Evening star., 1922-02-09
engineer in the District building de-

murder rate In Chicago was almost
cut in half.
engineer in the District building de-
partment.
He said he conceived it would be
desirable. and added that statement
on his own initiative.
Asked to explain the lack of suf-
ficient bracing of the main member,
witness replied that the bracing sys-
tenn in the final plans is. sitter than
the original plan.
The bracing. he said, was wholly
adequate. in his opinion.
chorage" Mai. Gordon asked
Yes on every beam there were
holes provided, to be used at the
option Of the builder" witness re-
piled.
was it according to your plans to
inch thick?" Maj. Gordon continued
''Trusses rested on plates or beams.
according to weight"
"Your plans provided where plates
and liutcls should be placed?"
Witness answered In Affirmative.
"Whose duty was it to provide for
pilasters?"
That was a matter of the construc-
tion of the building" He explained
that a pilaster was q thickening Of
the wall.
Gives Optimism OF Disaster.
Can you tell why this roof fell?''
asked Maj. Gordon.
II. myself. reached the conclusion
that 1t fell left Of the stage. The ques-
tion as to how 1t occurred-I constd-
cred that the main truss had parted
to deduce how that may be. am con-
WINGED that Col Kelly and theA board.
almost surprisingly. have reach@d the
DO you agree with all Col Kelly's
statements?"
Il do in toto"
He said that the steel work was not
proper" suggested Maj. Gordon.
He spoke. / think. of the construc-
ton In general" witness replied. If
the walls had stayed under the roof
the latter would have remained stand
Ing"
Questioned as to the wall bearings
OF the steel work and sent to the
contractor. Then the contractor
marked the wall dimensions, and, in
turn, the steel contractors figured on
the length of the beams or trusses.
The minimum bearing on any will
eight inches" he told the Jury.
Asked II he made such provision, he
eaid. Yes" and added that "shop
errors" might he made, but II q beam
Is short the contractor usually re-
jected It
Declares Steel Heavy E1euGk.
He testified that the steel work was
-FOUR times heavy enough to support
building failed at any time. he said.
r. H. Davis. computing engineer of
the building department. was recalled.
Asked where he got the knowledge
that there was strut connecting the
Thomas Marshall. who was making q
survey. He went out and found 1t,
and saw where 1t had been connected
to the two columns and showed
where 1t connected to the bottom
hange of the truss.
ing for that strut?' asked Maj. Cor
don.
II thought it was important"
did you find the columns on the
':c scelamn > was there. Nth evidences.
Of a tie between the two
What was the length Of the beam?"
asked Maj. Gordon. continuing the
question.
TT was twenty feet. It seems to me-"
did Mr.; Ford 8: f'rst bring this to
seen the BEAM
Does Outside Work.
Asked if he had done outside work.
he said, he had done work outside OF
office hours for the Rosslyn Steel and
Cement Company. Fred Drew Com
pany and the Hamilton Hotel.
do you pass on their plans?'
Tho witness did not answer d.
rectly. saying that plans are sub
mitted.
inspectors office who work on out
side for contractorsy
Witness said he didn't know.
II don't know Of my own knowl-
edge" ..,..,.
DO you get q bonus?'
He insisted on his previous testi-
mony that the main truss was nine
inches short in eight.
Tile Not Thoroughly ~PIu1Hed."
Charles e, Fisher, colored. 623 L street
q cement flnisher, and en-
ployed as q laborer on the Knicker-
booker. was called. He said he
graded the concrete there and placed
all Of 1t on the roof.
Asked II he plugged" the tile with
all because holes were too small. He
said "you can't get the gravel to the
Asked If he told the foreman he
couldn't fill the holes. he said the
foreman knows it. The only way to
fil all the tile blocks, he said. was
to fill each layer as 1T ,.ss wac set II
possible to get it to I'LL. He testified
that the tile was supposed to be
filled. but it couldn't be when there
were SO many layers
Heard Nsfse Before Crash.
BUD Cooper, colored, IA jackson
street northeast. q general handy
man, told the jury that about 1880
o'clock on the afternoon Of the acci-
dent he heard . loud grinding noise
in the theater. He was cleaning snow
off the sidewalk adjoining the theater
at the time, and asserted that the
noise was clearly audible in that cor
Il heard the walls when they
gave way" he asserted. 1T went
like that" he indi.
Gated, amid laughter. Il ran into the
building and told ,;,aias = big: smooth,faesd fsi;
There were lot of people with him.
"pid they hear you. too?" the coro-
ner asked.
.They ought 10. hollered loud
guess all Of them heard
me-"
"Have you seen that man SINGER"
mo. sir; amt never seen him since
that time"
WILL PRESENT CASE TO JURY.