Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-23
EVER REVOLVINGDOORS
LATEST THING OF THE KIND IN
THIS CITY.

1.-THE perpetual motion revolving door at
the entrance to stores and Office buildings
Is the latest thing out in that line said
an observing citizen to Star reporter, in
dicating toward the main entrance of one
of the large department stores of the capt.
tai. land when they will have come more
generally into use people will worder why
the idea wasn't put into practice long ago.
But they are entirely new, and you will
note with some amusement how the shop
pers press against the sides Of the COM
partments, and, finding no resistance to the
pressure, are perplexed to understand the
reason. Then, behind them comes the frame
of the next following compartment, and
they are pushed in or out of the stores en-
trance while they still thinking about
the problem.
Those new doors are very ingeniously
arranged and are not unlike big turbine
water wheel turned upside down. They are
in general construction, however, Similar to
the revolving doors to be found upon The
Star and other modern office buildings,
only they have seven compartments instead
of four. Many persons wonder where the
power comes from to maintain this steady
revolving motion, and suppose 1t proceeds
from beneath the flooring in the basement.
trio motors attached to the door at the top.
These little motors are out of sig but
they may be regulate ted and the speed of the
door adjusted to suit the convenience of the
storekeeper The door We are at present
viewing revolves at about the rate OF SIX
revolutions a minute. and with Its seven
compartments will admit of the ingress and
egress of from forty to fifty persons
minute 300 an hour, or 10000 working
day. They will be found to be great con-
70 Sh
mas time. they do away with crowdlns
and congestion at store entrances, Keeping
the people moving better than policeman,
in fact. they might not inappropriately be
termed automatic cops in this respect.
They also have a tendency to shut out
the drafts in the winter time, which the
sliding doors to stores, even though doupie'
do not do.
Il am surprised that the moving stair
cases between floors in the big stores in
this city have not been more generahy
adopted. and where they have been adopted
that they AVE not proved as popular as IN
the New York department stores In these
latter establishments they are always
crowded. Perhaps It is matter OF edu-
cation on the part of the shopping puplc.
They are d great convenience, and they re-
lieve the congestion at the elevators. which,
in the holiday season. is very great ana
irving In the first few attempts on the
part of the shopper unfamiliar with the
peculiar and gentle gliding motion of the
staircase there is a feeling of uncertainty
as to foothold, but it is purely imaginary,
the footing is perfectly safe, ana IA the
shopper should do is 20 mount the steps as
they appear, but once on the steps, remain
still until the succeeding floor IS reached,
and then step off without the Involuntary
motion TO step down. The hand-ralls pro
vide means of steadying the poise of the
body and il is an interesting sight in the
New York stores TO observe these silently
moving Staircases, flied with ICING lines OF
equally silent and motionless forms, going
up from story to story. Perhaps one reason
why they are not popular with some of ne
fair sex is because they break the con-
tinuity of chatter about bargains-a serious
momentary deprivation on the part of some
of our sweet sisters.