The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-07
FIRST E[EVATORIN EMPIRE BUILDING AT 3:3O YESTERDAY Within Half Hour of Time Promised Thursday Night While Building Was
 Still Burning

Elevator service was resumed in the Empire building yesterday afternoon at s:3o o'clock. By accomplishing that WfD. Moffett. general manager of the Otis Elevator company, missed his pre- dicted time by one-half hour Over the night when the Empire elevator rooms were on fire he promised Robert Jem- 1son, Jr., that service would be re- stunned yesterday afternoon by 3 o'clock.
 The half hour did not spell disaster to anyone so MT. Jemson was decid edly elated when the first car was an- nounced ready. Without any previous tests MT. Jemison and MT. Moffett de- termined to take the first car up. MT. . Jemison, who is in charge of the En- pire building. clasped in his hand a bag of peanuts, which he had been nervously munching. He smiled an adieu to several persons in the lobby and the elevator glided toward the ! top. The dial registered fifteenth floor and no accident was recorded. Within q short time the car descended and it was announced that service was ready lof the Empire tenants.
 To Add Car Each Day
 MT. Jemison said that one car would be operated today and that by the lat ter part of this week all the other cars would be ready for service The HoutDment for the cars has arrived frshA Apew York and there is suffi- cient number of men here to install the cables, dynamos and similar equip ment. Another car will be ready tomor- row evening. while a third will be ready Wednesday and the last no later than Friday night or Saturday
 q desire to express my deepest grat- itude to the tenants of the Empire building for their consideration and patience during this trying time," said MT. Jemison last night. They have stood without quiver while this serv- ice was suspended. There has not been a grouch encountered and I want to say that speaks volumes for the type of men in this community. They have cheered us with the statement that they were glad the elevators were out for short time as they were enabled to transact more business and do more work than under normal conditions They have also said that climbing 16 flights of stairs was good exercise
 Ail this was deeply appreciated by the agents for the building and the local men of the Empire. The spirit of the tenants under this distressful de- lay has been more than cordial and I cannot find words to convey my appre- ciation."
 C0nveniences for Tenants
 MT. Jemison, at the head of the com pany in charge of the Empire, last Fri day morning installed telephones in the lobby for the convenience of per. sons calling on tenants. served sand the necessity of leaving the building for lunch and did other things that made a deep impression on the tenants of the Empire He also made haste to get new equipment for the elevators, which has been installed in the quick est possible time.
 After the first car was operated yes- terday MT. Jemison gave 10 the me- chanics who had worked all day box of cigars and also served them re- treatments as an appreciation of their work. Manager McCrum of the Em- thing would be in order today for the tenants of the building He has worked l constantly since Friday morning help | ing to get the building elevators ready | as quickly as possible