Have you ever stepped into an elevator? Do you stand there and zone out? Or maybe instead you focus on what’s happening around you. Do you notice the heavy push against your feet, and realize you're moving through a dark and hollow hole in the middle of a building? It only takes ninety seconds to undergo this experience that profoundly changed America. The elevator is responsible for shaping modern life in ways that most people take advantage of. Daniel Levinson Wilk, a professor of history at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and a board member of the Elevator Museum in Queens, would like everyone to be more conscious of the elevators in their lives (The Boston Globe). Without the elevator, there could be no downtown skyscrapers or residential …show more content…
In 236 BC the writings of Vitruvius, a Greek Mathematician of Archimedes, had mentioned hoisting ropes around a drum rotated by man power. These machines were purposely used underneath the Colosseum. The rooms and animal pens under the fighting ground needed and easy way to move the competitors (Weird Happenings in Elevator History) They were powered by hundreds of men using winches and counterweights. Then in 1793 Ivan Petrovich Kublin, a famous Russian mechanic, built the screw based elevator. His design is believed to have paved the way for modern elevators. Then finally, Elisha Graves Otis, the inventor of the safety elevator came along. Otis was an American industrialist who was especially popular in the city. He was having difficulties moving loads on platforms in high conditions, so he built a power elevator made of 2 freight hoists. His design would stop the moving box if the rope were to break. Otis went even as far to prove that his invention worked. He stood in his elevator and had the rope cut before the city dwellers. Although Otis was not the first to build an elevator, he was the first to patent it in
First, the elevator is presented as an alive object through Lila Mae’s interpretation and its narration. When she recalls her
It's amazing to think that a young boy with just a few years of formal schooling went on to become a creative genius and one of the world's most important inventors, receiving more than 50 patents for devices that dramatically changed, improved and modernized the railway system.
The telephone was said to be invented by Alexander Graham Bell, some critics believe that the real inventor was a man named Elisha Gray. After many debates people commonly now believe that Alexander Graham Bell invented the first telephone. Inspired by his deaf parents he wanted to invent something that people could use easily and was easy to access. So he worked on his invention day and night for many days. Eventually He got the perfect thing that he had been looking for. He had finally invented a device that you could hear human voices through technology. On March 7, 1876 after all of Alexander G. Bell’s hard work he patented his great invention...
The roots of the machine go back to at least the fifth century B.C. in China. In its most primitive form, it consisted of a pivoted beam with a sling at one end and ropes at the other. A stone would be placed in the sling and a team of men would haul the ropes, swinging the beam up into the air”1.
Railroads were America’s first big business and contributed a great deal towards advancing industrialization. Beginning in the early 1870's, railroad construction in the United States expanded substantially. Before the year 1871, approximately fourty-five thousand miles of track had been laid. Up until the 1900's another one-hundred and seventy thousand miles were added to the nation's growing railroad system. This growth came about due to the erection of transcontinental railroads. Railroads supplied cities and towns with food, fuel, materials, and access to markets. The railroad system made way for an economic prosperity. The railroad system helped to build the physical growth of cities and towns. It even became another means of communication. Most importantly, it helped to produce a second
The Transcontinental Railroad was one of the most ambitious engineering projects, economic stimulants, and efficient methods of transportation in the early United States. If completed, the United States would be truly be united from east to west. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the Transcontinental Railroad helped develop new opportunities for many aspects of American life.
For Americans, this allowed for overnight travel and became time-saving. Beneficial to businesses in the railroad industry, the demand of these cars went up. Moreover, Alexander Graham Bell was an inventor who created the telephone in 1876, inspired by the hearing impairment of both his mother and wife. The patent of this invention was soon recognized globally, and affected the means of communication. Although it was a novelty item, it was crucial and necessary for businesses to possess.
Whenever we are reminded of NYC, we think of Times Square or The Status of Liberty. However, we always forget what is right under our noses; the NYC subway system. I like to think of the subway system as a labyrinth because of it’s intricate network of passages that guides us to all over NYC. Just by looking at a map of the subway system overwhelms me because it is so hard to imagine how much work was put into making this beautiful yet complex structure. An average New Yorker may ignore the daily lives in the subway system but if you look closely you can see multiplicity of events taking place.
Jesse W. Reno was the inventor of the first working escalator. He lived from 1861 to 1947. He was born in Fort Leavenworth, KS. The first escalator was built as an amusement ride for Coney Island next to Old Iron Pier in 1895, it only ran for two weeks but more than 75,000 passengers rode it. The first escalator only rose 7 feet up in the air, but it was more than exciting back then. It also elevated the passengers belt 25 degree angle. Without Jesse W. Reno building this inclined elevator/escalator we would not have the elevators we have today. Reno came up with the idea at age 16. Charles Seeberger designed the modern escalator, around 1900, named it what it is called today. Three people have invented a type of escalator.
In the 1800s many innovations took place in America; however it was advances in transportation that changed America the most. At the start of the 19th century, there were no railroads or canals, making travel very difficult and long. Trading was also tough because there was no easy route to get to popular trading ports. Starting in 1812, the country was in a very good place and was in the process of rapidly improving. During this time, the steam engine also made an appearance in America. It helped with the invention of the steamboat, as well as the invention of locomotives. Advances in transportation during the 1800s completely transformed commerce, economic structure, the population density and had many other positive effects on America.
Whitehead (1969 - present) began writing this manuscript with the idea that he could incorporate an elevator inspector into a mystery novel. In an interview with Dave Weich, he admitted:
Finally, on that rainy April morning, we made our way down to Ground Zero. As we entered the church, the smell of stale books and soggy clothing filled our noses. It was that smell of just coming out of a fresh rain, wet hair and wet faces surrounded us. Booths displaying medical stations, sleeping areas, and food stations were set up. They were frozen statues, the ghosts of the events that took place on September 11th and the weeks after. We shuffled through the pews and lined ourselves up at the front of the church.
OTIS Elevators started out in 1853 by the invention of the “safety brake elevator.” Their core business is designing, installing and provide service within the industry of elevators, escalators and walkways. Today OTIS operates worldwide, with headquarter in the U.S. and different facilities located in European and Asian countries. Through this they have managed to become market leaders in their field.
building or any other structure. The first elevator-like structure was built in 236 BC by the
Thomas (Alva) Edison was one of America’s most important and famous inventors. Edison was born into a time and place where there wasn’t much technological advancements. His inventions helped a lot of things quickly change in the world. His inventions contributed to many inventions today such as the night light, movies, telephones, and records and CDs.