New-York tribune., 1922-01-29
Ten known to Have Per-
isIled i'm Motion Picture
House Crash i'm Fashion
able Section of Capital
Senator II Among
List of Injured
Police, Firemen and Mar
ines Dig Into the Debris
and Carry Out Victims

dtIU SAdsa Oul fICtlAAaC
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2s.-Fif-
teen persons al least are believed TO
nave been killed and scores injured
Tonight in the collapse under the
weight Of two feet OF snow of tho
roof Of the knickerbocker Theater,
motion picture house, located in the
heart of Washingtons Fashionable
Northwest section.
Two hours and a half after tho
crash. which occurred about 9
O'Clock, definite information as to
the number OF dead and injured Wa
wholly lacking, as we'll as estimate
Of the number of those in the theater
at the timc-thesc estimates rang
ing from $50 to 500. although the
theater. one Of the finest motion
pictures houses In the city, had &C
commodations for more than 1000
spectators.
At midnight the following partial
list Of dead was ascertained:
Mrs. B. II. Covell.
Miss Costley.
William Tracey member Of tho
orchestra.
+. II. Earnest.
Douglas Hillyer.
Mrs. Marie Russo.
". S. Scofieid, of Darvllle, Va.
G.. S. Freeman, musician.
Two dead were unidentified. ore
carrying at envelope with d Ward
man Park Hotel return address d..
rected to ". p Straw. of Man
chester, n. +.
Among the injured, according TO re-
ports to the police and hospitals, we're
Senator Smith, of South Carolina; Wal
ter Urdsay, NJ. t. Castney, Doc Bros
seau. Of North Adams, Mass, a student
back; Mrs. Henry S. Powell, Henr T
Lacey, fractured ribs; J. l. Durland,
cuts and bruises; Mrs. J. L. Duriand
cuts and bruises; Mobile Tomasso A.
serto, third secretary of the Italian
Embassy; r. }. Bowen, injuries seri,
Gus; Mrs. Z. J. Bowen, leg broken.
Marie Rhea. John Klenner, Belle Rem
bo, Hugh Ncsbit, son Of the Washing
ton correspondent Of "The Kansas City
Star; S. ". Richmond, Robert Viii
iams.
H. P. Robertson, Joseph Klemk, john
Prezioso, musician: Alphonso Van
cl,a ;,,
off at shoulder; G. Caplan, NJ. Colo,
Hugh Glenn. Edward A. Williams,
musician, broken leg; William Mat
tiello. musician, arm amputated; Ny
and Mrs. Jonas Michaleas, Woodley
apartment, injuries slight; Dr.. Custis
Lee Hall. fractured arm, and hi. wife,
islocated shoulder, fractured arm and
cuts about head; Miss Margaret Cole,
Florence Long, Mrs. Gertrude Taylor,
James A. Curtain, Of Florence, Mass.s
Miss Helen Hopkins, s. N. Lee, Alber.
Sward, Of Chicago, scalp wounds,
fractured skull; Miss Macleau White,
broken leg; }. 3. G. Custis. DR.. and
Mrs. Hall, slightly injured; Eta
Matte SchUab, Slightly injured: Mrs,
Mary Chalmers, slightly injured, Clar-
cnce Ncwkirh, slightly injured; Mrss
Bernard Brcsslau, both shoulders
broken.
All Confusion for Hours
Al! was confusion for hours aftc-
the crash, while police, firemen, marines
from the nearby barracks and soldiers
from Walter Reed Military Hospital
strove TO nurrow be"A~+h 40 II
debris AID bring forth those buried
hereunder.
Scores ad been removed from the
edges Of the debris and hurried to hos
pitfalls. but police, engaged for twenty
four hours in battling the worst snow
storm 20 visit Washington in a decade,
were unable to CHECK up or the rumber
OF those taken to the hospitals o.
whet' er ang or now many had died
after reaching the hospitals.
Every fire station in thc city was
called upon - send its crew 10 the
scene and the collection Of firelightine
apparatus only added to the confusion.
With the arrival of the na~ires, how
ever, order began 10 nc restored.
Fmergenc.. hospitals we're set IN the
neichborhcod some il the homes OF
high officials OF the government
Finding the tons Of concrete and steel
of the roof were almost immovable
and unpenetrablc, the stree. - ny
companies Of the city and the Wash
iUgNoH NAVY liTU were c..lleu upon TO
supply acetylene torches. With these
more rapid progress was made and it
WAS hoped that within few hours it
might be possible to reach those buried
beneath the de ris. Among the injured
was Representative SmithwicG, Of
Florida. who WAS painfully cut about
the head and chest, but not seriously
hurt.
Only Recently Inspected
Attaches of the British Embassy &c
ported at midnight that a check had
been made of the staff of that embassy
and none found to have been in atte,i-
dance at the theater. Belief was e..
pressed in some quarters that the final
list of injured and possibly that of
the dead would contain names of vel:
known persons, inasmuch as the thea
ter was situated in section Of ths
city in which many government off,,
cials live.
The management Of the theater de-
clared that the building only recently