The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-04
ELEVATOR FALLS SIX STORIES
LOAD OF LITERARY LIGHTS GETS
A BAD SHAKING UP.

Richard Ls GaIIienne Among T~hem-Chsin
Holding weights Breaks From Burden
and the Car Shoots Down <Occupants
Falnt-Bunch shewercd with Muck.
Nineteen persons, among whom were
Richard lie Galllenne. the poet; Horace
Barnes. editorial writer OF the Broadsodp
Magazine; Harris Merton Lyon. dramatic
editor; Forest Halsey, associate editor.
and Charles j. Savage. advertisement
writer. all Of the same publication. were
passengers in In elevator in the Spinning
Wheel Building at 7 West Twenty-second
street, which dropped six stories yesterday
noon. Eleven Of tho occupants OF the car
we're m employed by the magazine
and the Hampton Advertising companies
as stenographers. Two Of these we're
slightly hurt by being jammed against the
side Of the cag in the scramble.
TIL meteorio plunge was frs blamed
on the literary lights, it being openly de-
clared that their brilliancy had dazzled
the elevator man and caused him to lose
his nerve. Upon further Investigation 1t
was found that owing TO the weight OF the
load on the crowded car the chain con-
trolling the weights snapped. That freed
MIR. lie G~allienne from further ~imputation.
The whistle had ;ust blown for noon in
the thought oundries and there was a
general rush for the elevator. B. B. Hamp-
ton. boss Of the advertising firm, was q little
slow getting OUT and the car got away from
his floor. the tenth. without him. On the
next floor below a. many Of the magazine
force as could squeeze themselves in entered.
Everything seemed TO be going all right
until the sixth foor was reached. Then
there was a cracking and a crash just
under the wall side OF the car. At the
same time the lights went out. The shaft
was now pitch uark. The car gained a
sudden momentum and the downward
drop caused those aboard to suffer from
a sickening sensation. Some had the
presence OF mind to stand on their toes.
One OF the women raised a cry and tried
TO crowd her way toward the elevator door.
This started a connection among the others
and some screamed and some tainted.
During the entire time. which at best was
only n fraction OF a minute, there was a ter
rifle crunching OF the chain. The heavy
brass bar which formed part OF the top OF
the car was torn loose and battered against
the emergency clogs. which seemed TO be
out OF business
When the cage finally struck the bumper
on the ground hoor IL stuck after the re-
bound and was japmed about half a foot
below it's proper level. Both times It hit
there was a crash that was heard as far as
Broadway. The entire elevator structure
was shaken and q shower OF dirt and oily
muck fell on the occupants. who were
heaped in a mass N the toor OF the car.
1t didn't take long for Peter 0neto. the
elevator man. to get the door open, but IL
was some lime before those inside could
OK trica 70. themselves. They were smeared
up like a lot OF boiler makers.
Policeman Lynch OF the traffic squad.
on duty at Twenty-seoond street and Broad
way hurried over and lost no time In send
ing for an ambulance from the New York
Hospital. Persons were swarming out OF
the Flatiron and nearby buildings m in a
few minutes the sidewalk and street in front
Of the place OF accident were blocked. 1t
was finally necessary to call the reserves
from the Tenderloin police station to clear
the crowd away
The injuries OF the persons in the elevator
we're considered SO slight at the time that
they would not submit TO medical treat
ment. However. later in the afternoon
a number OF them became Ill and had to go
home. They said that they felt as II they
were seasiok. The young women most
seriously hurt we're employed in the maya
zine office. One got a wrenchsd ankle and
the other was bruised about the legs Long
after the others had left the car the literary
men grouped about the dark, greasy door
trying TO find parts OF their eyeglasses.
The first thing | thought OF was that
my VIE WHO is returning .iIOih dDIodu.
would have a funeral greeting her." said
Barnes. 1T was dark as the inside OF a
COW. The time from the start Of the drop
until we finally bumped the last time seemed
10 be hours Then the racket and grinding
roar after the first crash. But the icken-
ing thing was the vibration Of the car after
we landed. And then the c%loudburst OF
filthy muck"
1T was a clear case OF the elevator chain
busting and the emergency failing TO work.
That's all the cause there was to it, said
Oneto, the elevator man.