The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-08-25


A TYPICAL CASE.
ticallv. and by the sort Of machine which
they use in doing it, Mr. Halstead has
told us what the English elevator Is like
Just what you would expect it TO be
liEe-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 Philadclphians, nor
vet like that in which Chicagoans travel
from basement 20 roof
lii a very odd fact, pointed cut 10 me
on excellent authority, that the elevator
has really had its greatest development
in the west The irrcpressible man Of
statistics comes TO our aid with the fig
ures 10 show that Chicago uses a greater
number OF elevators than New York,
and ST. Paul and Minneapolis together
a greater number than Philadelphia or
Boston. This can be easily explained.
1t is not that the people of the east are
more fond Of walking up stairs than
their friends of the west. but that the
cities Of the latter region had their
growth chiefly after the elevator had
assumed its present importance as Ia
Dor and timo saver. New buildings IN
the wcst-aud these western cities are
largely composed of new buildings-are
arranged for one or more elevators Just
as they are provided with roofs and
drainage. No longer is the elevator
looked upon as a luxury 1t is a ncccs-
sity 1t was not 80 when tho vast ma
iorty Of structures in the older cities
were built, and these ancient houses
wait and wait in vain for the day when
the proprictors will see it TO their adyan
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 10y
all authorities. and nobody denies that 1t
is in keeping with the characteristics Of
the place. Chicago is a rapid town. The
elevator expert Of the patent office says
the average speed OF Chicago Gifts Isl
about 400 feet per minute. nearly all Of
the elevators in the large blocks run
ming 300 feet a minute or more. In
the great Office buildings of that city
there is no little rivalry in elevator
speed. each new builder trying TO outdo
those who have preceded him To poo-
rlc from the country it is a somewhat
novel experience 70 be shot up to the
roof Of o taA building, past floor after
floor in such rapid succession as To make
one almost dizzy. But the coming down
H. 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
not ride on the rapid running elevators,
and in one large Office building Of that
city. where there are six elevators, two
Of them are run at slow speed for the
especial accommodation of passengers
with weak nerves or susceptible stom
achs. On the wire network which sur
rounds most elevators | remember hay
ing seen ina Chicago building placard,
telling people who were afraid Of rapid
t'aycling to take the stairs. 1t is need
less to say, however. that the average
Chicagoan likes his elevators, as every
thing else, about as fast rs it is possible
for II togo
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 creep
hzily up and down. the doors are opened
In a leisurcly way by the attendants and
nobody seems To DO in a hurry. This is
IN striking contrast 10 the methods used
In western cities. where doors are opened
and closed with a snap and bang irri-
Eating TO the nerves OF timid passengers.
In the government offices the elevators
are large, roomy concerns, Two or three
tires as large as there Is any necessity
for. Half the people who so from one
floor 10 another walk, anyway, and the
elevator conductor really has a sleepy
time Of it, IL is not very uncommon 10
bee conductor, particularly if it is a
warm afternoon and he is a colored man,
taking cat maps between floors.
New York and Philadelphia strike
happy medium between Chicago and
Washington. Their elevators are run
neither at breakneck speed nor at so
slow pace as TO try ones patience. In
New York it is said there are now about
$500 elevators, and in Chicago nearly
1000 OF the lifts in New York more
than 1875 run 10 exceed 100 feet, the long
cs, distance Travelled being TO the tower
of the Produce Exchange feet In
Chicago the talcst shaft in which an
elevator runs Is that leading 10 the tower
Of the new Auditorium building-about
go feet The highest elevator in the
country Is in the Washington monu- |
mcnt, and that runs 800 feet IL travels
at a rate Of little less than hundred
feet a minute, which Is just about the
speed an active boy or man can make |
running down the stairway.
The elevator has fairly rcyolutionized |
modern architecture and added millions
upon millions Of dollars 10 the value Of
CITY real estate. II u the elevator which