The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-22
SAFETY CLUTCH RULE STORM.
ram APARTMENT ELEVATORS
STOPPED SUUMdRILY

suspended ats Order--Law Just Got
Around-E xaSpcrat ed Tenants-Heally
Men TO PIEht the Patent Clutch
One Of the matters that are making the
life Of Isaac A. Hopper, superintendent Of
Buildings, anything but grand, sweet
song nowadays IL his order that all ele-
vators must be equipped with governor
safety clutches. The specifications OF the
clutch required appear TO many realty men
TO exact the use Of the Pratt patent CLUTCH
They have raised su'h disturbances that
Borough President AHearn ten days ago
after a stormy meeting between Mr. Hop
per and the members Of the Realty League
suspended the operation Of the order Tor
thirty days, pending further illumination
OF the subject
But the Borough President didn't sus-
pend the operation OF the Law Depart
ment. wherein proceedings had been begun
to stop the use Of elevators not PROVIDED
with the safety clutches
A. one result a Tenderloin policeman
marched over early last evening TO the
Madison Square apartment house, u
and IS story building. adjoining the Man
haitian Cluh on two sides and In the name
Of the CORPORATION Counsel stopped the
elevators. because they we're not equipped
With governor sufetIcs. Maybe the
dwollers on the upper stories dd not say
thing-'
The building il new one built by the
Arson Phelps stokes estate,
An examination was made OF the Tour
elevators by Bernard j. German, Cmei
inspector Of buildings On Nov. ~. IN
notice 90 the WHY'S Company OF 100 WI
Ham street, the lessee Of the building, soon
NnN tod LAT a
Superinteni Mt Of Bu!ldines that defects
wcTc found 10 exit when endangered
life and limb. but the chief fault was that
the elevator, were not equipped with the
governor Hafeues Nothing was zone
bV the owners or lessee Of the building.
Late yesterday afternoon clerk from
the CORPORATION COun sel's Office appeared
at the apartment and began 10 hunt Tor
policeman lie found Roundsman Gleason
on duty al Madison Square Garden. Inc
rouDdsman regarded with suspicion the
clerks request that he close down the
elevator. and he called up Capt. Cottrell
for advice Capt Cottre! suggested that
il might be some crank and that the rounds
man ma. better get some authority more
substantial than the mans word. This the
clerk was unable to furnish, and Gleason
refused 10 interfere.
About that time, though, Capt. Cottrell
had got into communication with the Cor
poration Counsel's ONCE and ascertalned
that the clerk had been sent up by Assistant
Corporation Counsel O'Brien. Then Capt.
Cottrell hustled Roundsman McCullum over
to the building McCullum reached the
place about O'clock and ordered the ele-
Vators shut down at once. And stopped
they were, just as tenants we're getting
home.
Some took the situation good naturedly,
but most Of them showed their impattenoe
and displeasure plainly. The higher up
they lived the angrier they were. There
are 500 tenants in the building and by $40
the Railways were crowded An old man
with white hair, who lived on the tive nth
floor, said:
I'm sit here fore yer before climb these
said another tenant who was perched
on the stone stairs and who had been eI-
pecting 70 60 out with his wife for the
evening.
down here with my evening clothes.
The telephones Of the place were full
Of strictly domestic business,
IL was $50 O'Clock when the manager OF
the building finally got into communication
with John L. Jordan, Assistant SupeTin-
tendent Of Buildings, and told him that II
wouldn't do to hold the elevators up any
lon ger. Then Supt. Jordan sent Inspector
Raub TO the building with the order sus-
pending the previous order.
The manager Of the building said that
the governor safety clutches had not been
put on the elevators because they had
hydraulic safety device.
When Mr.. Hopper made on Jan. 5 the
safety-cutch order, which the realty men
say means the Pratt clutch, the Realty
League was heard from in such shape
that Mr.. Hopper came back TO town
and met repT sPntattves of the league,
the Pratt company and the other elevator
companies on March s. There was a hot
meeting, but Mr.. Hopper stood pat, Then
Borough President Ahearn suspended the
order for thirty days. The time will soon
lie up, and the league members now
threaten Mr. Hopper with the law. They
say that they intend 10 fight the order
IN the civil courts under Section l0l Of the
Building Code. They also threaten criminal
prosecution against certain persons In the
Building Department.
Although the Pratt device is admitted by
both sides TO he the only one which comes
strictly within the order the Cunningham
device has been approved 10y Mr.. Hopper
as fulfilling the spirit Of the order, though
not its letter
I'VE intend to fight this thing to a finish,
said Alfred r. Conkling president Of the
Realty League, yesterday. This IA not
the only case where the department has
officially favored some patented device.
although this is the worst instance"
The real estate men say that II will cost
the property holders 00OOOOO 70 install
the Pratt device. II sells at $500 an eleva-
tor. and the real estate people declare that
it costs only $50 To manufacture. Charles
r. Pratt, the inventor declares that the
company would lose money IL IL sold the
device at $500 an elevator.