Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-11-16

into shape that served to mako Il use
ful Tor fastening gloves. and, for aught
the writer knows, pulling tacks or teeth.
The little trick served its purpose admir-.
ably. and many thousands were cold,
but not for the benefit of the ingenious
woman, for she did not see the color OF
. fifty dollar bill to compensate her fos
the idea.
Soon after her arrival N New York, !
large fire occurred in factory. from the
upper stories Of which 1t was impossi.
bio Tor number Of the inmates to c.
cape. This incident directed Mrs
Tracys attention to the desirability oi
. contrivance that, being attached to the
wall inside Of a window on the different
stories Of house, could be easily swung
into the window opening. and then, be-
ing loosened, fall to the ground in the
shape Of a flexible cylinder with wire
ladder attachment down which the i'm.
prisoned people might easily slide aa
through a shute without danger of bodi
~ harm from either fire or bruises
Meanwhile, the firemen might be using
the fire ladder for carrying up and sup
porting their hose. This machine at the
time attracted a great deal Of attention
from some Of the authorities, and a num-
ber Of successful experiments were made
from the roofs Of tall buildings, but as
In the other cases mentioned, the idea
fell short Of perfect consummation ow.
ing to the indisposition OF those who
proposed to supply the working capital
to do more thnn pay the inventor small
royalty. Unfortunately. she was wo
man.
Mrs. Tracy's ingenuity also found EN-.
ployment about this time in the con.
struction Of an elevator for hotels and
other public buildings, the salient feat
I ures Of which were, yirst, the impossi.
,bility Of its droppingAaore than two OF
three inches in the event Of -tlse breaking
of cables or the displacement of the
usual safety cogs. and, secondly, its au.
tomato work in dropping or taking up
section Of the floor as it moved from
story to story In its ascent and descent.
The object was twofold. namely, to pre-.
vent careless people from falling when
the elevator doors were left unlocked,
and to shut off the inevitable draft that
roof through the big open flue.
The arrangement was SO simple that Il
seemed wonder manufacturers had not
adopted it In the beginning. The stop.
page Of motion was caused by that do.
vice familiar to the simplest mechanics
known as 'the devils grip" and in Its
simplest form Is every day illustrated in
the tongs of the ice,nen. In other words,
the greater weight il held the tighter II
gripped One of these was placed at
each upper corner of the elevator and SO
connected with wire cable that no
matter where a break occurred, 1t was
bound to assert its force and hold the
huge object in place. The portable floors
referred to were Of light but strong steel
that dropped into place on going up or
coming down. and in their substantial
use practically made the door OF an ele-
vator unnecessary. My impression is
that the invention was successfully ap.
piled in big soap factory. and was re.
garded as marvelously clever thing.
especially as it came from only q
woman.
Riding on the elevated cars on one oc.
casion, she witnessed the skurry and
rush of the crowd getting in and out.
Before reaching home she had made
draft on the bundle that had been tied up
for her in dry goods store of set of
easily movable gates that being pusher
to the space between the cars, effcctual-
ly barred the passage until the cars were
emptied under the direction Of the con-
1lIpfnr M EVa l-pun,p,, yV;el, -.
pie Improvements Of her own, it acted
with all the intelligence of an old fash.
ioned turnsti!e, and accident after the
gates were closed became impossible.
+. G. DE FONTAIyR.