New-York tribune., 1922-01-31

Criminal Liability Factor
Rear Admiral Charles w. Parks.
chief Of civil engineers of the navy
and head of the Bureau of Construc-
tion and Repair. will designate five
experts to co-operatc with a similar
committee from the War Department
to be selected by Major General Ian
sing II. Beach, chief of engineers. The
purpose of their inquiry is to discover
whether there we're any such defects
OF construction in the theater as would
result in criminal liability for anv one
concerned.
Congress will keep close check on
the various inquiries and THROUGH ono
or more committees will 20 into any
phases OF the affair which seem to re-
quire Investigation. Attention is be-
ing directed TO the question Of whether
the building inspection department Of
the District government is in anv wav
culpable On different occasions in
Congress there has been complaint of
himsy construction of buildings in the
natlonal capital, and it is not un-
likely the horror of last Saturday night
"lli result in a sharp ovorhauling Of
building inspection legislation and
laws relating to building.
The death list Of l0S and several
persons unaccountoA for. compiled
early to-day when the rescue work was
completed. was cut to 105 by the climi-
nation OF names duplicated in hastv
listing.
The possibility that the number Of
dead might be less tnan 100 was seen
after the police had completed re.
check Of all names in the earlier
casualty lists and had made a thor
oush inquiry covering undertaking cs-
tab'ishments and hespitais As re-
suit OF their invest CATION it was said
that the death list so far as definitely
ascerta ined stood at nincty-fve.
Ten names in the lists heretofore
given of the dead were tentatively
stricken out pending more definite
knowlcdge OF t. csc persons. The ten
had been listed as "sddress unknown"
and there had been no INQUIRIES by
re!9tiVes or friends for such persons.
7hes" were W. n. Crawford. Albert
Baker. f. II. Hall. Paulus Lamby. l. T..
lohler. Mr.. and Mrs Russell Maine.
D. n. Walsh, Miss NJ T.. Walsh and 4
Mrs. Davis
Thousands Visit Ruins
Thousands Of persons visited the
ruins to-day. A large crowd of police
was maintained and tho work of razinc
the walls was ordered begun by Build
lrg Inspector John G.. HcAly
Though Washington had oy no means
recovered from the shock OF the calam-
ity attention turned in part from the
dca'ls o. the affair to tho question of
placing the blame where it belongs.
Representative Thomas J. Ryan. Of
Now York. WAS the first member Of the
House TO demand an investi CATION. A
resolution introduced by him would
charge the House Committee on the
determining tho blame for the dis
aster.
Senator Capper Of Kansas, presented
Il resolution in the Senate calling for
an investigation Of the "inexcusable
tragedy" by the Senate Committee on
tho District of Columbia. In present
ing tnc resolution he said Congress nad
responsibility that could not be
evaded and that in order To make An
effective inquiry prompt work WAS
essential. The resolution read:
Text Of Senate Resolution
NV hcreaS, 1T Is currently report' 4
that contractors and builders, especial
ly during and since tho World War,
have ignored. cvaded or treated lightly
the rules and regulations provided in
the building code Of the District OF
Columbia. especially those sections
which make mandatory provisions for
assurance against such terrible ca
lamity as has just occurred; ana
"W ,,erpaS II has henn rersistenilv
rumorCd that contractors and builders
determined TO save money or the erec-
zion OF res 'dcnces and building struc-