The Washington herald., 1922-02-06
PASTORS CHARGE
NEGLECT CAUSED
THEATER TRAGEDY
Several Discuss Knicker.
booker Disaster in
Sermons.

'-rhe Knickerbocker rhester dis
aster was caused by someone's neg
iect," declared Rev. John Z. Briggs
at the. Fifth Baptisf Church yester-
day. al don't befieve IL was caused
BY tho mysterious workings OF
Providence IL was the result OF
somebody's failure to do his duty.
whether IL was the architect. the
contractor. or the building inspec-
tor. who. tolerated faulty building
materfals" - =
!. There is but one step between
me and death was the text OF DR..
Briggs sermon, in which he talked
at length about this catastrophe and
cited others
The heroic men working at the
rescue Of the victims OF the Enick-
erbocker Theater crash were models
OF service" said Revg~J. ]. Muir, Of
the Temple Baptist Church, in his
service yesterday. DIR. Muir adjured
his congregation not 10 condemn
rashly. The question of fixing the
blame for the disaster g. in the
hands OF competent Investigators" {"
he said. "and II is not for the lay
man to Judge"
Criminal careiessness and negIi-
gence caused the Knickerbocker
disaster" according to Rev. Cove
Grifith johnson, pastor Emmanuel
Baptist Church. Sixteenth and CO.
lumbis road northwest, in his SER
mon last night
The Rev. MI. johnson took as the
theme Of his sermon the text,
Times Up" from Revelation, ane
the words. Delay shall be no
longer"
DIR. Henry Allen Tupper. First
Baptist Church. said that the dis
sster showed that the plans OF men
are uncertain In all things, and
that only the Almighty knew and
planned all things. He demanded
that more care be used in erect
ing public buildings. and expressed
deep sympathy for all who suf-
fered in the disaster.
j. Frederic Wenchel pastor of
Christ lutheran Church. spoke yes-
terday on What Would Christ Sa
OF the kniekerbocker Disaster
He likened the collapse to the
falling Of the tower siloan. which
slew eighteen persons"
The Visitation Of death" said
Pastor Wenchel. lis perhaps a
NnC "Fdln oil GOD,
olspleased witt the great weakness
ana master passion OF men-amUse-
ment"
This disaster" continued the
nsstor. rs a message from heaven
that the spirit OF pleasure is going
far beyond bounds and we need 10
| use the opportunity to examine our
selves and ascertain whether the
spirit of repentance is in our
hearts"
1T may be-" he concluded. that
some would blame God for permit.
ting such a thing TO happen. when
rather IL is due to neglect Of men
either wilfully or ignorantIy"
DR.. L. @. b. Pierce OF All Souls
congregation. whose members had
been accustomed TO using the
Knickerbocker Theater as a place
Of worship on Sunday mornings. ad.
dressed his congregation in Keith's
Theater yesterday.
1T was a mysterious providence
1 that with death and injury all about
| us. this large congregation. whose
customary worshippinE place for
/ the time being had been in tn,
Knickerbocker Theater. should be
here in flesh today said DR.. Pierce
Flowers were sent by the congre.
| cation to the relatives of thost
/ killed and injured. A motion made
| by Martin A. Knapp. thanking tn,
/ management of Keith's Theatel
| who offered the theater 10 the pas
! tor as a new temporary place o.
worship. was unanimously carried
| by a rising vote.