The Washington times., 1922-02-04
DIsCARDS
THEORY Of
DUE
I D SN0 v
Believes Many Stories Of Hear
ing Unusual Sounds Due
To Imagination.

II is my opinion that the col
lapse of the theater was due to
some defect in the steel or iron
work supporting the roof." declared
Harry M, CrandaL. owner Of the
Knickerbocker Theater today,
"yvst what was detective am
unable to tell Many expects and
engineers WHO have examined the
ruins OF the theater have advanced
many theories. but as tar as know
they. have not reached any definite
Sp,n.on. 2. as st 70 the cause Of the col
Disbeiieves Snow Theory.
81 want the cause found out. I
do not believe the weight of the snow
I on the roof was responsible.
~ want to say further that those
persons who have told of hearing
unusual sounds, such as the settling
Of concrete, and who claimed TO have
found cracks In the roof, are crimi-
nally negligent IL what they say is
true.
"It appears to me that such per.
sons should have reported what they
thority, even II they did not report
~ " US IVY HtQuta oC ptOoCCutCo
for failure to let us know of any such
conditions, so that we could remedy
them, But, ] believe most of those
stories are the result of Imagination
due to the excitement caused by the
terrible disaster"
Workmen who helped construct
the roof of the theater are today
being served with summonses to
appear before the Coroner's jury
on. Tuesday, when investigation
Of the cause and responsibility
for the disaster will be taken up.
Worikmen to Testify.
Working under instructions of DIR.
]. Ramsay Nevitt, District coroner,
Detective Sergeants Pratt and Mui-
lin have been given the names of
workmen, and those who are still in
the city are to be required to give
any information they may have OF
the materials and workmanship
bplaced on the roof,
Included In the list of employees
| OF the contractors are those who
mixed the concrete and the structu.
raj iron and steel workers who were
on the job.
Coroner hewitt intends to make
his investigation a thorough one,
presenting to his jury all the evi.
dence he can possibly gather by
Tuesday when the inquest win be
held in the District Building.
The District Commissioners this
morning sent = letter to Senator
Capper, stating that they were
thoroughly probing the cause Of the
disaster and endeavoring to learn n
anyone was crimiRally responsible
for any possible faulty construction,
they were investigating the "ip.
tegrify" Of the building inspectors
office.
Jurors Summoned,
Ths Jurors summoned by DR..
hewitt to hear the evidence at the
inquest over the Knickerbocker
Theater disaster are; William W.
Riley, lumber merchant; G, ]. Gil.
bert. Of the Hugh Riley Paint Com
pany; M. w. Kelly, of the weshing.
ton Gas Light Company; NJ. A.
Winter, president OF the M: A.
Winter Drug Company; II. ID. Long
and r: c. Brown. the latter also a
paint dealer,
Among the witnesses summoned
to appear before the coroner's jury
are: ]. p, Healy, building inspector:
Morris Hacker. former building in
spector; Il. l., Cosugan, engineer
computer of the street cleaning de-
partment, J. r. bowman. engineer;
Reginald w. Geare, architect who
drew plans for the Knickerbocker
/ Theater; II, l., Wagner. 141s il
street; Richard q, Fletcher, Of the
Fletcher Fireproofing Company; J..
L. Mcdonald, contractor for iron
/ ,r~u.,n,.a an paea q colnr,p m