New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-03
THE INTERIOR FIRE ESCAPE.

AS has been frequently pointed out in the course
of these articles, 'freproof' is free translation
of what is technically known fire retardent";
nothing used in building construction is indestruc-
tible by fire asbestos. 1t goes without say
ing then, that ''freproof building take fire;
and, in any case, it has quantity of combustible
material in the furnishings. paraphernalia goods
with which it is appointed. equipped stocked.
The danger from fire to which these SUBJ
ject, through the carelessness ignorance of in
mates occupants, cannot be exaggerated; it is
this which, than all things else, renders It
necessary for owners OF skyscrapers to offer the
extra inducements Of less rentals than charged
for their lower stories in order to I'll their upper
timorous people are afraid OF being cut off from
all avenues of escape and from rescue so far from
the ground, in case fire breaks out in such lofty
buildings.
How vitality necessary it is. them that the build
ing's elevators shall be able resist the attack
of fire, and render adequate service to the very
last-anG by adequate service is here meant
safely empty the building of all its occupants In
the shortest possible time.
An Investigation of the various types OF eIe-
vators should disclose the merits and dement's of
each, and should determine which is best fitted
meet the requirements Of the lofty structures,
E. s. Matthews, NJ. Am Soc NJ E.. who has had
quarter of a century's experience in the service
OF the several great elevator companies. and in
ali branches of the business, gave this interesting
resume of elevator history and the accompanying
informing descriptions of the various types:
the industry starting in to build and install ele-
! vators about 1850 The first elevator was of the
screw type, an example Of which was that placed
! in the Fifth Avenue Hotel in the early eos It
| was the hrst in New-York. In that type the ele-
| nent of safety, rather than those OF efficiency,
| was sought For even the earliest elevator
| designers recognized that the former the
/ essential. to secure it,. they supported the car
slow, and too expensive in Installation and opera
ton; besides IL occupied entirely too much space.
The screw was succeeded by the cheaper and
spe5dier suspended-car elevator. Otis and certain
others coming to the front with the steam machine
II days OF It's earlier installation this utilized
drum upon which the cable used to host the
/ wound, this drum being operated by steam
engine This type was considered then. the ele-
! vator par excellence, and numbers Of them were in
stalled in the fine buildings OF those days but they
have now entirely disappeared 1t cost too much
TO run them; their cables were given to tangiing on
their drums they had a very limited speed, and
much vibration, and their complex construction
! rendered them anything but easy to operate
The next in the field was the hydraulic elevator
of the vertical type, introduced by William L. Hale
} OF Chicago. in the early res. who soon demon
strated that his machine more economical
! to operate safer faster and gave better ser
vice in every way than the steam elevator.
i Shortly after Richard i. Crane of the same
/ city brought forward the horizontal type of
pended hydraulic elevator to which he later added
a controlling device superior 20 any then in use
and the essential features OF which are retained in
all modern controllers.
For long period Of time these two hydraulic