Evening star., 1922-02-01

Other Developments Today.
Other developments of the day in
the Investigations under way to de-
termine the cause of the knicker-
booker tragedy We're:
A statement from the American As
sociation of Engineers, declaring the
disaster evidently was due "elther TO
faulty design or construction.
Conference between Maj. IeEton
Gordon. United States attorney, and
Army officers detailed by Secretary OF
War Weeks to assist him in the grand
Jury investigation These officers are
Gen. William Kelly and MAJ l.. 4.
oliver. Corps of Engineers.
Determination by the coroner as 10
the manner in which the inquest-over
bodies of two of the victims VIII be
held.
Ready to Furnish Facts.
E. C. Ruebsam. an engineer. indl-
Gated today he would be WILING 10
submit certain facts regarding the
collapse of the Metropolitan Theater,
Dduring its construction. if called upon
to do so by an official investigating
body. The collapse of the Metropoi-
tan Theater during its construction
is said to have resembled the man
ner in which the knickerboeker roof
caved in.
Mr., Ruebsam. at the time of the
Metropolitan Theater crash. made an
investiga ton of its causes tor private
interests The Metropolitan was re-
constructed and, it is said. is consid-
cred perfectly safe at the present
time.
Accommodating Senator Capper on
his inspection of the ruins today were
Senators Jones of Washington, Good
ing of Idaho. Shepherd of Texas ana
Weller of Maryland and Representa-
five Upshaw of Georgia. whose niece
was injured in the accident.
Gamer Blamex ID. c. officials.
While Senator Capper did not as
sumo TO speak for all the members
of the party. he said that he DIS
cussed the information which the!
! obtained during the ride back to the
Capitol.
the District officials who approved the
plans for such construction as were
used in the knickerhocker Theater
are responsible to large extent ior
the collapse of the building. He said
that while he was not builder. he
had had much to do with building op-
erations. and from the stahapolnt OF
a laymen he could not see why plans
| for such construction as he found IN
| the knickerbocker could be Justified
on any ground whatever.
Senator Capper and the others in
the congressional party talked at
| length with engineers now on the
ruins. and the conclusions formed
are based largely on engineering
facts as pointed out by the experts.
Explains Reasons for Views.
81 believe the Knickerbocker Thea
! ter disaster was due to a bad job OF
engineering, and cheap. faulty con-
| struction," said Senator Capper. A
! superficial eXamina ton of the walls
| and conversation had with those on
| the ground who are competent to en-
press an intelligent opinion upon the
| cause of the disaster has caused me
| to arrive at the conclusion that the
! roof truss system was dependent
upon a central truss which rested al
one end on steal T. beam Intel on
| the north wall. making a sharp angle
with the Intel. Other parts of the
| truss system attached to this central
| truss were placed on bearings in
| the east wall.
Government engineers on the
ground told me that none of the bear
| ings of truss or beams upon the walls
| were anchored or fastened to the
walls, which, in my judgment, was
| a fundamental error in such con-
! struction, because any unusual dis
turbing cause might gradually slip
| the beams from their support.
! Prom the hypothetical construction
as explained to me, it would appear
F.! that any unusual load on the root
J system would tend to draw from its
! support the main truss. which. as
have said before, rested upon an l.
| beam Intel at an acute angle and
| was not fastened to it. The result
! of the bending was to cause the truss
to slip off from the Intel and the
whole roof system would. of course
j fall, because the whole system rested
! upon and was dependent upon this
| one point of support Therefore, in
my opinion. if the main truss had ex-
tended farther into the wall SO thai
| by any bending it would not have
! pulled off from it's support. the truss
would not have slipped off the sup