New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-12
no MINIMIZE THE DANGER.
NOW PASSENGER ELEVATORS ARE IN
SPECIFIED IN THIS CITY.

PRECAUTIONS AGAINST ACCIDENT MUCH MORE
COMPLETE THAN MANY BELIEvE-THE
WORK LAST YEAR
An accident like that which occurred the other
aav in the General Postoffce Building. In when
s,x men were hurt by the fall OF an elevator car
sets a great many persons guessing ABOUT inc
methods OF inspection by which the public Is pro-
,ected against danger In most OF the many pas
,encer elevators in the city. While 1t is true
.,o, tho elevator which fell under too heavy a.
,ood IN the Postofice was a freight elevator on
which six men had no business 10 be RIDING yet
,bere ia an occasional accident 10 passenger
elevator such as that which caused injury 10 sew
.ral nersons I'm the American Tract Socletys
puudinr at Nassau and Spruce SITS some months
900 Fast elevators in the tall ONCE puiiu-
,rcs are so much desired by the pubic as 10 De u
necessity. and the passengers who go up ana
down I'm the skyscrapers sometimes feel uneasy
as TO their safety.
The system Of inspection by which accidents
to passenger elevators are prevented Is lhuch
more complete and perfect thar most NeW-Aolh-
ers who ride daily in elevators nave suppoSou'
and the public is protected by the care anu
watcbfr,ncss Of three sets of men. who are lnde-
pendent of one another. and TO some extent IL
walls Of one another in the scrutiny 10 uetec'
nossible defects In elevators. THESE men are
the engineers in the employ of the owners Vi
buildings the expert inspectors IN the ei''p'o'
OF companies that give insurance against ioSs ~
accidents to elevators and the inspectors Oh ere
yators who are in the pay of the city anu 49,
under the orders of the superintendent OIL p"i'
ings.
COMPETENT ENGINEERS EMPLoa HD'
In nearly every office building in the CITY
competent engineer is employed TO loon ai'ei '
care of the steam boilers and the engines '."'
run the elevators. In some OF the Ia'sei '"''>
,ngs the engineers are men whose aplh'S anu
a,,or,erca enable them TO command large sala-
rics. One engineer of an Office bmldihs Ill ID o""
r,o,, receives $1,000 a year for his services.
ENGINEERS in other large Office buildings receive
so,aries ranging from $1,000 to Slo'ooo. Inc
engineers understand perfectly we'll that an ac-
ci6ert to elevators in their care would mean the
-, .hoir 11aces and salaries. Nothing inter-
$780,. 60 much with the renting of offices in
.,,.scranar as an accident which makes the ten
or,s afraid of riding in the elevators Inc en-
rinaars therefore make careful and repeated
denominations 10 detect possible defects in the
elevator machinery, and there are engineers VINO
ara g. expert and watchful chat the elevators III
their care are found IN perfect concitlon al al
times.
There are about twenty-five hundred passenger
elevators which carry people ~ ana GOWN III
buildings n Ibis city every day, ana tneAV 'i0
several thousand freight elevators on WhlcA Pe'-
ne ride daily AIost of those elevators are inspect
cd freoucntly by men who are in the pay Oh eieN"-
FOR firms or Insurance companies. y lew lTIiS uH-
oertake to inspect and insure the elevators
which they put into a building. More IMAM '"o
thousand elevators in the city are insured anu
.nspected by the Fidelity and Casualty COMPANY
which has o corps OF expert inspectors enb"soU
a., tte examination OF elevators. The inspectors
are traircd mechanics. who have been IN the
enopov oe elevator firms. as, rule, and they are
,hoynuchIy acquainted with every part OF an eie-
.s,or from the engine in the cellar to the most
.asio r;acant part of the elevator car. They
,,aka inspectIons of steam boilers, OF electrical
plants Of engines. Of cars and Of all the cables
and adjustments If they fail to detect defect
s,ss to wear or strain ana an elevate: Whlch theS
have inspec ed breaks down. the company WHICH
,,n,ove then is liable for all the resulting dam
THE DEFECTS DISCOVERED.
The value Of the watchfulness OF the men III
the employ Of the insurance company Is lilul-
Gated by the reports, which snow that 'he!
do,acted and caused to b. remeded 10TH de-
fec,s IN The boilers although there is a bureau
~ the Police Department for the inspection of
,oar, boilers in this city. OF the G.JlS defects
discovered By the experts in the elevators them
ee,ves 1913 were found in the cars. 143 in over
load work. 37S in guides and posts, 2l9 in safe
~ devices Us IN hand ropes, 1913 in the lift
ing cables. 30 IN the counterweight cables. 1863
,n belts 103 in governor ropes. 100 in safety gov
ernors lgl In automatic stops ll9 III machine
brakes. 81 in cable connections - in cylinders
and valves. : IN cabe-drums and IN pston-Iods
A large number Of the defects were more trhiinS
and l2l7 we're in the minor adjustments OF the
elevators while 900 were defects in the doors
and other approaches and 500 were merely de-
:fcts in locks on doors opening into the elevator
shaft. :,
Attention is paid 10 trihing details in the IN
suection of elevators by the company experts
because The liability Of the company for dam
age extends to injuries Il passenger may receiNe
by the carelcssneSs Of the elevator MAIL even
when the elevator is in good CONDITION; A NeIuIC'
Of $25, 900 was given in a Maryland court re-
Gently in favor of a man who was hurt by a IAN
into an elevator car. although there was e'ioehOo
on the trial OF the case that the man thIeN ope
the door and stepped into the car when the 'ioor
of the car was three feet below the moor Oh the
corridor.
Superintendent Stevenson Constable, OF the
Department of Buildings. has five expert ma
chinists detailed inspectors in MS depart
ment for the examination OF passenger eIe'd-
tors in the city. Under the law these inspectors
have oversight Of passenger elevators only Inc
State Factory inspectors are supposed 10 m
snect the freight elevators in the city, but their
irspections are rare and of little service TO the
public Most Of the elevator inspectors in the
Department of Buildings have been IN that ser
vice several wears and the salary of an in
spector is 81 200 a year Since Mr.. Constable
took charge Of the Department the system OF
inspections has been improved The inspectors
are required 10 inspect all the passenger ele-
vators in their districts once every three months,
and their reports must contain details so com
plete that the reports canUot be written WITH
out careful examination of the elevators.