The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-02-13
VIBRATION
STAR RTLED
BUILDING
FOREMAN
Treasury Expert Tells Jury En-
gineering of Knioker-
booker Was Faulty.

The Columbia road wall of the
Knickerbocker Theater while in
course Of construction was shaken
violently by vibration from street
cars crossing the tracks at Column
bia road and Eighteenth street,
Harry J. Freeman, foreman for the
Hammond Fireproofing Company,
who had charge of construction Of
the walls of the structure, testi-
fled today at the Coroner's inquest.
Violent Vibration. g|
Every time the cars crossed the
tracks there was a violent yibra:l Z
ton" testified Freeman. THE vioraa
tion was greater than any had ex-
perienced in wall construction since
1907" -
This swaying and vibration Of the
wall, said Freeman. was first notica.
BILE when II was only three feet high.
When the wall was half up we felt
that il would be necessary to brace
II and it was reinforced with a
concrete band.
The collapse of the roof of the
theater was not attributed to the
walls, however, by Ernest c. Rueb-
sam, q civil engineer, who up to the
outbreak of the war was for thirty
years chief structural engineer of the
Treasury Department, and who dur
ing that period had charge OF all the
structural work on all Government
buildings throughout the country.
I'm my opinion" Ruebsam told
the jury at the inquest being held
at the District Building, "the col
lapse was due to insufficiency of
the design fabrication of the struc-
tural STEEL
Declares Design Faulty.
He declared the designing of the
building was faulty, that construc-
ton of the entire building was pooi
and that not sufficient support had
been given to the trusses which held
up the roof.
THE plans submitted to the build
ing inspectors office" declared Mr..
Ruebsam, did not show the height
or dimensions of the trusses. One OF
the main trusses was too shallow
and it was not secured properly. 1t
was q case Of bad engineering. Had
the main truss been properly spliced
and had sufficient plates been con-
have fallen. The truss was over
loaded for it's support. This over
stressing caused it to become un-
seated.
"One of the columns was not
plumb. 1t was at least three-quarters
of an inch out. To cover up this
deficiency, the plasterer filled out the
column to make it appear plumb"
Freeman further declared that
the specifications passed on by the
building inspectors office did not
call for the hollow tiles used in
the wall construction to be filled
with concrete.
Did you inspect the wall each
day as 1t was being erected?" Free
man was asked by District Attorney
Gordon.
II did"
Was concrete put in the hollow
tiles?' /
Not all of them. The only tiles
that were filled with cement were
those that supported the beam set
in the Columbia road wall on which
the truss was seated"
Then the walls were not of
concrete filled tiles?" asked the
district attorney.
Rudolph Miller, an engineer who
wrote the New York City building
code and has been identified with
engineering enterprises there for
many years, probably will be the first
witness to be called before the Sen.
ate District Committee when it in.
vestigates the Knickerbocker disas-
ter.
Mr.. Miller is one OF the leading
authorities on building regulations in
the United States and his advice will
be sought at the suggestion of
Senator Calder, with reference to
a redrafting of the District build
ing code, which a number of mem.
bers of the Senate District Com.
mittee believe to be necessary.
Senator Ball, chairman of the Sen
ate District Committee, does not
think II advisable for the Senate to
take any action until the present
local Investigations have been COM
pleted. He expressed himself today
as well satisfied with the progress
that they have been making.