The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-11-15
CAUGHT BY An ELEVATOR
A Serious Accident to Young Will
bur Cunningham at the
Granite Block.
Premature Explosion on the Line
of the Great Northern
Extension.
Trying to Pick Out . Piece of Stone Causes
Three Deaths and Other
Mishaps.

Wilbur Cunningham, aged Is, son @
David Cunningham, Of 1917 Missoula ave
nue., and employed as elevator boy at the
Granite block, was severely, If not fatally
injured yesterday morning while running
the car. Cunningham had taken the sle-
vator to the fourth floor of the building,
where he left it for a moment to go into
one of the rooms. When he came back he
found that the car had started on a down
ward trip of it's own accord. II was too far
gone for him to catch it on that floor, so he
hastily ran down the winding stairway to
the third loor. Throwing open the wire
door he jumped into the car fest foremost,
past the landing. The oar, however,
had by this time COTTON more mo-
msntum on, and before the boy
could get all the way in the top of the ele-
vator caught him diagonally across the
chest and pressed him hard against the
sharp edge of the sill. The elevator
stopped and Cunningham tainted at once,
without as much as uttsring a cry. Fortu-
nately for him. however, Thso Shed was
standing near by waiting for the car, He
saw the boys unfortunate predicament and
raised an alarm, which brought Judge w.
E. Cullen, II. r. Purcell. G.. B. Nolan and
others to the scene. Tbs little fellow was
10 tightly held in the grip of the heavy car
that il was impossible to do anything until
the car was raised. There was no way to
get inside the car, so the engineer in the
basement was notified. Ho raised the car,
releasing the boy, who fell in on the floor
of the elevator. In falling his legs slid
~VASSHn nN1 tho NAN NnntInnInr tn |
ascend they were caught between the floor
of the elevator and the iron upper frame Of
the door. Another alarm to the engineer
brought the car down again and the insen-
sible body of young Cunningham was lifted
out and DR.. Parsons sent for. Cunning
ham continued unconscious for half an
hour and when he came to his senses was
too badly hurt to talk for awhile. The
doctor made an examination and said
there were no bones broken, though whether
or not there were any internal injuries
cannot be known for some little lime It
10 the unanimous opinion Of all who az
sisted in releasing the boy that only the
position of his armed saved him from a
broken neck. Had no Cotton in a trifie
further before the elevator caught him
either his neck would have been broken or
his skull crushed. As it is the only appar-
emit injuries are bruises on the body and
legs. Sometime after being restored to
home.
The boy had only been running the Gran
its block elevator since the first of this
month. Albert Kleinschmidt, one of tho
owners of the building, says the elevator
boys have special instructions never to
leave the car e1cspt whom it is on the
ground floor Owing to the tendency to
sink whom unattended, he says the build
ing inspector recently ordered the valves
repaired and the doors fixed SO hat they
could not be opened from the outside. Thia
he was having done The elevator, he fur
Their states, was provided with . safety ap-
pliancs which prevented the car dropping
any distance should something abou tho
machinery break.
d. Building Inspector NoNally said he had
examined the elevator on Nov. s.. He or
dersd the doors repaired, SO they could not
be opened from the outside, and also di-
rooted that the valves on the hydraulic ma
ohinery be repaired to stop the cage from
sinking. Ths owners had telsgraphed for
new valves. The inspector said the eleva-
tor was provided with a safety appliance to
catch it in case Of accident. The elevator
boy had been ordered not to leave his post
above the ground floor. The inspector
thought the best way to prevent accidents
ut elevators was to have an ordinance, the
as there is in Chicago, preventing the
employment of boys under Is years of age
10 run lifts.