The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1909-12-10
ODD ACCIDENT.

electric elevator and steel beam,
to death If her rescuers moved the
car up or down by the slightest in
advertence, Miss Margaret DAILY,
"greenhorn'' doormaid, had a thrill
ing half hours experience last night
in the Baby's Hospital, at Lexington
avenue and Fifty-ffth street. 1t was
necessary to chisel the heads off the
bolts in the steel beam and take the
beam out of the elevator shaft before
the young woman's life could be
saved.
Miss Daily, who is nineteen years
old, has been in this country but
few weeks, and got her position in
the hospital only last Monday, lowed
her perilous predicament to her ir-
repressible curiosity to find out how
the elevator worked. She had never
seen an elevator before, and came
mighty near never seeing one again.
Mrs. Frank, the hospital house.
keeper, and the ten nurses in the in
stitution were at dinner when Miss
Daily, who had been assigned to an
swer the front door bell, took ad-
vantage of dull season to take for
hidden peep at the fascinating eleva-
tor, the door of which was invitingly
open.
The elevator man had gone for the
night, and the car stood at the first
floor ready for the use of the nurses,
all of whom knew how to run 1t.
The temptation was too much for the
new maid. She left her post at the
door, stole across the hall, and, with
out going inside the car, first peeped
at, then put her hand on the pol
ished controlling lever. Miss Daily un-
expectedly moved the lever far
enough to start the car slowly up
ward. Realizing that she had broken
the rules against her meddling with
the elevator the young woman tried
to Jump into the car to stop it.
She slipped and fell with her legs
extending beyond the body of the car.
Before she could get to her feet the
top of the elevator had reached the
entrance door on the ground floor.
Just above the door there was
steel girder extending across the ele-
vator shaft, with about five inches
space between the floor of the car and
the girder. Miss DAILY was crushed
in this place and held about the waist,
her legs dangling down the open
shaft. Luckily she had moved the
lever only little, so that small
shock The car sustained when the
young woman was caught in the mar
row space was enough to throw the
power off and stop the car. Mrs.
Frank and the nurses at dinner were
brought to their feet by several shrill
screams.
They rushed to the ground floor to
find Miss Daily in her plight. An ez-
cited nurse ran to the street and
stopped John Brennan, an engineer.
who was on his way home to No. 149
West Fifty-f1fth street. John is a
young man and after glance at
Miss Daly's perilous predicament he
rushed off, shouting he would get his
big brother, Gus. Brennan returned
in a few minutes with brother Gus.
The latter got a rope and climbed into
the car from the second floor. He
tied the rope under Miss Days
shoulders so she would not fall down
he found that to move the elevator
either up or down would crush Miss
Daily to death. Gus remained in the
car holding onto the rope. His
brother on the first floor secured a
sledge and started to attack the gir-
der, as to remo7e that seemed the
only way to rescue the girl.
For half an hour the brothers
worked on the obstinate girder,
chiseIing off the heads of the steel
bolts. Several nurses ran to the
street and returned with Patrolman
O'Brien, of the East Fifty-frst street
station. He called for hook and lad
der No. 2, stationed at Lexington
avenue and Fiftieth street. Half a
dozen firemen were soon at work
with hammers and cold chisels. At
ter twenty minutes work they got
the girder out. Gus then pulled Miss
| Daily into the car. Dr.. Lockwood.
of Flower Hospital, was called, and
said the young woman had severe
contusions and took her to the hos
pital. The ten nurses of the hos
pital crowded around the Brennan
brothers to thank them for their work
of rescue, but they broke through the
| line and fed finishing and saving