While a falling elevator is one of my biggest fears, many people also dread the thought of getting stuck in an elevator.
1. Salt Miners Stuck
Getting stuck in an elevator can be terrifying. Take, for instance, the six Detroit salt miners who were stuck in a small elevator for 5 hours back in 1957.
According to the Evening Star, the lift cable broke 200 feet underground.
“A plunge downward toward the bottom of the 1,250-foot shaft was stopped by a pair of spring-operated safety brakes that are clamped onto the elevator’s guide rails.”
Thankfully, all the men were rescued and none of them were injured. [1]
2. Trapped and Drowned
The following incident is downright horrifying.
It was 1955 and the Ohio River flooded Cincinnati. A warehouse worker took an elevator down into the warehouse basement to see how deep the water was.
The water was high, the basement was filled with water, and the unfortunate man became trapped in the elevator and drowned. [2]
3. Narrow Escape
We now know that when there is a fire, avoid the elevator. However, back in 1914, eight firemen got into an elevator when there was a fire on the 12th floor of a New York City building.
Near the 11th floor, however, the elevator jammed, trapping the firemen inside as flames shot into the shaft, threatening to cook the men inside.
Fortunately for all, the firemen were able to force open the shaft door and crawl to their safety. [3]
4. YMCA
In 1928 it was reported that the YMCA would shut off the electric every night at 11 pm. Men who returned late, however, would get stuck in the elevator at the shut-off time.
Several times each month someone would get stuck in the Indianapolis elevator. Much to everyone’s relief, no one had ever spent a night in the elevator because their screams could be heard at the desk. [4]
5. Musicians Imprisoned
What surprises me most about old newspapers is that they reported on just about everything, whether or not it was interesting.
For example, in 1927, two high school musicians were stuck in the school’s elevator for ten hours. They were on their way to rehearsal when the elevator got stuck. The next morning, the schools janitor heard the screams and rescued them. [5]
Sources:
1. Evening star. (Washington, D.C.), 22 Sept. 1957.
2. Evening star. (Washington, D.C.), 10 March 1955.
3. Evening public ledger. (Philadelphia [Pa.]), 29 Sept. 1914.
4. The Indianapolis times. (Indianapolis [Ind.]), 13 April 1928.
5. Evening star. (Washington, D.C.), 05 June 1927.
