THE EIFFEL TOWER

The world famous Eiffel Tower is an iron lattice 320 meter( the same height of a 80 story building) tall tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. It was named after an engineer Gustav Eiffel and his company designed and built the tower as an entrance arch to the World's Fair in 1989 to celebrate the centennial of the French Revolution which took place in1789.

In reacting to his criticism comparing it with the  Pyramid Gustav Eiffel declared-" My tower will be the tallest edifice ever erected by man. Will it not also be grandiose in its way? And why would something admirable in Egypt become hideous and  ridiculous in Paris"?The foundation of this edifice started in 1817 and the structural  work came to completion in March 1889. Since lifts were not yet in operation just after the construction, people had to ascend on foot and it took over an hour to reach the permissible top. The tower met an incredible success and long queues formed to make the ascent. Ticket valued a francs for the first level, 3 for the second and 5 for the top respectively during the exhibition.

     It was conditional for Eiffel to dismantle the tower in 1909 (after twenty years of construction)  but it was allowed to stand as usual as the tower was proved very helpful to jam the German communications in the First World War by fitting powerful radio transmitters at the top of the tower. It was a cause of serious hindrance to the German force to advance on Paris and contributed to the victory of the French army for that time.When built, the first level contained two restaurants: an "Anglo-American Bar", and a 250 seat theatre. A 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) promenade ran around the outside.
    On the second level, the French newspaper Le Figaro had an office and a printing press, where a special souvenir edition, Le Figaro de la Tour, was produced.  On the third level there were laboratories for various experiments and a small apartment reserved for Gustav Eiffel to entertain guests visiting Eiffel Tower. This apartment has now been made open to the public, complete with period decorations and lifelike models of Gustave and some guests.
     Upon the German occupation of Paris in 1940 the French cut the lift cables to compel Adlof Hitler to climb up the stairs to the top but Adlof Hitler did not climb the tower and so there goes a saying that-'Hitler conquered France but the Eiffel Tower remained unconquered'.

   Later Hitler ordered General Detrich Von Choltitz to demolish the Eiffel Tower but the general disobeyed Hitler's order. It is presumed that Hitler was made to persuade that the tower would be immensely helpful for communication.

    Th Eiffel Tower made of puddle iron weighs 7,500 tonnes(structure). For the maintenance of the tower  50 to 60 tonnes of paint is needed after the lapse of 7 years.

      Gustov Eiffel chose to engrave the names of notable people, scientists and engineers and they numbered 70.The height of the tower varies up to 15 cm depending on the gravity of temperature of the weather.There are  two restaurants at the tower : Le 58 tour Eiffel, on the first floor 311 ft (95 m) above sea level; and the Le Jules Verne, a gastronnica restaurant on the second floor, with a private lift and other facilities.  

  The tower since the beginning of the 20th century up to 1950s has been used for radio transmission. In 1909 a permanent under ground radio station was established and it still exists today and at present both radio and television broadcast their signals from the top of this renowned tower world wide. Gustav Eiffel will go on inspiring the people around the globe to know the unknown, see the unseen and conquer the unconquered in the days to come. He is our inspiration.