Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-02-27

THE ELEVATORS WORKED BADLY
Significant Statement Made BY N. L.
Temple and Others in Regard to the
Troub!e-Political Debts Paid by the
Appointments of incompetent Work
Ao,al II rlmes-Ren,lhllcan.

Spectal to Times Republican.
,Des Moines, Feb. a7.-The terrible
elevator aceiden, Friday a. Min which
two lives of women were snuffed out
almost instantly, stirred the legislators
of Iowa as nothing else could have
done, and 1t is certain there VIII be
some action taken with reference to the
incident. First. there will be an in
vestigation officially made as TO the
condition Of the elevators as TO their
safety and completeness; second. some
sort Of an investigation into the I'M
mediate manner in which the accident
occurred; third some provision Tor
payment OF damages ii 1t Is found thit
the state is in fact responsible Tor the
two deaths; and fourth, but certainly
not least. some expression OF opifaoh
|condemnlng the prevalent custom OF
disposing of places in the service OF
the state involving necessity Tor eS-
perience or special skill on account OF
political considerations. The incident
so completely occupied the attention 81
members that all real legislative WORK
was suspended. The members crowded
into the corridors AMI sought all pos
sible information. Today. with In
terest somewhat becalmed, the MEM
!bers discussed the matter frankly.
II feel that we are guilty, said
NJ. L. Temple. the veteran member
from Clarke, who is always frank ana
outspoken. II have been aware and
II think others have. that the eleva-
tors have been unsafe from the begin
ming. or handled in an unsafe manner.
The north elevator acted ugly, wou:d
start down or up at the wrong time,
and seemed to be uncomfortable. and
became afraid to ride in II. and be-
gan patronizing the south elevator.
found that 1t sometimes acted the
same way. firmly believe that those
elevators would never have been allow
ed to run day in one OF the big bus
mess blocks OF the city where there
are inspections made. They would
have been condemned.
Then another thing" he continued:
1--WE should not give places as elevator
work Such places should go to per
sons who are selected, not on account
OF desire to pay political debt. but
because OF special fitness. We are at
fault in this respect. We have all been
aware right along that our elevators
were not in the hands Of experts.
I'VE have all along. been making
another mistake" said Mr.. Temple.
4, -. rS~r ty,
charge of the state capitol is wrong.
We ought not to pick n man from
farm or a store or bank. for custodian
OF the capitol, and the men in and
about the capitol should not be there
by reason Of their political influence.
What We really ought to do is 20 pro-
vide for the employment OF an expert
engineer and mechanic, man trained
in come one OF the great schools having
OF every detail OF building
and mechanical construction. We
should ay salary commensurate
with the Importance OF the position.
and hold that custodian responsible for
every janitor. engineer .stoker, eievs-
tor man. plumber. carpenter. locksn1ith
and every other efnuloye having to DO
with the state property. He should
be given a free hand and should select
these men for efficiency alone and
they should hold their positions with
out regard to the political fortunes II
this or that person In the state. Not
until we do this will we have our state
free from Just such accidents as this"
In this connection the following is
the statement as TO the elevators which
was made in the report Of the capitol
commission In December last:
"At no point IN our work have we
proceeded with greater care than in the
selection and installation OF elevators
We believed 1t to be advisable 10
point Accordingly we have selecte1
what we believe to be as good as the
best elevators in USE and have made
the requirements upon the contractors
so rigid and sweeping as to leave 40
doubt as to their successful opera
tion All our investigation resulted III
the conclusion that hydraulic eleva-
tors with electrically driven pumps
were the most reliable and up-to- date
appliances In use. I'rosivsion has been
made for carrying 5000 pounds at the
speed Of 300 feet per minute II Is
also provided that in case one of the
two pumps shall become temporarily
disabled, the other will afford ample
power to operate both elevators at
full capacity and under full speed. We
believe the most important element of
safety In operation has been fully
provided for. To secure this excel
lence Of construction and completeness
in operation. 1t has been necessary 10
expend, under close. competition, some
$4,000 more than the estimate submit
ted by the preliminary commission"
1t can be said. however. that this was
in fact written just as the present ele-
vators were installed and before there
had been any practical test thereof.
In fact the unfortunate death CT
Chief Engineer c. L. Linley at tae
time of the fire, came IN TO interfere
with the test of this and other parts
of the mechanical equipment; and the
elevators We're only started few days
before the day of the converting OF
the legislature.
WEDDING AT JEWELL.
Charles Cole and Miss Carrie Harmon