Evening star., 1922-02-01
Other Developments Today.

Other Developments Today.
Other developments of the day in
the Investigations under way to de-
termine the cause of the knicker-
booker tragedy were:
A statement from the American As
sociation of Engineers, declaring the
disaster evidently was due "elther 10
faulty design or construction.
Conference between Maj. PeEton
Gordon, United States attorney, and
Army officers detailed by Secretary of
War Weeks to assist him in the grand
jury investigation. These officers are
Gen William Kelly and Maj L. Il.
Oliver Corps of Engineers
Determination by the coroner as 10
the manner in which the inquest-over
bodies of two of the victims VIII be
held.
Ready to Furnish Facts.
E. c. Ruebsam. an engineer. indl-
Gated today he would be willing to
submit certain facts regarding ene
collapse of the Metropolitan Theater'
Dduring its construction, if called upon
to do so by an official investigating
body. The collapse of the Metropoll I
tan Theater during its construction
is said to have resembled the man .
ner in which the knickerbocker roof
caved in.
Metropolitan Theater crash, made an
investigation of its causes for private
interests The Metropolitan was re-
constructed and, it is said. is consid-
cred perfectly safe at the present
time.
his inspection of the ruins today were
Senators Jones of Washington. Good
ing of Idaho. Shepherd of Texas and
Weller of Maryland and representa-
tive Upshaw of Georgia. whose niece
was injured in the accident
Cnpper Blames ID. c. Onicials-
While Senator Capper did not as
sumo to speak for all the members
of the party, he said that he DIS
cussed the information which they
obtained during the ride back to the
Capitol.
In the opinion of Senator Capper
/ the District officials who approved the
plans for such construction as were
used in the knickerbocker Theater
are responsible to a large extent for
the collapse of the building. He said
that while he WAS not builder, he
had had much to do with building OPP
erations. and from the standpoint OF
a Iaymen he could not see why plans
for such construction as he found In
the Knickerbocker could be Justined
on any ground whatever.
Senator Capper and the others IN
the congressional party talked al
length with engineers now on the
ruins. and the conclusions formed
are based largely on engineering
| facts as pointed out by the experts.
EXPLAINS Reasons for Views.
81 believe the Knickerbocker Thea
ter disaster was due to bad job o!
engineering, and cheap. faulty con-
| struction,' said Senator Capper. "a
superficial examination of the walls
and conversation had with those on
| the ground who are competent to eN-
press an intelligent opinion upon the
cause of the disaster has caused me
| to arrive at the conclusion that the
| of truss system was dependent
| upon a central truss which rested a,
one end on steal T. beam Intel or
| the north wall, making a sharp angle
with the Intel. Other parts of ths
| truss system attached to this central
| truss were placed on bearings in
| the east wall.
| Government engineers on the
! ground told me that none of the bear.
| ings of truss or beams upon the walls
| were anchored or fastened to the
! walls, which, in my judgment, wa.
a fundamental error in such con.
! struction, because any unusual dis.
| turbing cause might gradually sliI
| the beams from their support.
! From the Hypothetical construction
F, as explained to me. it would appear
J that any unusual load on the roo
J system would tend to draw from it.
! support the main truss. which, as
have said before, rested upon an l.
beam Intel at an acute angle ant
| was not fastened to it. The result
| of the bending was to cause the trus!
to slip off from the Intel and tn,
whole roof system would. of course
i fall, because the whole system restet
! upon and was dependent upon thi.
one point of support. Therefore, il
my opinion. il the main truss had ex
| tended farther into the wall SO tina
! by any bending it would not hav'
! pulled off from its support, the trus
| would not have slipped off the sup
| HAIInHHnn M AHKHn