New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-25
ROY WEDGED HOUR IN
ELEVATOR SHAFT; UNHURT.
ci,pmen. Trying to Rescue
Him. Called Away by Two
Alarm Blaze.
NARROWLY ESCAPES DEATH
o.orator Caught Between the
Ground Floor Landing and
Bottom of Car While
Looking for Dime,

rsdgsd between the ground floor
,..a,re and the bottom OF the elevator,
lanes santoine. an elevator boy in the
.r.,re story building at No. 91 William
.,.st spent an uncomfortable hour
..,,erday. but escaped with only few
,-,sss. The circumstances Of the ac-
.a.nt would have seemed to point to
81. instant death. The boy hung with
81. head and upper part Of his body
.sovn the elevator shaft and his legs
Drouuding on the floor, while hremen,
,oBce and the janitor Of the building
made unsuccessful attempts 10 extri-
cate him.
An employe Of an elevator construc-
rim company who was finally sent for
managed 10 work the elevator up and
,slsased the boy. For an hour he had
been wedged so tightly that he was un-
able 10 wriggle himself free. though he
made frantic efforts TO do so.
Tenants Of Building Gone.
All the tenants in the building had
eone for the day. and Santoine had
made his last trip down before knock
ING off work when the peculiar acct
dent occurred. He happened to re-
member that he dropped a 10-cent tip
down the elevator shaft earlier in the
sav and determined 10 look down the
shaft for II. So ne stopped the eleva-
for couple Of feet above the landing
On the ground floor, got out Of the car
and leaned over in the shaft 10 look
down.
Just then the steam power which
supplies the elevator was shut of and
the heavy car slowly settled down upon
the unsuspectng boy. If II had come
down with the power on II undoubtedly
would have killed him The boys
screams brought the janitor and Pa
trolman John T. O'Hare, Of the Old
Slip station After a few minutes
work they saw they could not bulge
the boys body. O'Hare telephoned for
some fremen from Engine Company !
and Truck Company 10. Four Of them
came with axes and crowbars.
The fremen started 10 pry the boy
from his perilous position, when some
one ran over from the engine house and
tod them there was a two alarm fire.
They had 10 drop their work and run
hack 10 answer the alarm with their
companies Young Santoine still re-
NAMED wedged in the vice, conscious
and pleading 10 be taken ont.
Ambulance Call Useless.
Some one telephoned for an ambu-
lance, and one came from the Volun-
teer Hospital The ambulance physi-
clan had plenty Of surgical instru-
ments. but no crowbars or steel saws,
end was helpless TO DO anything toward
getting the boy out Patrolman O'Hare
had secured a small saw and was fran
iically trying 20 cut through the iron
grating Of the shaft. when the janitor
thought 10 call up an elevator con-
struction company and have them send
an emergency man. The emergency
man soon releas ed Santoine.
The elevator boy collapsed as he was
Ated out. but revived quickly. A sec
end ambulance was summoned from
the Hudson Street Hospital The am
bulance surgeon examined the boy and
found that he suffered merely from a
few bruises. Santoine refused TO go 10
The hospital, and after resting little
went 70 his home at No. 1887 Lexing-
fon