The Topeka state journal., 1920-04-08
TOPEKA STATEJOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC J. HASKIN, Director.
Washington, d. c.
GOING UP IN. SAFETY.


washington, D. c., April 5.-Dan-
ger in elevator travel will be practical
" eliminated for this city, and an ex-
ample set for other parts of the coun-
try il bill now in congress becomes
a law.
We ride in elevators so freely and
frequently that we seldom realize
| either the hazards or convenience OF
vertical transportation. Passenger
elevators are far safer now than when
they were first introduced, but slll 1t
| is estimated that about 1900 persons
are killed or injured in them every
year in this country. This may not
seem an alarming number of casual
! ties. but it should be- taken into ac-
count that most elevator accidents are
| fatal or result in serious disabilities.
/ At least so per cent OF the accidents
are caused by people stepping into
! open shaftways, or by the car start
| ing before the passenger is safely IN
or out. This eighty per cent OF the ac-
| cidents is unnecessary, elevator ex-
perts say, as devices are on the mar
ket which prevent a. car from moving
until both car and shaft doors are
! locked. Once the elevator starts on
trip, the doors cannot be opened until
il reaches a landing.
| The safety devices are not altogether
] new, and Washington is not the first
city to propose compulsory use OF
them. Heretofore. however, many eX-
perts have held that to depend on me-
| chanicaI or electric safety apparatus
would put a premium on carelessn ess
on the part of the operator. Effl-
cheney in mana ging the car they be-
lieved to be the best pFecaution against
laccidSnts But in time the safety de-
vices were improved. people continued
to get killed in unprotected elevators
and inspectors gave up hope of more
careful operators.
Mr.. w. ]. Evans, chief inspector of
! elevators in Washington, was one of
| those who for long time had visions
of the perfect elevator chauffeur
rLately," he says, "I have come to
see that we can never have much
better service than we get now, be-
cause no one can pay operators enough
! to insure it. Before the war, 500
month was the average pay Tor
operators. Now it is around $50 In
| big office buildings, of course, SlOO
or more is sometimes paid. But there
is no chance for advancement, and
men take up the work only because
it is easy, or temporarily, while they
/ fit themselves for something else
Operators usually prefer to work IN
office buildings. as they can sometime es
ingratiate themselves in some bust
ness mans favor and be given
chance in his office"
more satisfactory operators thar
men, as they take the work more seri-
ously In the war days, women ran
20 per cent of the elevators in Wash
ington. Now this percentage is cut
almost in half. not by lack of women
willing to work, but because the mer
returned to their old jobs. Womer
, like elevator work. Mr., Evans says
because it is less irksome and more in
teresting than domestic service. i
there is any difference in the number
of accidents. there are fewer with
women employees.
The elevator safety bill is expected
to be passed with little opposition
Such bills have failed before, but thi.
year the memory of a tragedy tina
} shocked Washington is still fresh il
the minds of most congressman. Thi!
accident occurred several months ago
when a woman prominent in officia
society stumbled as she entered al
apartment house elevator. Sh'
was accidentally shifted, SO that tbs
car started up. The woman wa!
crushed and died ten minutes later
This sort of tning-a typical elevator
accident-would Be impossible in
car that could start only when tn,
doors were locked.
{ The pending bill is similar to ordf
. nances in some other cities. TIL,
owner of an elevator must install som,
safety locking device (Which will cos
: about $50 floor and have it ap'
r proved by the elevator inspectors
he fails to comply with the law by
certain date, he must pay a fine o
$25 for every day the car is run with
3 out the attachment.
Washington residences contain NOR
automatic cars than those of any othe
- ~
r to population. There are certain sec