The Washington herald., 1922-02-11
PAPER
SAYS WALL AND
ROOF SEPARATED
Explanation of Theater
Disaster Comedies With
Article in Herald.

fact that separation of the main
truss and the Columbia road wall
was the cause of the collapse of the
kEickerbocker roof. according to a
report In Engineering News-Record
that was prepared by F. Z. Schm.tt,
Its associate editor, who spent sew
eral days making a detailed inspec-
tion of the wreekage.
TT seems probable. but is not
clearly proved by the facts avail
able for the present report, that this
movement was slow creep rather
than rapid or violent separation.
end In the same degree IL seems
probable that the wall was a more
important factor in the movement
than the steel Frame" says the ar
ticle.
The conclusions of this independ-
ent investigation not only agree
ir the main with the conclusions
reached by the group of government
engineers, headed by Col. Kelly and
presented at the inquest. but is also
the same In essence as the exclu-
sive article in The Washington
Herald for February I, which was
written by an engineer after a per-
sonal and detailed Inspection of the
wreckage.
Steel Fault Not Found.
I'm the absence of any discover
able steel failure, and in view OF
the lateral anchorage of the entire
roof produced by the interconnec-
tion Of roof slab and steel framing,
only displacement of the supports
OF the steelwork on the walls can be
looked to as immediate starting
point of the collapse" says the
News-Record article.
From the direction OF motion OF
the several parts the fall evidently
progressed from the north side OF
the northeast corner southwark.
| The appearance of the bearing
plates shows that the four auxiliary
trusses were pulled of their seats
by rapid motion under load, thereby
becoming scored and ground. Fur.
ther. the very bending downward OF
two OF the seats. which in the case
OF one Of them was even great
enough to bend upward the rear
flange of the beam. points to the
fact that they did not leave their
seats until the middle part Of the
framing was. much lower down. Or
the other hand. the seat OF the main
truss in the north wall does moi
shcw rapid motion under load, and
this truss was displaced by a slow
movement
! Considering the nature of the
framing. 1t was virtually impossible
TOT a slab failure to bring down tn,
adjacent beams. for beam failure
to destroy the truss carrying II. OF
| ior an auxiliary-truss failure Il
wreck the main truss. Moreover
the appearance OF the truss bearing.
ana or the marks showing the dI
rectlon OF the fall makes II clea,
that the auxiliary trusses cam,
oown after the main truss. TIL,
coiiapse therefore originated in ;
ran OF the north end OF the mai,
truss which event would brin;
ABOUT all the effects Of the collaps,
SUBSTANTIALLY in the way they wer,
Movement af Rsof.
With respect to whether the mai,
russ russ or beam farther TO tn,
north or toward the stage bera,
'ne collapse, the article says:
movement of the entire roo
framing away from the north wal
lor vice versa) might have carrie,
some or the minor beams Off thei,
seats before the main truss wa.
on It's seat: but as the droppin1 o.
these beams could not have brourh
down the main truss il would h,
necessary to conclude that the trus,
reached the edge OF its wall sea
only a moment later and the,
started the general collapse"
Ihe knickerbocker north wall
which probably caused the unseat
ing OF the main truss by an out.
ward movement going on during ;
lohg time. rather than in on,
abrupt motion. was very near tn,
height limit allowed by the build
ing code. The article reveals:
Prior to 1913. walls of hollow
tile were not admitted as bearin,
walls in the District of Columbia
but revision of the code in 1871;
made such walls permissible or
even terms with brick or othel
walls for buildings up to forty fee,
nigh. There Is no evidence to show
that this provision CONTEMPLATED
the construction of walls in omen
space buildings such as thesters
but the code appears to hav,
lacked a structural section in IL,
theater portion, and therefore mad,
the general structural clauses an
piicable to theaters as well as I,
dwellings or stores Skeleton con.
struction Is required for height,
above forty feet when tile wall.
are used: the Knickerbocker wa.
thlrty-five feet high from curb t,