The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-02-17

Accident af the eAzacricsn AaeseL
Observation-Disclosures sFALLsia DISTANCE
OF FIFTY YFEET-REA4RKABLE Z ESCAPES FROM

DEA ATt'.sttEg 5is ~ 4 n Il 8iGt9rLI5s
h About 8de'clock Saturday evening the
elevate orreagriage OF Il :tho American. Hntel,
on iaceernt OF bfeakage of some part of the
apparatps, fell down the opening from, one
Of the upper floors to, the eeIlnr OF The hujId-
Ing. There were eight, men; in it lat the
time, two Of Whomjwere Datnfully injured,
one other slightly. and the remainder es-
caped With mere bruises aud shocks. That
any should have been saved, from death is
b The elevator was one Q. Hale's patent, and
was in perfect order go far MS any one knew.
Henry Creamer, the coIored engineer. saws
that he gave It q thorough examination on
Friday. The elevator was worked by water
pressure from reservoir on the roof, and
had originally been run from the cellar to
the top OF the building-six stories. But
lately the place. OF stoppage was the office
floor, and the opening on the two floors be-
low had been boxed up. '..E.r
On Saturday six Workmen were engaged
repairing the roof OF the hotel and arranging
q room up there for drying clothes. Atabout
6 O'Clock Henry Crean1er, the colared engi-
|Reer; and Robert Johnson, his assistant
(also colo.cd), came up on the elevator and
offered to take the party down. There was
something snid about there being too many
TOR one load; but anyhow the whole party
got in the eleyator-carriage and the descent
commenced. "@ &I., 55, ID
They passed one floor in safety, and then
down they went into the dark ness and DAN
ger with immense force and speed. The
carriage struck the first floor that had been
boxed up and burst through that. Eight
or ten feet below it burst through the sec
ond boXed-up floor, and a moment after
xlol "a o
in the eDgine-room in the cellar.
Biz. Nystrem, d carpenter, was slightly
cut on the forehead and had an ankle
sprained. Henry Creamer was bruised Sc
verelv. and seemed to suffer much pain.
Robert johnson had his band on the valve
rope when the rapid descent commenced.
The rope ran through. his hand, tearing the
flesh OFT to the bone. Another colored man
was cut about the arms. =,
The others Gncluding Mr.. Turner E2all,
who bad been on the roof experimenting
the work) escaped unhurt, though it may
be readily imagined that they suffered some
thing from the shock. l ..'
The injured men were promptly cared
for and sent to their homes. Mr.. Turner
EXall, who never lost his composure for 4
moment, went with Mr.. Nystrom. E-
The cause Of the accident was, probably,
the pulling out of the. cylinder-head; the
fixture which, being operated upon by the
water, raised and lowered the elevator. 1t
is believed that the rope did not break.
Had it broken clamps would have been
thereby thrown out which would have
stopped the carriage in its descent.
The distance Of the fall was at least fifty
feet. The over. .burdened carriage, from all
accounts, began its frightful descent mo-
me1t after it had left the roof, and was not
stopped in its course until it reached the
engine-room, which is in the cellar, or floor
below the barber-shop.
The engine is employed to pump water
into the reservoir on the roof.
1t will be remembered that the office OF
the American Hotel was formerly on
Twelfth street. When it was removed to
Main street the elevator-Openiug was
floored over on that story and the story next
above, as stated. These two temporary floors
broke the fall of the carriage, and 10 them,
undoubtedly, the men owe the preservation
OF their lives. .s
Five or six people have often gone up and
d0Mn In the-seleYator wit b safely, Elght
men, however, was too much Of q load for