U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for March 24

WASHINGTON, March 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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SATURDAY, MARCH 24: ELEVATORS

Profile America — Saturday, March 24th.  The ingenuity of one man helped to change the very shape of America's cities — and indeed, those around the world.  This week in 1857 in New York City, Elisha Otis installed the first safety elevator.  His invention meant that passengers were safe, even if the hoisting cable of an elevator broke.  Within a short time, architects began to design increasingly taller buildings.  To show how important elevators are, 325 million people daily ride elevators in North America.  Making and installing elevators and escalators is a $2.6 billion a year business in the U.S., providing jobs for more than 9,500 people.  You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Sources:  American Speakers Calendar of Events
http://www.elevatorguidance.com/index_files/Page557.htm, Interesting Facts
2007 Economic Census, NAICS 333921

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). 

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau