734 THE EIFFEL TOWER. 



I will not weary my readers with the enumeration of all the experi- 

 ments to be made on the tower, of wliicli a programme has been already 

 drawn up by our scientific men, and which include the study of the fall 

 of bodies through the air the resistance of the air to varying velocities, 

 certain laws of elasticity, the study of the compression of gases of 

 vapors under the pressure of an immense manometer of 400 atmos- 

 pheres, a new realization on a great scnle of Foucault's pendulum 

 demonstrating the rotation of the earth, the deviation toward the East 

 of a falling body, etc., etc. ; lastly, a series of ])hysiological experiments 

 of the deepest interest. 



I may even go so far as to say that there are few scientific men who 

 do not hope at this moment to carry out, by the help of the tower, some 

 experiment connected more especially with their own investigations. 



Thus it will be an observatory and laboratory such as was never uniil 

 now at the disposal of science ; and from the first ail our scientific ihen 

 have encouraged me with their warmest sympathy. On my side, and 

 in order to express in a striking manner that the monument which I 

 have raised is dedicated to science, I decided to inscribe in letters of 

 gold on the great frieze of the arst platform, and in the place of honor, 

 the names of the greatest men of science M'ho have honored France, 

 from 1789, down to our own day. 



Besides all these uses, which I might have explained in greater de- 

 tail, but which, even in this rapid summary, will serve to show that we 

 have not erected an object of barren Monder, the tower j^ossesses in my 

 eyes a usefulness of a totally different order, which is the true source 

 of the ardor which has inspired me in my work. 



The public at large understood this, and it is also the reason of the 

 very general and warm sympathy which has been disj)layed toward me. 



My object was to show to the whole world that France is a great 

 country, and that she is still capable of success where others have 

 failed. 



The ScienUjic American said, in 1874, with reference to the tower of 

 Philadelphia, destined to celebrate the centenary of the national inde- 

 pendence: "The character of the project is closely connected with the 

 purpose of its erection; the hundredth anniversary of our national ex- 

 istence ought not to be allowed to i)ass without a permanent memorial, 

 which an exhibition lasting a few months cannot fnrnish. It is evident 

 that in the space of two years no monument of imposing aspect and 

 original in conce]>tion can be constructed with other material than iron ; 

 from every point of view we could not choose a more national construc- 

 tion. We will celebrate our centenary by the most colossal iron con- 

 struction that the world has seen." 



Can we not apply to ourselves these words which, remaining a dead 

 letter in America in 1874, have become for us in France a living reality f 



May I be allowed to recall here a few words which I pronounced in 



