Ball of Water
The water tank has been an icon of the city from 1908 until today; it continues to supply water to portions of downtown. The tank was manufactured in Germany and assembled on site, and is unique in being assembled using rivets rather than welds. It is believed to be the only one of its kind with a spherical shape (it is rumored that there was another similar water ball in Stuttgart, Germany that was destroyed during the Second World War). Traditionally, locals tell visitors that it is filled with Cajeta, taking them to visit the "Bola del Agua" during Sundays, the traditional day for visiting the Indepencencia drive. A plaque at the base of the water tower contains the following legend:
'"This tower was built at the expense of the municipality of the city in 1910 and officially opened on 15 September, the day of the anniversary of the proclamation of the independence of Mexico as a state governor Mr . Mr. Dan. Joaquín González Obregón, who gave full moral support to the construction.'s work and everything related to the provision of drinking water, was designed and conducted by the district political head Mr. Don Perfecto I. Aranda, its total cost with intubation limited to two circuits was $ 161,520.84 (mexican old) pesos ".During Mexican Revolution, Villa's officers thought the hydraulic tower had such a large amount of water that destroying it would drown the population of Celaya. One of Villa's generals ordered his artillery to destroy it. Captain Gustavo Duron, in charge of a 75mm battery, followed the orders but shot around the tower, avoiding it and protecting the monument, as mentioned by local historian Herminio Martínez.
The water tower has a base width of 10 meters and a height of 35 m above ground level, the single sphere has a diameter of 12 m with a capacity of "approximately 904.77 cubic meters." The work was carried out under the command of German Enrique Schondube. The construction of this work resulted in the neglect of the people who were handing out water at home from the mayor's so-called water carriers. For several years he was allowed to place commercial advertising on top to cover the costs of the tower, this was done until September 8, 1985 when, celebrating the "Anniversary of the Foundation of Celaya", the mayor's office decided that the Ball Water would be a symbol that would represent the city, and commercial advertising on it was banned.
Read more about this topic: Celaya
Famous quotes containing the words ball of, ball and/or water:
“It may be possible to do without dancing entirely. Instances have been known of young people passing many, many months successively, without being at any ball of any description, and no material injury accrue either to body or mind; Mbut when a beginning is made—when felicities of rapid motion have once been, though slightly, felt—it must be a very heavy set that does not ask for more.”
—Jane Austen (1775–1817)
“A ball player’s got to be kept hungry to become a big leaguer. That’s why no boy from a rich family ever made the big leagues.”
—Joe Dimaggio (b. 1914)
“Man is but a reed, the feeblest one in nature; but he is a thinking reed. The entire universe need not arm itself to crush him—a vapor, a drop of water suffices to kill him. But if the universe were to crush him, man would still be nobler than that which killed him, because he knows that he dies and the advantage which the universe has over him; the universe knows nothing of this.”
—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)