Evening star., 1922-02-04
SENATE DISASTER
INQUIRY INDORSED
BY COMMISSIONERS
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theater was Substituted for a plate
beam after the building had been
started
He added, however. that this would
not necessarily account for the COL
4apse of the roof According to Maj.
Brown. the truss was used because
the truss was carefully designed and
approved by the building inspectors
office in the form of a supplemental
permit
Discussing the broad question of
building supervision, one District off,
that 1t would cost this or any other
city a fortune annually to spend as
much time or money in checking build
Ing plans as the builder lays out in
drawing up specifications.
Will Attend Inquest.
United States Attorney Gordon. in
announcing he would attend the inquest,
said his attendance there Will. of course.
ton Of evidence before the grand jury.
BY the time the coroner's inquest has
been completed Maj Gordon expects to
have all the details arranged for the
submission Of the matter to the grand
JURORS LOT their prone INTO the QueStion
OF blame for the falling of the roof.
This afternoon Mai. Gordon is in con-
ference with the engineers from the
Army and Navy in reference to the
results OF the Investigations conducted
by these officers. The prosecutor stated
that he does not expect to have a writ
ten report from these government en-
gineers. and declared that the details
Of the discussion with these officers
would not be made public at this time.
In reference to a rumor that large
cracks in the ceiling of the knicker-
booker Theater were observed by
persons in the audience some three
weeks before the catastrophe and
that decorator had been called in
damage, Maj. Gordon said that q
lawyer had called late yesterday
afternoon at his Office and made this
statement. giving the name Of the
man who Is said to have made the
repairs. The prosecutor has not seen
tective Sergt. Pratt of headquarters
to investigate the matter and to in
terview the person whose name was
given to him. Maj. Gordon declined
to make public the name of the
decorator.
The prosecutor explained that the
decision to defer the grand jury
probe until after the testimony had
been heard by the coroner's jury
was made both in the economy Of
time and to permit his personal at
tendance at the sessions of the cor
called to his attention might de-
velop there, he explained, which
might connect UP or elucidate GER
tain points in the evidence before
him and would have the effect of cur
failing the time OF the grand jurors
yhn~ hA Tn Hhr,a fSr1r
could be set before that body In a
much shorter time. There will be
no unnecessary delay, the prosecutor
declared.
Thorough Sitting OF Facts.
Coroner Nevitt announced today
there will be no economizing Of time
In the conduct Of the inquest. There
will be no speeding Of the witnesses, S,
he added. but every effort will be
made to prevent unnecessary drag
ging out of the testimony.
The coroner intends there shall be
. thorough sitting of all testimony
bearing upon the disaster. Not only
will witnesses tell OF the actual dis
aster, he explained, but he expects
to have witnesses describe to the jury
all about the construction OF the
building, and others to tell what, II
anything, tney KNOW Oh shortcomings 3
in its construction.
"The investigation will be as thor
ough as 1t possibly can be-" said the
coroner.
Detectives Mullen and Pratt, who
were assigned the task of summoning
witnesses, today are searching for
workmen employed during Its con-
struction, more especially the iron
workers. Coroner Nevitt Is extreme
ly anxious that the detectives should
find men to settle the question of a
short steel beam having been placed
to the west Of where the screen was
located. q point, 1t Is stated, where q
spectator reported noticing q sag.
cling shortly before the collapse Of
the roof.
Inspector Daniel Sullivan. acting
superintendent Of police, and In
spector Clifford L. Grant. chief Of de-
tectives. are still engaged in efforts
to obtain the names Of additional
witnesses who may be able to give
important testimony.
Yesterday afternoon Detective Fred
erick Sandberg. photographer and
Identification expert Of the police de-
partment, took a. number Of photo
graphs Of the scene of the disaster.
Working under the direction Of Army
and Navy experts. His photographs.
it is stated, will show practically
every portion Of the damaged struo.
ture' and in order to obtain some OF
them it was necessary for him to
climb to peri1ous positions.