Arizona republican., 1922-01-31
MANY FRIENDS OF
PHOENIX VISITOR
ARE IN DEATH LIST

Harry Hayward Allen, guest of the
Hotel Adams, was shocked yesterday
to read among the list of victims OF
the Knickerbocker theater disaster in
Washington, d. c., the names of his
lifelong friends, Colonel and Mrs.
Charles G. Tucker.
Mr.. Allen makes his home in the
same neighborhood in the capital city
where the theater stood, being a
member of the law firm of Allen,
Ford and Allen.
at seems incredible that such a
calamity could come to a theater of
that class, or that my old friend
should have chosen that particular
evening to attend the picture" said
Mr.. Allen yesterday. Colonel Tucker
was one of Washington's prominent
attorneys and one who had done
valiant work during the war in the
Judge advocate generals office. His
loss will be keenly felt and mourned."
Daniel X. jackson and Daniel
O'Donnell. both of whom lost their
lives in the disaster, were also we'll
known attorneys of Washington and
acquaintances of Mr.. Allen.
''The Knickerbocker theater was
one of the finest in Washington and
among the four largest in the city.
1t was built less than two years ago,
no expense being spared TO make IL
a beautiful and artistic house for
high-cl motion pictures catering
to the select residential neighborhood
in which ii stood Building laws in
Washington are strict, permits have
to be obtained for every type Of
structure. and there is a government
a.. -
that the laws are observed. The re-
sponsibility for the collapse of the
roof must therefore rest wirh this in
spector as well as with the con-
tractor
The Knickerbocker, according TO
Mr. Allen, had a seating capacity of
1000 people, the building consisting
Of a main floor and a balcony which
was swung two thirds of the way
across the orchestra seats. No sup
ports were apparent to either ROOF or
balcony, this being one of the new
types Of theaters, and the weight Of
the snow was probably greater than
had been counted on.
"The storm which has been raging
at home for the past week has been
the worst since 1896, and no doubt a
great deal of snow had banked on
the roofs. Ordinarily. the snow melts
in the streets, but this storm covered
the streets to a depth OF two and a
half feet. The underground trolley
system was tied up and all traffic
was at a standstill. If it had not
been for the continuance of the storm
through Saturday, the loss of life
might have been worse, for that the
ater is usually packed at the evening
performance.
Il can see everything that followed
the crash in all its terrible detail.
The theater is a mile from the near
est hospital, and ambulances could
not make their way through the soft
snow. The navy yard from which
they finally got help is four miles
away from the theater and the ma
rine barracks an equal distance. Fort
Myer, from which the cavalry came,
is a good six miles distant The
Christian Science church which was
turned into morgue and hospital COM
bined and which was about coo yards
away, is the nearest large structure
within a mile as the neighborhood is
one of homes and apartment houses.
The suffering from cold and made
quate help must have been intense"
Mr.. Allen can remember but one
other catastrophe in his home city
which any way parallels this. and
that was the collapse of the Ford the
ater in the early '90's. This was the
theater in which Abraham Lincoln
was assassinated. 1t had been turned
into offices and housed certain gov
ernment officials at the time of it's
collapse, carrying many clerks and
employees to their death.
Mr.. Allen has sent for his wife,
and expects to spend several months
in Phoenix, where he fled to get away
from the snow and bad weather of
his bOp1a city