Evening star., 1922-02-14
Jury OUT TO FIX
BLAME FOR Crash
Of KN|CKERBOCKER
Testimony Completed at
Coroner's Inquest-ver-
dict Expected Today.
WALLS DECLARED FRAlL;
DESCRIBED AS DANGEROUS
1ronworker Tells of Cracking of
Thing When Beam Over
Stage Was Set.

Stage Was Set.
Indications of fiimsy construction
of the Knickerbocker Theater were
developed during the course of testi-
mony at the coroner's inquest into the
collapse of the roof of that theater
in the boardroom of the District
building today.
When the jury was given the case
at 1925 this afternoon they had fresh
on their minds the testimony of the
last witness. Charles E. Wardell.
structural ironworker, who assisted
in placing the beams and trusses OF
Afraid OF Construction.
wardell testified directly and EN-
phaticalIy that he and the men who
worked with him on this particular
job had protested against going on
the wall at the time to place the
beams. because of it's frail construe-
tion. He said he was informed by the
foremen that the walls were all
were doing" He testified to i'm
proper or insufficient wall bearings
FOR the beams, and asserted that at
the time he and his co-workers set
Inc beams tney Ndu uO plates oi luS
wall on which to rest them. If they
were put in, he said. they were
placed after the beams were in place
and after he left the job
This witness also asserted that
when he got his money he hurried
away. making the remark at the
time that he was afraid the building
would fall in on all of them.
Declares TilinE Cracked.
Before him another iron worker,
Harvey Sheetz, told the jury that in
setting a beam over the stage the
tiling cracked, because it would not
1t until he informed the foreman.
who told him it would be all right;
they would put concrete in later. He
said that concrete could not be put
in the. tiling after the beam Was set
A long report of r. H. Davis. pres
ent computing engineer In the build
Healy. District building inspector.
The report found fault in many de-
tails with the theater construction
from the method of presenting the
plans for the steel work to improper
sufficient bolting.
This report contained the informa-
tion, not previously testified to by
Mr.. Davis, that the reinforcing wire
found in the concrete slab of the
roof was substitute for three
eighths-of-an-inch steel rods, pro-
vided for in the specifications in the
building inspectors omce.
Lacked Required Strength.
Beam II. Mr.. Davis reported. was
less than half the strength required
by the regulations: trusses were
shorter than the scaled" plans called
for; plans submitted contained no
dimensions; the trusses fell short in
the number of bolts required by the
building regulations to make them
secure by from 20 81 per cent. and
ranging principally around so per
cent for each connection: the trusses
were all overstressed. he reported,
and did not have sufficient safety
margin to carry the load.
Mr.. Healy, who was assistant in
spector at the time Of the accident.
read his report. He found no fault
with the walls, but recommended
revision of the building code in the
light of the testimony adduced at
this inquest, and presented a strong
recommendation that all builders. be-
fore having permits issued to them.
should be required to submit to an
examination to show their abilities.
He could not say. when questioned.
whose duty it was to see that all of
the defects pointed out by Mr.. Davis
were corrected. except to say 1t WAS
the inspectors duty IF he saw them"
When the case was given to the
Jury at 1925 pm. the members went
out to lunch. with instructions to re-
port back at 1880.
Declares Tile Cracked.
Harvey Sheetz. lis H street north
west, structural iron worker employ
ed on the theater. was the first wit
ness today.
about a beam over the stage?" Cor
oner hewitt asked.
I'VE set it on terra Gotta wall
over the stage"
How long was it?" Coroner hewitt
continued.
'Tt may have been thirty feet"
What unusual experience did you
have in setting it," 49,, :.
(the tile) started to crack. 1 told the
foreman. it was too heavy. He said
1t would be filed with concrete"
Gould that be done afterward?'
mo sir
who did you tell?"
William Carpenter"
What did he say?'
He said it wdpld be filled with
concrete"
'Ceuld that be done?
NO. 1t couldn't be DONE"
He testified that the beam he spoke
Of was under the roof at the stage"
He was excused and Joseph Young
er, 1890, Perry place. an architect,
-
twelve years. He was in the theater
January 2s, with his wife, he testi-
fled. and was seated on the main
floor next to the center aisle.
Crash without warninE.
"The crash came with practically
no warning at ALL he said.
II noticed a crack. Then the CELL
ing came down almost intact, and
finally broke up. The crack started
in the ceiling up near the stage, and
moved back toward the balcony.
How long before 1t fell, after you
noticed it," Mai Gordon asked.
THAT is hard to say, probably
about a few seconds"
He testified that he WAS in the hos
pital twelve days and that his wife 10
now there. and probably wilf be an
r invalid for about four months.
john p Healy. who was assistant
building inspector at the time the
theater- was built. next was called.
He testified that he had made an
1nvestiga ton sof the disaster and had
: submitted hissreport to MAJ Brown.
Unable t9 Ffx Cause. q
. Did you fix: the cause OF tthes dis
asterg Maj, Gordon. asked.
< mo. I haveb been unable to do so. My
Investigation dealt with the building
: and not with the steel work.
found no evidence Of weakness
sta the foundation, and no Inherent
now leaning out i've incfes.r
: did you deternaine whether the
Msatna1d . PaGe sCsl1fdI1s3