The greatest improvement is in the use of safety cages. These consist literally of cages with a strong top to protect the persons inside against the stone or other falling substances, and with wooden guides at the side with which the roller wheels of the cages come in contact. If anything falls, the top of the cage protects the men. If the rope breaks, a spring above the cage is set free, and catches in the guide, bringing the cage to a stand-still suddenly. A great many accidents have been prevented by this contrivance. Some of the safety cages, instead of wooden guides at the sides, are provided with long, stout strips of cast or wrought iron. If the rope breaks, a spring at the top is suddenly thrown out, and catches in one of these notches. Safety cages of an improved pattern are in use in many of the principal hotels of America, as well as in mines. They have been manufactured comparatively but a few years. Soon after the Gould and Curry mine, in Nevada, was opened, one of these cages was placed in the principal shaft. The owners of the mine were doubtful of its powers, and the owner of the machine set about convincing them. When everything was ready, he loaded the cage with a ton of stone, then stepped on its top, and standing there suspended several hundred feet above the bottom, he deliberately cut the rope. A shudder ran through the crowd of spectators who were standing around; but their terror was of short duration. The stout springs were thrown out, and the cage did not descend six inches, after the severance of the rope, before it came to a stop. Ludicrous incidents sometimes occur in these hoisting machines. In one of the hotels in New York, not many months ago, the machinery one day became deranged while the elevator was in use. It was full of passengers, and was between two floors in such a way that nobody could get in or out. It required an hour and a half to arrange the machinery, and in this hour and a half a dozen persons were closely confined in the cage. Such a combination of growls was never before heard in so small a space at one time in that hotel. It was about half past two o’clock in the afternoon when the elevator stopped. One man had a note to pay before three o’clock. He did not pay it. One lady in the elevator had left a friend in the parlor, and promised to be down again in five minutes, “as soon as she could arrange her bonnet.” She did not keep her promise with her friend. Another man was very thirsty, and was on his way to his room to order up a drink. His thirst continued. And so through all the dozen persons who were detained in the elevator. Every one had an important engagement, or a special reason for being in a hurry, when hurrying was of no earthly use.