New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-04
An Open Forum for
Public Debate.
NAMING ELEVATORS SAFE
The Pending Ordinance Requiring Au.
tomato Stops Should Be Amended.
tor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Referring to Section 10 OF the
substitute elevator ordinance No. 1911,
now pending, | am of the opinion that
Section 10 should be amended so that
only such automatic elevator safety sys-
TENS could De installed as have proved
from actual use to be efficient, relia-
bic and durable, and would suggest
that the ordinance De amended along
the following lines:
The rules promulgated by the FIVE
superintendent of buildings under the
provisions of this ordinance shall fix
the requirements for the devices pre-
scribed by this section. The five super
intendents of buildings shall approve
for use any device that may conform
to the requirements of this section
and the rules adopted hereunder as
soon as possible after such device or
drawings of the same have been sub
mitted TO them; but no such device
shall be considered as meeting require
ments until it has been approved by
at least three of the five superin-
tendents of buildings of the five
boroughs."
II dIutHucu dS dUONt suggested ONly
automatic elevator door safety systems
could be installed that had proved 10
be reliable, efficient, durable, easily
and quickly inspected, and moreover
would permit the use of ten different
systems such as have been installed
and are being satisfactorily operated
in the Woolworth Building, Metropol
itan Life Building and tower 1.-TWO sys
tems), the Atlantic Insurance Building,
1851 Wall ST., the Builders Exchange,
80 to 81 West 33d ST., Hotels Imperial
and Algonquin and other prominent
buildings.
To put the matter plainly, the pro-
posed ordinance as outlined in sub
stitute ordinance No. 1871, dated De-
cember -, 1914, If passed as now
phrased, will not materially reduce or
prevent serious and fatal accidents
upon elevators which are hereafter
equipped with mechanical elevator door
interlocks, and for proof of this see
the annual reports Of coroners OF
Philadelphia and Bureau of Elevator
INSPECTION reports. Although most all
Of the elevators in Philadelphia are
equipped with mechanical door inter
locks, they do not prevent horrible
elevator accidents. About onethird
Of tho fatal elevator accidents are
caused by persons falling through
open doors into elevator hoistways or
shafts, due TO gates or doors being
left open at floor landings while ele-
vator is away from such floors. yet
this ordinance would allow elevators
TO be put in motion while shaftway
doors were open.
The second report OF the VAIN
wright-Phillips New York State legis-
latiye commission, fled April 20,
1911, unanimously recommended pas
sage Of claw 10 require that elevators
be equipped with automatic elevator
door safety appliances"
Based upon records in the New York
Bureau OF Factory Inspection, it is
safe 10 say that 2,SS9 elevator acct
dents occurred in Manhattan in four
years, as follows:
Three hundred and nineteen which
caused death taken from the cor
onors' records), 22s received perma-
nent injury, 3l3 received serious, prob
ably permanent, injury, 1889 received
lesser injuries fractures included;
total, 1859 elevator accidents in the
Borough of Manhattan in four years.
You will readily see, therefore, the
forcible reasons why the substitute
lines above suggested, otherwise many
of persons will be manned
or killed annually in New York
G. NJ. DOUGLASS.
New York. Jan. 80. 1915.