OLYMPIC FLAME: TORCH DESIGN TOOK TWO YEARS OF WORK

Even before it began traveling the country, the 1996 Olympic torch took off on a journey of its own.

After five prototypes and two years of work, a team of professors and students at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta created a flawless torch design. Every set of Olympic Games gets a new torch design.

"It's an unbelievable thrill to know the whole world will be watching the torch relay and seeing the flame that began as a flicker at Georgia Tech," said Sam Shelton, a mechanical engineering professor at the school.

The Olympic torch is wind and rain resistant and holds enough fuel to burn the flame for at least 45 minutes. It weighs about 3.5 pounds and is 32 inches long.

The inspiration for the design actually came from Greece, the home of the Olympic Games. The lower part of the torch is designed to look like a Greek column, while the 22 reeds in the crown represent every host city of the games.

Since Atlanta is home of the 1996 games, each torch handle is made from Georgia pecan wood. A thin-wall aluminum ensures it will be lightweight enough for runners to carry.

The 10,000 torch runners carry a separate torch and each day's torch is lit from a single flame -- the Mother Flame from Olympia, Greece. During a single day the flame travels about 150 miles.

Torch runners can buy their individual torch for about $275.

The flame arrives Monday via railroad from Memphis at 1:06 p.m. at Themis Street and winds its way through Cape Girardeau to Jackson along Highway 61.

But the torch flame isn't traveling alone; an entourage of vehicles, volunteers and Olympic Games staff follow the torch on its 15,000-mile journey to Atlanta. The 1996 Centennial Olympic Games begin July 19 in Atlanta.

"It's a unique caravan," said Capt. Steve Strong of the Cape Girardeau Police Department. At least 11 vehicles carry Olympic staff, another five are Georgia State Police escorts. There are seven BMW-model cars, three motorhomes and three shuttle buses traveling with the torch flame.

Cape Girardeau police will travel on motorcycle ahead of the torch, much like a parade procession, Strong said.

And that escort doesn't even include the 19-car train that will bring the flame from Memphis.

Union Pacific Railroad built a special car to carry the flame during its 3,500-mile railway passage. The cauldron car is pulled by two specially-painted locomotives. The cars are not painted in typical Union Pacific armor yellow but in Georgia green instead.

Both the cauldron and the flame can be raised and lowered. A vertical air "curtain" protects the flame from wind as the train moves. The cauldron car can travel up to 70 mph.

"It's been valuable to see the process from the initial idea through production -- from ideas to the real world. That's what it's all about," said Andy Delano, a graduate student at Georgia Tech.

Olympic Torch Design

-- More than 10,000 torches were constructed for runners to carry the Olympic flame around the world. Each torch weighs 3.5 pounds and is 32 inches long. It ranges from 2.25 inches to 3.5 inches in diameter.

-- The torch was designed by a group of Georgia Tech professors and graduate students. It took two years to complete the design. In all, five prototypes were tested before the actual design was approved.

-- The design inspiration came from the look of ancient Greek vases. The bottom of the torch is designed to look like a Greek column.

-- It's crown is made of 22 outwardly-spread reeds which represent the 22 cities that have hosted Olympic Games.

-- Two gold rings hold the sections together. One ring lists the host cities and another features the Olympic quilt of leaves motif.

-- The handle is made of Georgia pecan wood donated by the Georgia Forestry Commission. The torch is secured by a threaded rod with extends from the propylene fuel tank in the lower cylinder

-- Each torch bearer will carry a separate torch, with the option to buy it.

-- Each torch costs about $275.

Torch Design Specifications

The Olympic torch must meet the following specifications:

-- Burn for 45 minutes without refeuling.

-- Withstand wind and rain met by the 10,000 torch bearers from Los Angeles to Atlanta.

-- Endure dramatic temperature changes and elevation fluctuations.

-- Weigh less than 3.5 pounds.

-- The flame must be large enough to be visible to spectators and television cameras, yet small enough to be safe for torch bearers.