. A history of real estate, building and architecture in New York City during the last quarter of a century . rfrom a tank, and when the brake was loosened would descend hygravity and pull the cage up, and at the ])ottom of the cylinder wasemptied and threw the balance of weiglu to the cage, whicli wouldthen descend and ])ull the bucket up—it was lialjle to esca])e from thecontrol of the operator and produce startling and un])leasant if notinjurious sensations, ft was tirst ])Iaced in this form in this citv, inthe new W estern Tnion lUiilding, in , in 1873, and con-tinued in service t
. A history of real estate, building and architecture in New York City during the last quarter of a century . rfrom a tank, and when the brake was loosened would descend hygravity and pull the cage up, and at the ])ottom of the cylinder wasemptied and threw the balance of weiglu to the cage, whicli wouldthen descend and ])ull the bucket up—it was lialjle to esca])e from thecontrol of the operator and produce startling and un])leasant if notinjurious sensations, ft was tirst ])Iaced in this form in this citv, inthe new W estern Tnion lUiilding, in , in 1873, and con-tinued in service there until the fire in that liuilding in i8gi de-stroyed it. The fastest speed ever (levelojjed in passenger elevatorswas by this gravity system. Europe was, about this time, exjjerimenting with diiect actinghydraulic ram elevators, which required the construction of a ver-tical cylinder in which the plunger operated, beneath the car and asdeep in the earth as the elevator shaft was high above it. It was safeenough to overcome the scruples of even the Europeans, but it was 374 ^ HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE,. HISTORY OF REAL ESTATE, BUILDING AND ARCHITECTURE IN NEW YORK. 7:77 very costly, slow and impracticable for buildings of more than fiveor six stories. Some were constructed in this country, but few ofthem are now used, and these only in Europe. In an effort to obviate the difficulties of the hydraulic-ram ele-vator the telescope cylinder was invented, and one of these wasplaced in the new Post-office Ikiilding in this city. But it was un-certain of action and difficult to keep in re])air, and was thereforeabandoned. Then came the vertical c\linder hxdraulic elevator ofthe modern type, and lastl\ the electric elevator. These have prac-tically superseded all former t\i)es, and are in general and rapidlyextending use in this and other countries. It would be folly now foranyone to construct an office l)uilding or hotel or a]);utiuent house ofeven ordinary size witlujut them, and b
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