The Washington herald., 1922-02-05
Faulty Construction Cost
96 Lives, Says District
Attorney Gordon.
CONONER'S JURY
MAY BE ADVISED
Fixing of Responsibility
To Be Based on u. S.
Inquiry, Likely.


srbocker Theater disaster has been
completed by army and navy engi-
aeers working for the Federal
government. Their report on the
crash which cost the lives of ninety
six persons. Is in the hands Of Dis
Irict Attorney Peyton Gordon.
ffiiiii--------
Faulty construction was a domi-
aant factor in the collapse of the
roof" was District Attorney Cor
Ions only statement following re-
-eipt of the first report Of the ON
:ial committee OF engineers late
yesterday.
So thorough does Mai. Gordon
consider the report In fixing blame
Tor the crash, however, that he in
timated last night he would take
the evidence presented by the engi-
neers before the coroner's jury
which meets Tuesday morning In
The board room of the District
Building This Is to be deci II to-
cay or tomorrow.
Negligent May BE Held.
1t Is dependent upon the coroners
jury to decide the cause of death
81 the victims and to fix blame, IL
any Is found. II IL decides negli-
gence has been shown the jury may
order held any person they consider
responsible
District Attorney Gordon would
not say last night whether the Of
hcial report of the engineers
showed negligence on the part of
any persons
District Attorney Gordon concurs
in statements issued by numerous
persons connected in various ways
with the investigation, including
Senator Arthur Capper, Senator l..
Fl. Ball. chairman Of the senate
District Committee, and Repres&n-
tative william d. Upshav, all of
whom inspected the scene, accom-
panied by expert engineers and
architects
BY faulty construction" MAI.
Gordon intimatef he meant poor
dictatorship in dengineerins an
erection of the building. 1t was
brought to his attention that
Reginald W. Geare, architect for
the building, had told a Herald re-
porter' plans for the steel construc-
tion of the roof had been changed
and beams substituted for trusses,
intending changes in designs. Mai
Gordon said he did not feel called
upon to investigate this phase fur
ther, in view of the detailed report
he had received from the army en-
cinners which he believed covered
every angle Of the construction
program
Various District Reports-
As the ofacial investigating COM
mittes for the Federal government
brought its conclusions to District
Attorney Gordon. Engineer Com
missioner Keller, in charge OF the
iryestigation into the disaster foE
the District government, began To
draw in reports from officers OF the
District government in charge OF
various phases for the investiga-
t!on for the District.
BY Tuesday morning. when the
first public report of Washington's
ten into record before the coro-
ner's jury, District officials are ex-
pected to have in hand all evidence
pointing to the cause of the catas-
trophe-
The past six days have marked a
period Of day-and-night search on
the part of government officials and
interested parties to determine the
cause for the crash.
As District Attorney Gordon yes
terday announced he was ready to
proceed with evidence to the grand
jury and possibly to the coroner's
jun Congressional leaders an
noumced they were ready to take
up their Investigations and see that
no stone was left untouched.
Congress Making Survey.
While complete confidence is
placed in District Attorney Gordon
and his corps Of government engi-
neers, the Congressional chieftains
are anxious to conduct a complete
survey of the disaster and condi-
tions of other District buildings
with a view to formulating legisla-
tion to make prohibitive a reoccur-
renee OF the catastrophe.
Belief that "a defect, somewhere,
some place" caused the collapse
was expressed by Harry NJ. Gran
dali, owner of the Knickerboeser
in his ONCE at the Metropolitan
Theater Building. where he met
newspapermen for the .'hrst time
since the disaster.
Just what was defective 1 am
unable to tell. but there was some
latent defect, Or the roof would
never have collapsed.
II hope the investigations that
are now under way will bring out
the exact cause and II anyone Is
responsible for neglect he should be
punished. There is no one in the
world more anxious to learn the
cause Of this terrible disaster than
and / hope that the experts and
engineers Investigating the matter
will fnd the cause
Il have engaged an engineer and
other experts to try to learn the
caus. Of the collapse Of the roof.
feel duty bound to have the matter
sifted and cleared. I am acting for
the people. for the dead and for
their relatives and friends. as well
as for the injured cannot express
too strongly my sympathy for those
who were so unfortunate as to lose
their lives or be injured in the col
lapse of the roof, also for their
relatives and friends. Words can
not express my feelings in the mat
ter.
Persons who claimed in published