AERIAL

It was a warm sunny morning of 1854.

The Hall of World Fair in the Crystal Palace Exhibition in New York City was buzzing with activity.

The hall was packed with all influential people.

Ideas were discussed, alliances were formed, and deals were made.

In that crowd of economists, a man in his early forties was desperate to prove to the world his groundbreaking invention.

In an attempt to save his business, he was risking his life by demonstrating a dangerous, dramatic display.

“Mr. Otis…” A young voice called out.

Elisha, who was gathering himself, blinked, turning to his assistant. “Yes, John!”

Hesitation was clear in the man’s eyes. The young man wasn’t entirely convinced of this stunt. “Shouldn’t we try secondary safety measures for you?” He mumbled, barely audible.

“Are you suggesting that I tie a rope to myself? ” Elisha replied hardly. “I’m not performing a circus here, John. I’m demonstrating the safety of my invention. If I don’t trust my mechanism, they won’t either.” He paused and coughed into his handkerchief.

“We did it hundreds of times, John; don’t let the crowd intimidate you.” Elisha softened his tone a little.

“Then let me try instead. You explain it from below.” Gregory tried. The old man was a concerned friend, who never doubted Elisha but worried for his friend's health.

“No, I’m doing this. And that’s final.” Elisha straightened his suit and climbed on an almost 15-meter-high open elevated platform they’ve built for this particular reason and took a deep breath.

“Did you double-check the ratchet?” He asked John, who nodded to confirm. “Let’s do this.” Elisha took a deep breath. “Stay in position; wait for my signal." He paused. "And John, steady with the axe; it has to be one clean cut," Elisha guided.

John nodded, hurrying upward.

Noticing the movement above, a boy around 15 yelled from the ground. “Papa is ready."

A small, curious crowd had already gathered near the setup below. Some people gave strange, complicated glances at the setup.

Elisha took a deep breath, watching the people below from almost the height of a five-story-tall building.

"Up there!" someone yelled.

Some of them are already pausing to look up, in confusion and curiosity.

The air stilled, and people froze, sensing something unexpected to happen. Half the people moving around paused to glance at him, shading their eyes and squinting up.

Some are curious but frowning, some are irritated, and some are genuinely interested.

John steadied his grip on the axe close to the wagon wheel that held the rope that carried the whole platform on which Elisha was standing. He swallowed, looking down at his employer, waiting for the signal.

Elisha's gaze went up to his assistant above, who nodded, frantically. He didn’t dare to wipe the sweat that was beading on his forehead below his hat, even in that pleasant weather.

Elisha nodded at John, giving him the first dramatic signal.

Gasps and murmurs filled the atmosphere.

"Is he going to cut that rope?” The middle-aged lady spoke.

“Is that man out of his mind? What was he thinking?” Two well-dressed men cursed.

“Ahh… I don’t see any rope tied to him.” The young man shouts.

People stepped back, assuming the worst. Some cursed. “Sir, step down from there,” someone yelled.

Elisha didn’t react to the horrified crowd below and raised his hand and gave a thumbs up.

That’s the signal.

John took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a brief second, and opened them. Pressing his lips hard, he swung his axe down, cutting the rope that was solely holding the entire elevated platform on which Elisha was standing.

It happened in a second. People shrieked, horrified, and yelled; some covered their eyes and turned back.

The heavy platform Elisha stood above dropped exactly 6 inches before stopping midair.

The safety brakes he invented didn’t fail him but applied as he designed them to. The elevator stayed suspended up in the air.

“All safe, gentlemen, all safe," Elisha shouted, proudly, for the successful demonstration.

People gasped, “Son of a…” Someone cursed. Not rude, but appreciative. Someone smiled, some clapped, some whistled.

The two well-dressed businessmen looked at Elish with a calculated assessment.

John laughed, shaking his head, finally wiping his sweat and turning away.

During that time, the elevators were risky. The idea of vertical transportation wasn’t new.

Over the centuries rope and pulley systems evolved, but they were primarily used to transport goods, not people.

Elisha Otis, however, is determined to address the primary limitation: safety. The moment of inspiration came during his work in the Yonkers factory, where he was tasked with solving the problem of lifting heavy equipment safely.

Hey everyone.

Thank you for trying this story. Please let me know what you think about it.

This is the true story of Elisha Otis, the inventor of the safety elevators we use these days. But based on the limited information available to me, I choose to fill it with suitable fictional fragments, like names (not the main characters) and little events.

No part of this story should be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form by any means, including photocopying or recording or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the author's permission.

Disclaimer: There was a mildly fictional web weaved around the original story. There are some characters that are the author's imagination. This never intended to offend but to complement this great man's life story. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or not, is entirely coincidental.

Have a wonderful day.