The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-02-28
THEATERS TO FACE
SEVERE fire TEST
OF OYSTER TODAY
Commissioner and Chief
To See if New Rules
Have Been Obeyed.

District theaters in the downtown
section will be put through rigid
fire inspection tests today and to-
morrow by District Commissioner
Oyster, in charge Of the fire depart
ment. and Fire Chief Watson.
|. The inspection is the outgrowth
ago by the Commissioners against
seven theaters. Lack of fireproof
equipment was one of ihe outstand-
ing faults against most of the seven
theaters.
Commissioner Oyster is also de-
termined to inspect all downtown
theaters to determine their condi-
tion relative to fire regulations, and
their. conformity to the new fire
regulation adopted by the Commits
sioners at the time the seven thea
ters were closed.
Two Opened Last Nikht.
Engineer Commissioner Keller
has already Inspected six of the
seven theaters ordered closed, per-
uniting three to open, two opening
last night. He ordered further re-
pairs on the Metropolitan, and ap-
proved alterations being made in
he Will H.
spect Polls this week. where con-
siderable refitting to make the lower
floor conform to fireproof regula-
tions is now being carried on.
We are determined to see that
every precaution in the power of
owners of public buildings is taken
to protect the safety of their pa
irons" Commissioner Oyster de-
clared.
The double survey of the District
theaters by the voluntary commit
tee of five building experts and En-
gineer Commissioner Keller, coupled
with the inspection to be made to-
day and tomorrow by Commissioner
Oyster and Fire Chief Watson, gives
Washington an almost certain
check on conditions of theaters.
Polls to Open Next Week.
Loew's Columbia and the Cosmos
theaters opened their doors last
night, putting three of <the seven
closed theaters back in operation.
PoiIs is expected to open next week
and the other three are expected to
be able to open their doors before
the close of the week.
Fire Chief Watson is forcing close
inspection of all public buildings,
but complains of lack of inspectors.
The Commissioners plea for fifty
inspectors in the fire department
was ignored by the House Appro-
priations Committee.
The grand jury opened it's investi-
cation of the Knickerbocker disas-
ter yesterday. The case is expected
to be before the jury Most of the
week.
Col. Kelly Testines.
District Attorney Gordon has sum
mcned more than a score of wit
nesses to appear before this body,
&C nsidering evidence against the
nine men ordered held by the cor.
'ner's jury as responsible for the
crash which cost the lives of nine
ty-seven persons.
Col. William Kelly. U. S. A., En-
gineer Corps. who testified before
the coroner's jury for the joint
board of government engineers, as
to the cause of the collapse of the
steel roof. was the first witness
called before the grand jury yester-
day. In his. testimony before the
cCroner's jury. Col. Kelly pointed
out twenty-one defects in construc-
anu ucSlknlnR OF the ruined
theater. He declared the initial point
OF failure wa sat the juncture of
The curved Columbia road wall and
the stage wall
Architects Back Report.
The detailed report of the gov
ernment engineers was corrobor-
ated largely by the report of the
washington chapter of the Ameri-
can Institute of Architects. The
architects fayed the methods of
construction and designing used in
the building
John Richter, clerk in the build
ing inspectors office, who testi-
fed before the coroner's Jury that
plans for the building were not
followed closely in actual con-
struction. is expected to be called
before the jury today.
District Attorney Gordon has
almost thirty other witnesses to
testify as to the construction, and
planning and inspection of the
ruined theater. The case is ex-
pected to be before the grand Jury
most Of the week. 1t is expected
that several days will be consumed
in compiling evidence and making
a report IL Indictments are to be
returned by the Jury.
Additional fielo inspectors were
PLACED in the field by the District
yesterday on inspection of the
twelve doubtful theaters report I'd
by the voluntary inspection CONF
mittee a week ago.