The Washington times., 1922-02-07
8 INCHES
CHANGE IN
SIZE SAYS
R.H. DAVIS
D. c. Engineer -computer De-
clares inspection at Fault in
knickerbocker Building.

Plans of the Knickerbocker
Theater submitted to and ap-
proved by the District building
inspectors office do not agree
with the actual construction, and
an Investigation now in progress
shows several discrepancies in
construction.
This was the testimony Of Rob
ert II. Davis, engineer and COM
,puter for the District, who was
one of the star witnesses this
morning when DIR. j. Ramsay
Nevitt opened the coroner's in
quest in the board room Of the
District building.
MY office has checked the plars.
and we have found that the trusses
are of a different height than those
called for and some of the members
are different from those in the plans,
declared Davis.
Davis cited to the coroner's jury
several instances in which discrepaIl-
cies were found. He cited in particu
lar that the main truss differed nine
inches from that provided for in the
plans.
In his testimony, however, Davis
did not advance the opinion thst
these discrepancies may have caused
the cave-in Of the theater roof.
Davis, who for the past week has
been engaged in a close inspection OF
the plans, told the committee he had
not yet formed an opinion as to what
caused the collapse.
II have found several weak spots
in the construction of the Knicker-
bosker, but as yet there is not one of
these weak spots on which 1 can lay
my hands and say that it caused the
roof collapse" he testified.
Inspection At Fault.
DR.. hewitt and Major Peyton Cor
don, United States District Attorney.
who sat at Nevitt's side during the
hearing, questioned Davis as TO the
inspection of the building, and
whether the differences in the plans
and actual construction should have
beon discovered by an inspector.
With adequate inspection these
discrepancies should have been
found" declared Davis.
Davis said that when the plans
were submitted there were no actual
dimensions given for the structural
work. This made 1t necessary, he
SdlQ, 1OV ln6 ulT1enslOTS 10 Dc Oe-
termined from the scales.
"In scaling and checking up
found discrepancies, said Davis.
He further testified that It was
unusual for permit to be issued
when the dimensions Of the structural
work had not been submitted. lie
gave further information as to how
permits were granted and how in
SneCtiOns were made,
j. Il. Donaldson, an iron worker
for more than thirty years, Of 1868
Potomac street, who worked on the
knickerbOcker Theater during its
course Of construction, declared that
he felt certain that beams were
placed In the building without suf.
ficient support.
Two beams that were placed
over the stage each had but a two.
inch hold in the WALL" testified
Donaldson. AT the time told a
fellow workman that just as soon
as ! got my money that l intended
neJer to return to work on the
building"
why he asked. told him
that l felt that those beams would
tear the wall down" Donaldson
baid that later in the day he was
taken off the job, given his money
and told his services no longer were
needed. Donaldson told the coroner's
jury that "a man named Wallace,
one of the foremen, had laughed
at him when he had stated he
feared the beams and walls would
fall.
The unseating of the main truss
support of the roof from its Intel in
the Columbia road wall of the theater
was responsible for the disaster, ac-
cording to testimony by Major Cary
VI. Brown, of the United States en-.
gineer corps, and Assistant Engineer
Commissioners Of the District.
"But just what caused the main
truss to become unseated from the
Intel. am unable TO say" con.
tinued Major Brown. II have formed
no opinion as to what caused the
truss leaving the Intel. - pet