Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-08-24

q
they use in doing it. Mr.. Halstead has
told US what the English elevator is like
Just what you would expect it to be
llike-strong. slow, clumsy. patience try
ing, but reliable. That is the national
elevator of Great Britain, and probably
the type Is little varied in different cities.
But in America the elevator in which
you ride in New York is not like the ele-
vator used by the Philadelphians, nor
yet like that in which Cbicagoans travel
from basement to roof.
It Is q very odd fact, pointed out to me
on excellent authority, that the elevator
has really had its greatest development
In the west. Tho irrepressible man of
statistics comes to our aid with the fig
lures to show that Chicago uses greater
number Of elevators than New York,
and st. Paul and Minneapolis together
o greater number than Philadelphia or
Boston. This can be easily explained.
II IL not that the people Of the east are
moro fond Of walking up stairs than
their friends Of the west, but that the
cities of tho latter region had their
growth chiefly after tho elevator had
assumed its present importance rs la
Dor and time saver. New buildings in
the west-and these western cities are
largely composed OF new buildings-are
arranged for one or moro elevators just
Ias they are provided with roofs and
drainage. No longer Is tho elevator
looked upon rs q luxury--it Is neces-
Isity. It was not 30 when tho vast ma
ljority Of structures in tho older cities
were built, and these ancient houses
wait and wait In vain for the day when
the proprietors will see it to their advan-
tage to tear them down and replace them
with modern structures, elevators and
all.
The fastest elevator in the world Is the
Chicago elevator. This is conceded by
all authorities, and nobody denies that it
is In keeping with the characteristics of
the place. Chicago is a rapid town. The
elevator expert Of the patent Office says
tho average speed of Chicago lifts" is
labout 400 feet per minute, nearly all of
the elevators in the large blocks run
ming 500 feet minute or more. In
the great Office buildings of that city
there is no little rivalry in elevator
speed, each new builder trying 10 outdo
those who have preceded him To peo-
pie from the country it is a somewhat
novel experience TO be shot up to the
roof Of tall building, past floor after
floor in such rapid succession rs to make
lone almost dizzy. But the coming down
Is more unpleasant than the going up,
for the sudden stops jar and shake many
passengers into something akin to yer-
'tigo. Thousands Of Chicago people will
mot ride ON the rapid running elevators,
land in one large Office building of that
lefty, where there are six elevators, two
lof them are run Mt q slow speed for the
especial accommodation of passengers
with weak nerves or susceptible stom-
lachs. On the wire network which sur
rounds most elevators l remember hay-
ling seen in Chicago building placard,
telling people who were afraid of rapid
travelling to take tho stairs. 1t is need.
less TO say, however, that the average
Chicagoan likes his elevators, as every
thing else, about as fast as it is possible
for it TO go.
The other extreme is reached in the
city of Washington, where there are
very few elevators except those in the
government buildings. Nearly all OF
these are as slow as mules. They creeI
lazily up and down, the doors are openec
In a leisurely way by the attendants anC
nobody seems to be in hurry. This i
In striking contrast to the methods usec
IN western cities, where doors are openet
and closed with snap and bang irri
tsting to the nerves Of timid passengers
In the government Offices the elevator
are large, roomy concerns, two or three
times as large as there is any necessity
for. Half the people who 60 from one
hoor to another walk, anyway, and the
elevator conductor really has q sleepy
time OF 1t. 1t is not very uncommon tC
zee q conductor, particularly if it is 9
warm afternoon and he is colored man
taking cat maps between floors.
New York and Philadelphia strike /,
happy medium between Chicago ant
Washington. Their elevators are run
neither at breakneck speed nor at 8,
slow pace as to try ones patience. !,
New York it Is said there are now abou
$500 elevators, and in Chicago nearl
1000. OF the lifts" in New York NOR
than 1875 run to exceed 100 feet, the long
ct distance Travelled being TO the towe
Of the Produce Exchange-22j feet. i
Chicago the tallest shaft in which a
elevator runs Is that leading to the towe
Of the new Auditorium building-abou
$50 feet. The highest elevator in III
country is In the Washington monu
ment, and that runs 500 feet. 1t travel
~ rate Of a little less than a hundre,
feet minute. which is just about th
speed an active boy or man can MAJ