including the wind.
Eiffel had a 20-year permit after which the tower was to be disassembled, but given its strategic location and height it became useful for wireless telemetry and bit later for radio transmissions; thus, it remained in one piece.
There was a secret deal to temporarily move the Eiffel Tower to Montreal for Expo 67, but the Paris city government stepped in to prevent this. Also, earlier credit goes to General Choltitz, the military governor of Paris, who disobeyed orders to blow up the tower as the Germans were withdrawing in 1944.
The most unusual fact about the tower is that during experiments relating to radiant energy in 1910 at the top and bottom of the tower, the existence of cosmic rays was accidentally discovered by a Jesuit priest.
Cram inserted the Eiffel Tower in the upper right of his 1898 chart showing the tallest man-made structures, replacing the Washington Monument as the tallest.
Tallest Buildings chart – 1898 (Credit Steve Kovacs)
Steve Kovacs and his wife Theresa reside in Loveland, Ohio where they raised their two children. He is a passionate collector of antique maps.
Visit his antique map boutique world-on-paper online. Watch for his daily feature Steve Kovacs: Fun with Maps here on Loveland Beacon.
