The Washington herald., 1922-02-11
Builders Neglected Bond.
age, Newest Evidence
In Disaster Inquest.
,CRANDALL ONE
OF 6 WITNESSES
Contractor and Architect
New on Theater Work,
Jury Is Informed.


tion of the steel roof structure,
which collapsed and killed ninety
seven persons the night of Janu-
ary 28. Richard G.. Fletcher. gen.
eral superintendent for construction
coroner's jury at the close of the
fourth day of the inquest yester-
day.
THE walls were bonded for about
a foot at the top but for a space
of about six feet beneath they were
not" Fletcher declared.
The statements answered ques-
tions of District Attorney Gordon,
attempting to attach responsibility
and verify conclusions of the joint
board OF government engineers who
place the primary cause of the col
lapse to failure to properly bond
the curved Columbia road and stage
walls"
While Fletcher admitted the lack
of complete bondage he insisted
this failure could not have been the
cause of the collapse, refusing
however, to give the jury his rea-
sons for the roof cave-in.
Six Testify In Day.
Six witnesses were examined dur
ing the day. including Harry NJ
Crandall, owner of the theater. All
others had been employed as work.
ers or designers of the building.
Three men testified they were re-
sponsible in part for supervision
of the wall construction. which
was declared the fundamental
l. r.
collapse proposed by the govern
ment engineers and ]. II. Ford,
steel structural engineer.
Points developed during the day
were:
Possible weakness OF the high
Columbia road wall was recognized
by constructors, Fletcher said. II
was strengthened by building con-
crete band around the top, no,
called for in plan.
Possible weaqness in wall bear
ing provisions for steeel structure
recognized by engineer, who at
tached a note to modified plans
calling for institution o. double l.
beams in walls under all heavy
beams.
Engineer say1 note was not fol-
lowed. Steel contractor insists II
was.
Modified steel plans were not
checked by engineer for architect,
which was testified to by Geare.
Architects First Theater.
First theate- designed by the ar
chitect or constructed by the con-
tractor.
Both contractor and architect
later worked on Metropolitan The
ator. in which a steel truss CO!
lapsed during construction.
Melvin S. Rich, engineer for the
architect. did not supervise steel
structural work during construs
tion. as testified day before. NJ
engineer for this work named.
No cause for collapse offered by
contractor, engineer designer. steel
contractor, or fireproofng contrac-
tor.
Mr.. Fletcher. who testified that
he was general manager for the
firm which constructed the walls
and concrete covering Of the roof
said that he inspected the building
IN course of construction almost
daily as a superintendent in a gen.
eral capacity" Harry Freeman was
superintendent III ChdA &c vi tnc
work on the grounds, he said.
Did you find any evidence ,of re-
inforcing on the walls?" Fletcher
was asked.
I'VE placed a band Of concrete
around the edge of the. curved Co
luE1bia road wall at the suggestion
of Frank l. Wagner. contractor
Fletcher replied. He said the sug-
gestion was made and complied
with after conference. because II
was considered the wall was high
and long. unsupported by floors
and bore considerable weight"
Fletcher did not recall IL additional
compensation was received for this
work.
Undecided As to Cause.
After explaining the bonding con.
nections between the Columbia road
wall and the stage wall, which
Fletcher described as "entirely
sufficient because wreckage shows
stage wall was fractured at a dis
tance three feet from the juncture
caused by a strain which would have
broken any kind of bond between
the walls" he was asked what he
considered the cause of the col.
lapse.
Il do not know. I am of an open
mind but very naturally do not
think construction of the walls
could have been responsible" he
answered.
Fletcher declared he put concrete
in some Of the tiles of the wall
The government engineers pointed
out In a list of twenty-one evi.
dences OF inferior work" on the
building that there was an "ab.
sence OF concrete I'LL in the tile a,
beam bearings" Another defec,
pointed out by the engineers was
the unusual height and length OF
the unsupported tile wall on the
Columbia road .side."
Fietcher's testimony was cui
short by adjournment at 2:3o o'clock.
The inquest will reeonvene Monday
morning at 1880 o'clock, at which
time Coroner hewitt and District
Attorney Gordon hope TO conclude
their Investigation before the coro-
ner's jury,
Mr.. Geare was again called to the
stand at the opening of the inquest.
For the third time he was asked
by District Attorney Gordon al
what time he discovered the torn
lcosssrsed o. pgos TOO.