Pueblo chieftain., 1922-01-30

showing of rollicking comedy. In
tho audience but one person was found
who had become. aware OF impending
doom in time to reach an exit. a
number of others worked their way
to safety thru scant openings In the
wreckage.
The official list. according to au-
thorities, contained the namex of al
those whose bodies mad been recov-
cred up to midnight from the ruins
of the theater. The volunteer worker.
Including police, firemen. and cavalry
from Fort Myer had practically con-
cluded their search OF the wreckage
at midnight the only portion OF which
had been the orchestra pit remaining
to bo searched being far corner in
which it was not expected additional
bodies would be found.
They traced each twisted beam and
saw whether 1t would he safe to cut
1t and whether a steel girder might be
dragged out OF the pile with safety to
those below.
Meanwhile all Washington it seemed
was heading for the scene. strings OF
people stumbling over the banked
snow.
Soldiers and police held rigid lines
to hold the throngs back. Less than
one-half Of the number Of dead had
been recovered when daylight came.
Afteg sthe -ccpter Of tho main floor had
beeh Cleared OF victims dug out OF the
wreckage. more systematic search
began and it was still going on to-
night The workers sure that this CEN
ter space held no body or injured per-
son began turning over the tons OF be-
oris, piling 1t in that space and drag
ging beams and slabs outside
When the last section of the gallery
mad been lifted on jacks and men had
crawled beneath to drag out the last
mansled body, more speed was pos
siblc and the mass that formed the
bottom OF the great shell was moving
in steady, orderly course under the
eyes of the army engineers. Daylight
should sec the last of 1t examined and
the toll of death completed.
The exact number in the theatei
when tho steel and concrete span of the
roof bucklcd and fell under ita three
foot load OF snow. probably never will
ne known. The stories of perhaps n
hundred who got out uninjurcd have
peen reported. These account for
Few more than 300 in the audience
which was roaring with laughter at a
film comedy when the roof fell on
them like blanket carrying down the
front of the wide balcony in its crash
Normally the theater has every scat
filled Mt that hour and nearly 1000 per-
sons was its capacity. The same ,,n-.
prccedented snowfall which brought
death to the venturesome few kept the
many at home. Street car traffic had
been abandoned and streets and side
walks were all but impassable
There has not been time for official
inquiry as to tho cause OF the disaster
The ruins disclose however that tho
mass of steel made concrete that had
formed the roof had come down. The
crash swept the supports from un-
der the balcony, and apparently this
hinged down at an angle of A. degrees.
adding to the tangled wrcckagc on tho
floor below.
Tho building stands In an acute angle
OF Eighteenth street and Columbia
road. northwest. the heart OF the
most favored residence district.
The narrow stage on which the
screen was hung was back in the corn
cr and from the line OF the stage the
auditorium wall runs straight for 200
feet down Eighteenth street.
To tho right. the wall follows the
SLOW curve OF Columbia road for about
the same distance and at tho far end.
paralleling the stage front. the back
wall completes the auditorium proper
also about zoo feet in length Tho
space stood roofless a moment after
tho hrst kissing sound of the break
ing roof gave warning above tho
music or the orchestra. There il only
one survivor thus far who has told
the hrst powdcry handful OF snowctaoi
OF having heard that warning and
seen the first powdry handful or
snow sift down over the