New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-19
SHE STEPPED INTO AN ELEVAToR SHAFT
WOMAN WALKED THROUGH AN OPEN DOOR
AND FELL TO THE FLOOR BELOW, IN.
JURING HERSELF SEVERELY

serious accident, which seems likely to make
a woman cripple for life and which may prove
fatal, occurred yesterday morning at the Bella Apart
mont House, Fourth-ave and Twenty-slxth-st. Mrs.
Doane, widow who has the third floor OF
the house, stepped through the open door of the
elevator shaft the first floor and fcn to the
bottom, q distance Of between eight and ten feet
At the time workman was engaged in putting up
bell wires in the elevator shaft and had been
permitted by Manager Ferguson to have the use OF
the elevator In his work lie had fas tened the freight
and passenger elevators together and raised them to
the second floor leaving the door on the first floor
open. The elevator shaft is at the extreme end Of
hall which at right angles to the entrance
vcsbule, from which It receives It's only light, and
is so far away that even at midday It is rather dark
At the elevator door.
Mrs Doane, coming from the strong light outside
into the dark hall and finding the elevator door
open, stepped through, she supposed, into the
elevator, and fell to the bottom She struck IN a
sitting posture receiving shock to the spinal
column and partially paralyzing her left limb. DR..
Morton Grinnell, who lives in the Bella. was I'm
mediately called, and the unfortunate woman was
taken upstairs to DR.. Bissell's apartments where
everything possible was done for her relief The
employees Of the house showed an inclination TO be
uncommuncatve last evening, protesting entire ig
OF the accident and declaring that they
did not know whether she was still In the house
what her condition
On the surface It would seem that the accident
was due TO carelessness the part Of some one.
In tho opinion OF most of those who live In the
Bella, 1t could not have happened had tho gas been
lighted In the lower hall. There is q gas fixture
within few feet OF the elevator door, and had 1t
been lighted, though turned down low, Mrs. Doane
must have seen that the elevator was not at the
landing Several Of the people who live In the
house said last evening that the manager WAS act
uated by a spirit of economy which would not allow
him to consume gas while he thought unnecessary.
II was said that no had been asked before this to
keep that iet burning but had refused. Tho boy
who runs The elevator ordinarily does not appear
to have been near at the time of the accident
To a reporter who called at the house last night,
DR.. b sscl said that when he came home at night
he found Mrs Doane suffering intense pain. She
was placed under the influence of morphine. He said
" Jt Is yet impossible to tell the OK tent OF her In
lures. She has suffered severe shock to the spine,
but she Is in much pain and there Is so much
swelling that II IS impossible TO make a careful
examinat on 81 her injuries. She IL not Think In
any Immediate danger. What ! fear most Is that
She may be permanently crippled. We have Just
givon her a third hypodermlc Injection OF morphine,
and she Is now rest ng moro quietly The doctor
did make any charges Of careessness but Thought
the gas should have been lighted.