A SAFETY AIR-CUSHION.

Kumara Times, Issue 1390, 16 March 1881, Page 2

A SAFETY AIR-CUSHION.

A singular though very American experiment (says the Pall Mall Gazette) has just been tried at Philadelphia, reminding us somewhat of Jules Verne’s famous expedient of firing his exploring party to the moon by means ot a monster projectile. So many acci* dents have happened through the faulty construction of elevators from the breakage of ropes and other- mischances

that an inventor named Ellithorpe lias introduced a safety air-cushion to break the fall should an accident occur, the Cushion, of the elevator shaft being masfiHr-tight for a space of 20ft from the fcpotom To test the invention it was arranged that the elevator "of a dry goods store should be made to fall from the fourth to the first floor, a height of about 75ft. So satisfied was Mr Ellithorpe, or rather his son, that the cushion would do its work properly that he consented to be shut up in the Oage during the fall, and in this experiment the inevitable reporter was bold enough to share. A box half filled with nails was placed upon the floor of the chamber, and four eggs laid upon the nails, while several tumblers of water, brimful, were also carefully deposited. The two men then entered the chamber, the door of which was then closed, completing the air-tight-ness at the bottom of the shaft, and it \?as then drawn up to the fourth floor. At a given signal the rope was cut, Und the whole thing fell to the bottom like a flash of lightning; but before the lookers-on could make up their minds to seek for what they dreaded, the door was opened and the occupants stepped briskly out, having never felt the shock in the least. The eggs were not ’Cracked, neither was a drop of water spilt. So successful was the experiment that we may expect this new hind of “ tohogging to become the latest form of sensational amusement.