Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-05-07
APPALLING ACCIDENT.
A Man Meets . herrlhls Death 10
an Elevator.
DETECTIVE WORKING OF THE ENGINE
The Probably casss Of the Misfortune
Another Subject Ihat Needs 4
Thorough investigation BY
the Coroner.

NEw YoiK, May Cloud cries OF horror
and q confused trampling around The els-
vator way on the sixth story OF the new
Bryant Building, at Liberty and Nassau
streets, startled the tenants yestsrday.
and rushing from their offices they were
shocked BY an awful sight The elevator
Was stopped BY the body Of man already
dead, iammed between the car and the
floor beams. The engine controlling the
movements Of the elevator xas sun run
ming; but, Is was presently discovered, the
belt was slipping on the driving wheel and
the whole force OF the engine was
Crushisg the Rnaaf0aes BSAS.
Before the alarm could b ssnt TO the
engine room, however, the engineer, who
is to have charge OF the machine, noticed
the slipping OF the belt and promptly
stopped the engine. II wE then corapara-
lively easy to move the elevator enoagh 70
extricate the quivering remains that had
blocked It. An explanation was then
quickly obtained
The Unfortunate man was George shif.
He Was engaged In the glass business At
No. IS Murray street, and was attending at
the
TO contract, by the terms OF which he Was
supplying the glass used In the Bryant
Building, which building 10 not yet An
ished, although il is occupied In part. Mr..
Shift had been good deal around the
building for some weeks, and was, Of
course, we'll known there. At little be-
fore II O'Clock yesterday morning he vent
| thither with one of his workmen, and dc.
string to 60 to the upper story he boarded
one OF the two elevators. Several other
persons were also on the car, but as the
upper stories were reached all gu out ex.
cepting Mr.. Shift, his workman and the
elevator conductor, Daniel Carol, snd
John Ianahan, who is also emplored In
the same capacity.
Net AnsWcrisG the Rspe.
II Is asserted that the engine Ind sev-
eral times before failed 10 answer the rope
by which the conductor starts and stops ",
and that Carrollwas explaining to Lanahan
how 10 work IL. Ii was impossible, how
ever, To get any one around the bui lding
report had gained currency. AZ all events,
the rope failed TO work on this trip and the
conductor could not stop the elevator.
The four occupants were oil frightened
and lost their presence OF mind, or else
were ignorant OF the fact that all they had
| TO do was 20 wait and the elevator would
stop OF i'self Carroll and Lsnahan both
| jumped out on the fifth floor, snd Shi II
undertook TO follow them, while his work.
| enough, however, and being caught by .
| beam
| his head and the upper part OF hts body
being terribly crushed and mansled.
As soon as the body was removed and
| the traces OF the accident washed away
| inquiry was made N TO the cause Of tho
failure OF the machinery. This, however,
| could not be learned positively and will
not he until an investigation 10 made un-
| der the Coroners direction, which will
| probably be to-day. The elevator Was built
| by the Whittier Company, Of Boston. Tho
two elevators In the Bryant building were
run by separate engines, and the one In
| which the accident secured was immedi-
ately stopped and Is TO be overhauled TO.
day.
The Gear Probably ClsSged.
| Mr.. johnson, the agent Of the company
! In New York said that II was impossible
| for him 10 speak ~ 20 the cause of the acci.
| dent before the investigation was made.
| Undou btedly something had clogsed this
gear by which the engine was 10 he stopped.
but what the something was could not bs
told on hand. Similar accidents might
happen 10 any elevator, and the people
would have been In no danger II thsy hsd
remained In the car a. II would have
stopped at the top story OF itself by the au.
tomstic cutoff and the stationary cutoh.
An examination OF the engine itself
showed that this 10 true. The elevators arc
still In the charge OF the Whittier Com.
paHy, not having been turned over 70 tas
engineer Of the building, but being run by
the com pany's man. This man could not
he found, but Frank Weeks, the engineer
of the building aud the one who stopped
tse engine, showed Its arrangement; II !.
probable that some obstruction had lodged
In the throttle valve and prevented it'
a,Osipg when the rope wss pulled.