The Washington times., 1922-02-07
ALL OVER Is
! IN FLASH,
SAYS ONE
Continued from First PageJ


mean that I have not formed any
; opinions, but those that l have are
, unsettled. 1t is problematical as to
what caused the truss to leave the
Intel"
did the main truss have sufficient
space to rest on?" asked District At
torney Peyton Gordon, who with
Bertram Emerson, his assistant, are
representing the Government at the
inquest.
81 am OF the opinion that the
truss might have been more ade-
quately provided for. Other precau-
lions might have been taken. i think
the weakness in the roof, IL any, was
Of minor importance as far as being
responsible for the truss falling,
bringing the roof with It,"
Walls of Tile
"Of what We're the walls con-
/, structed?" asked the District At
torney.
Hollow tile and brick-tbe tiles
were IL by IL inches in some places
) of the wall, while in others they
: were smaller to vary with the width
Of the wall"
q What was the thickness at the
wall where the main truss was seat
'ed In the lintel!
about eighteen inches, with a
double row Of tile, being bricked on
either side.
What was the thickness Of the
cement on roof"
About two and one-half inches"
Major Brown also stated that the
plans called for three inches of
cement in the roof. but 1t had been
found that this amount had not
been used as provided for in the
specifications.
"How was the ceiling supported?"
the District Attorney questioned.
THE ceiling was suspended in
wiring, attached sto trusses and
other pertinent members Of the
roof"
Major Brown declared he had
made no detailed investigation of
ter. He said that Saturday night
when the roof caved in he was called
on the telephone and told Of it.
Hasn't Solved Cause.
IT did not realize the extent of
the damage at the time" said Major
Brown. But I got another tele-
phone message and ! reached the
scene about $50 o'clock Sunday
morning and helped in the removal
Of the wreckage and bodies. s-
."Since then have paid a number
Of visits to the ruins. have examined
some of the materials used in its
construction, and also the plans.
But while feel certain that the
main truss became unseated from
the Intel in which it rested in the
Columbia road wall, 1 cannot at this
time say what 1 believe to have
been the cause Of the unseating."
A large crowd of experts, lawyers,
survivors of victims of the catas-
'trophe, anxious to see that justice
ID melted out to those who may be
responsible for the collapse Of the
building. and many spectators were
on hand when the inquest began
promptly at 10 o'clock this morning.
The first witness called was DIR.
Herbert E. Martin. deputy coroner,
who examined the body of Miss
Mary Ethel Atkinson, one Of the
victims Of the disaster. DIR. Martin
stated that he found that Miss
Atkinson suffered from scratches
and bruises and a fracture of the
skull and he declared her death due
to "a fracture caused by a violent
blow, causing hemorrhages and
shock"
r.. T. McCord Testifies.
r. T. McCord, connected with the
Bureau of Internal Revenue, who,
with his wife and daughter, were
rescued 'uninjured from the theater
ruins, was the next witness. Mr..
McCord gave a vivid recital of his
experiences as the roof crashed
down on them.
II went in the theater about 8
o'clock. My wife and daughter
were with me. We were sitting in
the second section of She balcony
on the Eighteenth street side. l
was watching the showing of the
film, but my vision was not limited
to the screen. Suddenly my eyes
became concentrated on the roof,
where ] saw an opening. The plas-
ter began giving away. At first
II was only about seven or eight
feet square of falling plaster, but
In less than ten seconds the entire
roof came down.
when the shock was over I
found myself sitting upright, while
my wife and daughter were bent
over covered with plaster and ce.
ment. 1t was all over in a flash"
Did you hear any cracking
sound or anything unusual before
the ceiling fell?" asked Coroner
hewitt.
mo, did not hear any unusual
sound. Why, no one even shouted
or cried out. They had no time. It
happened too quickly"
Happened I'm Five Seconds.
ut is hard to describe" testified
John McEviley, a chauffeur, of PAPA
Eighteenth street northwest, the next
witness. l was sitting in back OF the