The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-04
5O-54 WEST 22D ST.
ELErATING BRICKS AND MORTAR
Quick Work with Modern HoistinE Machines
How the Work Is Done.

For some years now hod hosting has been a
business by itself. The hod carrier still carries
mortar and bricks up a ladder AS far as the first
story, but after that, as II general thing. a hoist
ing machine il put in, carrying hods held in
a rack, or. oftener, wheelbarrows filled with
material. The work has been reduced TO a
science, and some OF the elevators run SO fast
that they would take the mortar's breath away
II IL had any.
Here was a modern hosting plant at work In n
big building under construction, that had n
large open space for light and air in the centre;
u hosting engine. equipped to run two elevators,
was placed on the ground ut the bottom of this
open space. On one side OF the space there was
an elevator with II platform that would hold two
wheclbarrows. On n side Mt right angles with
tho first was an elevator with two small plat
forms. each holding II single barrow and so
rugged that when one went up the other came
down, the platform coming down with an
empty barrow making a COuntcrwcight for the
platform with the full barrow going up, so that
From the engine a wire rope ran to each of the
two elevators, one at the front. the other at the
side. The twO-barrow elevator ran from the
first floor OF tho building, the coinponsating
tened along the edge on the side opposite that
where the barrows, are rolled on. This 10 30 the
are simply. open platforms-and with the wheel
against this strip the handles are within tho
edge on the other SIDE, ana SO VIII clear every
thing as the elevator rises. In this case two
men on the first floor rolled two whoclbarrOws
loaded. one with brick, the other with mortar. on
TO the twO-barrow elevator, where they stood
side by side. One OF the men pulled u wire,
which rang a bell by tho engine. The engineer
started tho engine, and up went the elevator TO
the floor where tho material was required. Men
there rolled off tho barTOws, and rolled onto the
elevator empty ones. The elevator was lowered,
and as IL was going down the men above wheeled
the loaded barrows TO wherever the material
was required. cmpticd them, and came back to
meet the elevator, up with full barrOws again.
For while they had been going and coming the
elevator had been lowered to the first floor, the
men there had rolled Off the empty barrows and
rolled on full ones, which thoy had hlled while
the elevator was going IN and coming down.
And so they kept going all day long; men below
walking away from the elevator with empty
barrows and wheeling back full ones, and at the
same time men, stories up, wheeling away
loaded barrOws and bringing back empty ones.
The two.barrow elevator here Is one OF mod
crate speed. The single-barrow compensation IL
u quick one. A man rolls on a barrow in tho
cellar. pulls u bell. the engine puffs. and away
goes tho little elevator, like a streak, up out OF
sight, while down into view comes the other
elevator with the empty barrow upon II. While
the man ABOVE is rolling OFF the loaded barrow
the man below is rolling of the empty; while
the man above ID rolling. on an empty the mar
below Is rolling on a loaded barrow. And 80 they
keep the little elevator hot.