Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-31

walls of a building There should, he be-
l'eves, be limit Of variation in the size
ing. and formerly such regulation was in
force This and many other improvements
might. he thinks, be suggested to a COM
mission for revision of the regulations He
also recommends that the regulations re-
latfng to the electrical wiring of buildings
be removed from the building regulations
and placed under the charge of the cleo
trfcal engineer of the District OF Columbia
substitute Sections Proposed.
For better and more uniform method of
construction and erection OF elevators Mr.
Lawson recommends that section 19s Of the
regulations governing elevators in the Dis
trict of Columbia" be amended by striking
out all matter Of said section and inserting
the following in lieu thereof, so as to make
section 1913 read as follows:
section ]SS 1t shall be unlawful for any
person or persons company or corporation,
to construct or erect. OF cause to be con-
structed or erected. any elevator to be used
Tor carrying passengers freight from one
moor to another in any building erected. or
that may be in the course of erection with
out making application for permission
therefor to the inspector of buildings and
before the inspector of buildings shall grant
permission for the erection, construction or
use OF such elevators there shall be filed in
his ONCE as a matter Of record plans and
specifications showing the type and make Of
machine and motive power to be used and
the size OF all ropes. sheaves, drums and
supporting beams; also speed. travel and
capacity OF car. type Of safeties. dimensions
o, pressure tank. and pressure carried
thereon. or the number OF volts and am
peres OF electric current or motor used
The inspector Of buildings shall not grant
the permission Intended by this section for
less than two ropes OF approved diameter
carrying the weight Of the and its load 2
or each counterbalance weight thereof"
>, Also, after the word use in the last
tv, 1-rt
The said certificate shall be placed under
glass and framed and hung in conspicu-
Gus place in the car of the elevator for
which the certificate was issued
And after the word every in the third
line of section 202 the word three" be
stricken out and the word six be in
serted In lieu thereof.
Also, strike out all of section 2O7, except
the schedule of sizes, and insert in lieu
thereof the following:
Section 207. 1t shall be unlawful for the
owner or owners. In fee or for life, Of any
building in the District of Columbia to
maintain or cause to be maintained any
elevator for carrying passengers in the
said building unless such elevator shall
nave at least two hoisting ropes attached
thereto and two ropes attached to any
counterweight used in connection with the
elevator All ropes will be independently
fastened at their terminals
All doors approaching elevator shafts
shaii have safety locks of approved make,
so that said doors will be closed when the
elevator car is not at the floor where said
doors are located"
90. Il deem it advisable" says Mr.. Lawson,
to urge the adoption Of the foreeofnr
amendments. because the regulations now
IN operation are not sufficiently Stringent
TO cover the erection and construction of
elevators This office has no record of the
sizes Of the ropes, types of safetfes. etc In
relation to elevators now In use Hereto
fore the construction has been so at va
rance and very little time given to con-
q rv~ryfr,
the weights to be sustained etc that n
mas been practically impossible to get a
uniform elevator service. L believe these
am aLnendments submitted will materially as
sist TO facilitate the regular inspections
Too Much Work for One Man.
The rapid increase in the number Of ele-
Vators is making 1t practically impossible
Tor one man to visit all Of the plants once
In three months and make the necessary
critical inspections to insure the public
safety. There are several elevators now in
use which have but one hoisting rope at
tached to the car, and several opposite
leads over small sheaves, which makes the
ropes deteriorate very much faster than
would otherwise be the case IL section 2O7
De adopted 1t would give the inspector
power to condemn such hoists and compel
the owners to increase the number of ropes
or change the position of the ma chinery
During the year there has been at least
one serious accident. caused through the
failure to securely close the elevator door,
and in this connection l submit the last
paragraph of section 2O7, with the view of
giving the inspector of buildings the au-
thority to use his own Judgment in placing
a safety lock on such elevators as he deems
advisable.
Many of the plants in the city are so
situated that different persons can and do
operate these elevators, as in the case
where this accident occurred. There are
devices in the form of alarm safety locks,
which II applied to the elevator doors in
buildings occupied a small hotel, such
this building Is. would make such acci-
dents practically impossible"
RAneHf CroHffOra