River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1922-02-02
THEATRE ROOF
FALLS; MANY Die
List of Injured Reach 1874 as
Search Of Washington Play
house Ruins Nears End.
SNOW CAUSES CRASH
Audience Roaring With Laughter
When Tragedy Eappers-Heavy
Downfall Of Snow Blamed for
Horrible Disaster.
DEATH LIST IS REDUCED.

DEATH LIST Is REDUCED.
Washington - The possibility
that the number of dead in the
knickerbocker theater tragedy
might be less than 100 was seen
after the police had completed a
re-check OF all names in the
earlier casualty lists, and made a
through inquiry covering the
undertaking establishments and
hospitals. AS result Of their
investigation, it was said that the
death list so far as definitely as
certained, stood at ninety-five.
Washington-O Official police records
placed the known dead In the
Knickerbocker theater disaster at
107. elimination OF duplicated names
brought the final total down from the
unofficial peak OF 112 at which the
toll of the catastrophe was placed
Saturday night.
The list OF injured totaled 134 and
IA Of these were recorded as critical
ly hurt. Caught beneath the falling
beams, which had been designed to
act as traverse supports for the roof,
scores were taken to hospitals suf-
fering with broken limbs or severe
internal injuries. Many were given
immediate medical attention at i'm
provised stations hastily erected near
the scene of the disaster.
The official list, according to the
authorities, contained the names Of
all those whose bodies had been re-
covered up to midnight from the
ruins left when the roof of the the
alter, overweighted with snow, col
lapsed on the audience.
Search Nearly Over.
The volunteer workers, including
police, iiremen, marines and cavalry
from Fort Myer, had practically con-
Guided their search of the wreckage
at midnight. The only portion of
what had been the orchestra remain
ing to be searched was a far corner
in which it was not expected addi-
tional bodies would be found.
The Knickerbocker, one of the new
est and largest of the capitals mo-
ton picture houses, was rated as one
of the most exclusive, drawing its pa
tronage from the Northwest residen-
tial section in the vicinity of upper
Connecticut avenue.
Family Groups Predominant.
Family groups predominated ir the
audience Saturday night and it was
upon these that the roof, backed by
tons of wet snow, descended with
barely a whispered warning.
The exact number in the theater
when the steel and concrete span of
the roof buckled and cell under it's
three foot load Of snow probably
never will be known. The stories Of
perhaps hundred who got out un-
injured have been reported. These
account for a few more than 800 in
the audience that was roaring in
laughter at screen comedy when the
roof fell on them like blanket, car
rying down the front of thu wide bal
cony in its crash.
Storm Keeps Many Away.
Normally, the theater has had every
seat filed at that hour and its capac-
ity was nearly 1000 persons. The
same unprecedented snowfall which
brought death to the ventIresome
few, kept the many at home. Street
car traffic had been abandoned and
streets and sidewalks were all but
impossible with drifts.
There has been no time for official
inquiry as to the cause of the disaster
The ruins disclose that the entire
mass of steel-held concrete that
formed the roof came down. The
crash swept the supports out from
under the balcony, apparently, and
this hinged down at an angle of as
degrees, adding to the tangled mass
of wreckage on the floor below.