The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-20

ELEVATOR ACCIDENTS.
Seattle. March Is, i@5

To the Editor: To those who are ia
r7sIIgr with the. construction ana the
methods OF operating elevators in she
principal buildings Of this city the tras
ely % Saturday was rot a surprise
Neither were the fatal occurrences Of De
cembsr }. lss2 and March 5. issS. the for
rser resulting IN tie death OF Darius Hor-
ton and the latter in that Of NJ ~. Mel
son The list Of casualties does not end
here Accidents Of minor consequence
have repeatedly occurred In the elevators
OF The city. and while not resaltig fatally.
prove, however, with those enumerated
above. the necessity OF speedy action 10
prevent a reoccgrrence. Not long since q
certain Seattle attorney stepped into one
OF the Demonstrated doubie-door eieya-
tors. ths doors being simply openings, one
In which the Passenger enters from the
street passage through onA opening ana
makes his exit 10 the upper floor OF the
building through another. After entering
ne By chance leaned backward against
what ne supposed was the side OF the ele-
vaior. but what was In reality the other
opening. The cage was moving upward
rapidly and In an instant he was precipi-
tated through the hole Had he fallen
Immediately under projecting floor he
would undoubtedly have been crushed to
death Proyidentially. however, the cage
had reached the point where he was
Iic"E rAs'1HeAs o1t AID the 1alt lctI nisl
hanging on part Of the framework
Of the shaft In an extremely
dangerous position. bat saved from
the terrible death that has be-
fallen three Of our citizens This is only
one OF the many cases that might be CT
ted In some instances they have been
the result Of carelegsness; in others the
faulty construction of the elevator.
Most OF the Seattle elevators are ope-
rated by ahand lever. although some OF
the Old style exist, where the cage Is
started by pulling a cable. The usual
practice Is for the operative to open the
door for passengers before the cage has
stopped and start Ii Immediately after
they have entered, giving at the same
time push on the door. which sends,
or Is supposed to send 1t shut. After
a passenger has been transported
upward for some distance he hears
the click OF the door below
The same method is pursued In de-
scending. Often the door fails 10 go en-
tirely shut. or, IL II does, the occasions
are numerous where IL has rebounded
and remained partly open until the next
trip. thereby endangering the lives OF
those who may have been In close prox-
unity 10 the shaft. These methods are
the height OF eareiessness, to say the
least, In some cases they amount to al
most criminal neglect
In other cases the operative has been so
Tar neglectfui of his duty as to leave the
cage while passengers were waiting inside.
This act Of gross negligence resulted in
one OF the fatalities above mentioned
Another fault OF the operatives is that
OF allowing the cage 10 become over
crowded. The writer has frequently
seen elevators In number OF buildings so
crowded as 10 positively prevent the ad-
mission OF another person. The result
has been. that were the cage on the de-
scending trip, IL went down at a high rate
Of speed to the very bottom of the shaft,
ana has often struck with aforce that
shook the building. This. at one time or
another. has undoubtedly been the expe-
ence OF every one who finds it necessary
TO frequent elevators.
While In many cases the fault lies, as
has been said. with the operative. the
real person to be charged with the neg
lect Is the manager or owner of the
building. Good and sufficient rules
should be provided. and the manager
should see that they are rigtdly adhered
to.
The chief difficulty to be overcome.
seems. however. to be In the faulty con-
struction OF the elevators themselves Ev-
cry cage should have an inside sliding
door. and this. as well as the
outer. or shaft door, should be
closed before the cage Is set In
IloS4Ci4 HAS arrangement WoDL1
undoubtedly nave prevented the two ia
taiities OF the present month. and would
reduce the possibility OF accident to a
minimum In New York Gu The eleva-
tors In all the principal buildings are
constructed In this manner. an the writer
constructed Ia this manner and the writer
Is under the impression that the matter
is regulated by city ordinance. II II is
not II should be. The city OF Seattle
should pass an ordinance for inside doors.
and should enforce II by heavy penalty
for neglect. Inside doors are awise pre-
caution In the ordinary elevator with but
one opening. but in these cages which
have two they are an absolute necessity.
IN addition asimple mechanism could be
attached by which II would be impossible
TO work the lever until the inside door
was closed. This arrangement would
make elevator transit comparatively safe,
as the inner as well as the outer door
would always he shut before the cage
could be started.
This Is matter IN which every citizen
feels an interest. Lives have been lost,
and the emergency - such that there IS
no excuse for any but prompt action. The
suggestion seems timely, therefore. that
thecity council take the matter in hand
and give IL the attention that II deserves.
TRACY III. ROBERTSON.