Omaha daily bee., 1895-12-21
CHAPTER ON STORM DOORS
Origin Of Their Use Dates Back Into An
tiquity.
PATENT CONCERN THAT DID ITS WORK
Innocent 10 Look Upon, Yet when
Let Loose it Proved to lie n
Terrible Engine of
Death.

NutAt anu why q ~
up to protect house and store entrances from
the storms OF winter. That their use dates
back several centuries is made apparent by
The fact that somewhere in history is men,
toned the fact that old Nero referred to
the storm doors while he was sitting on top
OF a column, fiddle in hand, watching a con-
nagration that enveloped about one-half oil
Rome. and threatened destruction to the
suburbs, as well as to the business portion
Of the city. Ancient writ recites the fact
hat while the fire was burning the fiercest,
Nero cried out to some Of the street laborers,
telling them to close the storm doors In 'front.'
u the treasury building.
since the burning of Rome storm doors
have been considered necessary equipments
10 both business houses and dwellings,. WINE
the style has changed to some extent. even
now there are storm doors the appearance
OF which would make old Nero feel as though
.le was in his own Rome could he but drop
iown into Omaha and take a look at thein'
OF course, not all Of the storm doors In mana
are constructed in strict accordance with the
old Roman style Of architecture. Some Oh
them are even more ancient, Whlie otners
are built with more OF a desire to ape the
styles of modern times.
Out on TWENTY fourth street there is a storm
door that in the language of the street
takes the bakery, and at the same Tune
it is intended TO advertise the business that
IS conducted behind the doors which 1t covers.
This particular door is painted a bright green,
while across its front, painted in blood req
color. are the words: "Ba Cary inside
People who live in the neighborhood Know
we'll enough that the proprietor OF the place
deals in bread, pies and cakes. Strangers,
however. who pass along the street go upon
the theory that 'Ba Cary Inside Is the name
Of the individual who conducts the business
IT HAN A ECRET SPRING.
The hotels about town, the principal ones
at least, have storm doo:s that are models
of the skill of the artisans, and when a
man walks up to one OF them ne ls con,
rronted with the words Pull or push,
It depending upon which side OF the door
ne is at the time. There is one door, how
ever, which shelters the front Of a prom
!nent hotel where the word. Push" is upon
both the inner and the outer side. rms
door has caused no end of trouble and at
The same time 1t has been responsible Tor
several accidents, for with one strong and
healthy man inside and another outside, both
pushing, something has to happen.
Not long ago a certain hotel sent east
and secured G patent door, and when it was
put in place it was the envy OF all otnef
hotel men of the city. 1t worked upon the
plan Of a gate at a country faiT, ana by
stepping into the apartment and pushing the
operator was at once elected from the coid
storm into the warm atmosphere OF the
lobby. This particular hotel man purchased
the exclusive right to use this style OF door
n Omaha. Not having been made aware
of this fact, other hotel men of Omaha, see
ing their trads going to the house with the
patent door, visited The man and made over
.ures to him. Instead of considering their
propositions he gave them the laugh, remark
ing that he knew a good thing when his
optic, rested upon It. This settled the ques-
tion with The. other hotel men, and they de-
clared that they would get even. They hired
a mechanic and informed him that they
III A. liy, Inurn ar hi Tpnnhnn-.
zeal recssses vf this door and find out how
wonde fully It had been made. The me-
chanic undertook his task, and a couple of
days later he reported that the concern was
filed with secret springs, which could be
SO arranged that the innocent swinging door
would become a perpetual motion machine
and a terrible engine or death. With a
sickly smile playing hide-and-seek across
chanic to go ahead and do his worst and
they would stand. the consequences. The
next night, armed with drills, braces and
bits, the mechanic attacked the storm door
just as the hour OF midnight was drawing
nigh. Taking out a screw here and releasing
a spring there, the man had soon performed
his work, after which he went to the other
side of the street to join a group OF hotel
men who had turned out 10 watch results.
BACK TO THE OLD LOVE.
1t was a quiet night at this hotel, and
though 1t was cold, filed with fiendish glee,
these men waited and watched for three long
hours, until at last they were rewarded. The
proprietor of the hotel is an early riser, and
as the first streak OF rosy morn chased IN
from the east, he rolled out OF ped' c!inlpea
into his clothes and started fr the door TO
make his weather forecast for the day. AS
he approached the storm door, which had
been the Joy OF his life this winter, he
stepped into the enclosure; In an instant
there was an explosion, followed by a scene
that might have been taken for a Dakota
claim ehanty doing battle with a well devel-
,nad nvclnne Man and dnor mIxad in one
mass, and round ana round they went, the
speed increasing with each revolution, uhtii
1t was Impossible TO zen when was man ana
whlch was STORM uoor' lhe Pave pecaine
last ana furious continuing UNI, d sprins
broke, wheh .he man was nurleu vloleh'iy
me the street. ina. uay d caIpenn.l II d