10 Horrifying Elevator Accidents That Shook History

Welcome to our countdown of the 10 horrifying elevator accidents that have shocked history. From deadly basement pits to Christmas‑Eve catastrophes, these stories prove that stepping into a metal box isn’t always a safe ride.

10 Horrifying Elevator Mishaps That Changed Safety Rules

10 Crushed To Death In Marshall Field’s

Marshall Field’s, the iconic Chicago department store founded in 1852, catered to an upscale clientele and boasted lavish interiors. In 1917 an elevator disaster unfolded behind its polished façade, and the company tried to sweep the tragedy under the rug, only to have the story surface in the afternoon papers.

Four men were assigned to clear out the elevator pits in the basement. The elevators were supposed to stay on the first floor while the work proceeded, but a shouted command—“All out of the pits”—triggered one of the lifts to plunge downward.

Three of the workers managed to leap out of the shaft just in time, but the fourth was not so lucky. The moving car struck him, delivering a crushing blow to his skull that proved fatal.

9 Fifteen People Injured

At a bustling department store in 1902, a crowd of women shoppers stepped into the R.H. Macy and Company elevator, unaware that disaster was waiting. Fifteen ladies entered the lift on the fifth floor, only for the supporting cable to snap without warning.

Those waiting outside on lower levels heard the terrified screams echoing from the falling car as it hurtled downward. When the elevator slammed into the cellar floor, a stunned silence fell over the crowd, each person holding their breath for any sign of life.

Then a chorus of groans and cries rose from within the wreckage. Although many of the women suffered serious injuries, miraculously none of them lost their lives in the plunge.

8 Overcrowded Freight Elevator

Department stores of the early twentieth century loved to wow patrons with grand elevators, but each ride was a gamble with gravity. In 1912, the Siegel, Cooper & Co. store crammed forty people into its freight elevator, far exceeding its weight capacity.

The overloaded car could not bear the load, and the cable gave way. The elevator shot down four stories, crashing into the pit below. Remarkably, only a dozen occupants sustained injuries despite the dramatic fall.

Siegel, Cooper & Co., much like Marshall Field’s, attempted to bury the incident, limiting coverage to a single local newspaper. The company offered no compensation, even though a woman was left bedridden for an indefinite period.

7 The Cable Snapped

After a long day of toil, everyone’s thoughts turn to home and relaxation. In 1888, the Bancroft Building in San Francisco saw a rush of workers flocking into its elevators. Ten laborers squeezed into a car that was only rated for eight occupants.

The lift descended smoothly at first, but a sudden, deafening snap announced the cable’s failure. The cage plummeted five stories, tore through the light flooring on the first level, and finally slammed into the basement.

The aftermath was gruesome. The elevator boy suffered a broken back, another worker endured broken ribs, a fractured thigh, and fatal lung hemorrhage. The remaining passengers escaped with broken bones and deep lacerations.

6 At The Flour Mill

In 1902, a San Francisco flour mill became the stage for a terrifying elevator failure. Five workers entered the freight lift at the Del Monte mill’s basement, tasked with hauling a sack of flour up to the third floor.

After the car rose roughly nine metres (about thirty feet), the supporting cable gave way. The elevator careened back down, striking the shaft’s interior and sending the men tumbling.

Onlookers initially believed the victims were dead, but the men began to stir, showing signs of life. They were rushed to the hospital for treatment, their survival a narrow escape from a potentially fatal plunge.

5 A Temporary Elevator

By 1917, construction sites often relied on makeshift lifts to ferry workers and materials between floors. At a Bridgeman‑Russell plant in Minnesota, a temporary elevator became the cause of a harrowing accident.

Three men loaded the cage with building supplies, then hopped aboard for a ride upward. Mid‑ascent, the cable abruptly snapped, sending the elevator, its cargo, and its occupants plummeting to the ground.

All three men sustained serious injuries: one broke both ankles, another suffered fractured ribs, and each was rushed to the hospital for urgent care.

4 Workman Crushed

In 1909, an addition to the Moline Hospital in Illinois called for heavy stone slabs to be hoisted by an elevator. Two workers entered the lift with two massive stone slabs, far exceeding the car’s capacity.

The overloaded engine gave out, and the elevator crashed to the ground floor. One worker was pinned beneath the stones, suffering a neck injury and separated ribs on the right side, leading to his death.

The second laborer’s injuries were not fully detailed, but reports indicated he was in serious condition after the collapse.

3 Wedged And Smooshed

One of the most dreadful ways to meet an end occurred in 1906 when a nurse stepped into the lift at a nurses’ home. The attendant closed the gate, and as the car began moving, a sudden tearing sound filled the shaft.

The operator yanked on the rope in a desperate attempt to halt the ascent, but an electrical fault caused the cable to snap. The cage shot upward, colliding with the framework at the top of the shaft.

The worker managed to climb over the top of the stalled car, and a fellow employee rushed to assist. Together they tried to free the trapped nurse by prying the gate’s bars apart.

Unfortunately, the cable fully ruptured, and the elevator plunged down with the nurse wedged between the car and the shaft, resulting in a fatal crush.

2 Head And Chest Were Crushed

By 1947, one would assume elevator safety had improved, yet tragedy struck the Menzies Hotel in Melbourne. Two men and two women entered the service lift from the basement, hoping for a routine ride.

Mid‑journey, a man attempted to stop the car on his floor, but the elevator overshot the intended level. Buttons were hammered, yet the car remained unresponsive. In a frantic effort, the men smashed the wooden panel of the door and escaped, pulling the first woman to safety.

While assisting the final woman through the opening, a passenger on the floor above pressed the elevator button. The woman’s head and chest were then crushed between the lift’s floor and the shaft wall, leading to a tragic death.

1 A Lousy Christmas Eve

Imagine the rush to return to work after a lunch break. In 1954, Mrs. Grace Sawtell of the Euston Hotel in Sydney experienced that exact scenario, only to have it turn nightmarish.

She stepped into the elevator, which soon became stuck between the first and second floors. After shouting for help, two men arrived, pried open the doors, and created an opening for her to exit.

Just as she was climbing out, the elevator suddenly dropped, crushing her as it fell. The tragic accident occurred on Christmas Eve, adding a grim twist to the holiday.