October 12, 1999
Web posted at: 11:46 a.m. EDT (1546 GMT)

In this story: London Millennium Wheel rising Dublin New Year's extravaganza may change dates China to ring in Y2K with 50-ton bell RELATED STORIES, SITES

LONDON (Reuters) -- Engineers erecting the world's biggest Ferris wheel said on Sunday they had raised it to a 65-degree angle above the Thames River and were satisfied it would be ready to mark the year 2000 in London.

ALSO CNN Special Sections: @2000 Millennium Series Looking at the Y2K Bug Celebrate the Century Related sites and stories     MESSAGE BOARD New Year's 2000 Where are you going for New Year's 2000? Where do you want to go?

An earlier bid to erect the 1,500-ton Millennium Wheel and transform the capital's skyline was aborted last month because of faulty cables.

"The engineers got the Millennium Wheel to 65 degrees tonight and it's now on schedule for next weekend (to be raised fully)," a spokesman for project sponsors British Airways told Reuters.

The wheel had been resting horizontally on temporary island rafts on the Thames until engineers began the latest attempt to erect it on Saturday.

Organizers say they hope the observation wheel will open on time on December 31.

DUBLIN (Reuters) -- Irish dog racing fans who paid nearly 1,000 Irish pounds (US $1,350) for tickets to a New Year's Eve party at a Dublin dog track have been asked to consider a change of date to the previous night.

Noel Hynes, managing director of Shelbourne Park dog track, asked 200 "Millennium Club" members to change plans made three years ago for what was billed as the richest greyhound race in the world.

On top of a potential 50,000-punt (US $67,518) purse for the winner, the revelers planned a banquet, a fireworks display, and cash prizes, the Irish Independent newspaper reported on Tuesday.

But Hynes said the wage costs of staging the event on New Year's Eve would be 10 times that of a normal day. More than half of the party's 200,000-punt (US $270,073) budget would go toward staff and catering, eating into race and raffle prize money.

The Millennium Club is due to vote on the proposed date change by October 19.

BEIJING (Reuters) -- China is making a 50-ton bronze bell, one of the world's biggest, to ring in the new year, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday.

It said the bell would be 6.8 meters (22.3 feet) high and 3.38 meters (11 feet) wide and be inscribed with the words of the national anthem and symbols representing high points of the 20th century.

The bell would be finished in December and rung on the evening of January 1, Xinhua said.

Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.

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