Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-11-20
ELEVATOR FILLED
WITH GIRLS DROPS
INTO SHOP CELLAR
Falls One Floor, Precipitating
Newark Workers Into Strug-
Cling Heap.

Twenty eight girls had a narrow
escape from injury today when an
elevator in which they were riding
dropped into the basement of fac
tory at Plane and Academy streets.
The elevator fell from the first floor.
One girl sustained cut on the
head when wrench struck her. The
other young women, 1t is said, were
only frightened
Charles Smith, chief engineer, of 205
Avon avenue, was operating the car
al the time of the mishap. He was
about to take the young women to
one of the upper floors, where they
We're employed by the Charles r.
De Bevoise Company, corset manu-
facturers.
The girls crowded into the car in
order to reach the upper floors to re-
sumo their labor. They had just par
ticipated in q fire drill. Smith started
| the elevator and just them Is slipped
| back
| A moment later the car fell to the
bottom and the passengers were
thrown into a struggling heap.
The cries of the young women were
heard by others in the building and
soon help was at hand. The victims
| WtIG
More than half of the workers went
J home. The others went to work after
the effects of the scare wore off.
/ 1t was explained by a representa-
tive of the owners of the building
that fire drills are held every month.
There are 1000 young women en-
ployed by the six or seven firms that
have floor space. This forenoon the
regular drill was held, and the girls.
after going downstairs, hurried into
the elevator in order to resume work
in their eagerness they overweighted
the lift and 1t slipped. The elevator
when 1t reached the bottom of the
cellar struck on steel safety springs
If the car had slipped while above
the upper floor 1t would have been
caught by safety clutches. The ele
vator was not damaged by the acct
dent 1t was put into use again,
after an examination had been made.
The wrench, or key which struck
one of the girls in the elevator, weighs
perhaps five pounds. 1t was rest
ing on a shelf in the elevator about
seven feet from the floor and became
dislodged when the jar came. The
girl afterward complained of feeling
sick. She is said to reside on Wall
street.
Frank w. Kreps, of East Orange,
is superintendent of the De Bevolse
concern. He sent home in taxicabs
all the girls who were in the car at
the time of the accident. He also
told the other employees they could
go to their homes II they so desired.
Tea was ordered served in the fac
tory This was done In an effort to
soothe the nerves of those employees
who were disturbed by the news of
the accident
Mr. Kreps at first declared there
was nothing worth making public
about the accident. However, he ven-
tured this much:
Between twenty-five and thirty
girls stepped into the elevator about
S:45 o'clock this morning to return
to their various floors after fire
drill. The elevator slipped and fell
to the basement floor. No one was
hurt. There were some girls who
screamed and were frightened. but
none of them was hurt at all.
Mr.. Kreps refused to give the
names of any of the persons in the
elevator or the names of those who
went home.
Chief Engineer Smith said the ele-
vator had been tested to 5000 pounds
and that at the time of the accident
there was about half that weight on
it.