The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-02-01
FUNERALS FOR
THEATRE VICTIMS


held the first of it's many funerals
for the 81 persons who perished Sat
urday night when the roof of tn,
Knickerbocker motion picture theatr,
collapsed under the weight of snow
Services were announced by a mum
Der of churches and other organiza
tions. Social functions and bushes.
conferences ceased in honor Of the
dead and the theatres, again in opera.
ton, sheltered meagre audiences
while hospital stats continued to
treat the more than 60 injured still
confined.
A number of official and unofficial
Investigations also got under way to-
day and others were announced.
Meanwhile, late today, another
building, one of the long sheds of the
freight depot of the Baltimore &
Ohio railroad at First street and
Florida avenue, collapsed two min
utes after eight men who had been
employed in it during the day had
checked out. No one was injured
Damage to the shed and the freight
it contained was estimated at $780,
600. The structure, one of the walls
of which gave way, it is believed due
to the effect Of melting snow on the
men and police Immediately began
an investigation.
Edward H. Shaughnessey of Chi
cago, second assistant postmaster
general, who was one of the most Sc
riously injured in the Knickerbocker
collapse, was reported steadily i'm
proving tonight. His wife and two
daughters also were injured.
The funerals today included that of
Madame Virginia Feraud, sister of
DR.. Julio Bianchi, Guatemalan minis
ter under the Herrera regime, in St.
Paul's Roman Catholic church. Her
body will be sent to Ventura, CAL, to
rest beside that of her husband.
Secretary Weeks sent flowers to
the families residing here Of the sew
en- war department employees who
were killed in the catastrophe and
letters Of coincidence to those not liv-
ing in the city.
Memorial services were held-teday
in the press gallery of the capitol by
the Washington correspondents for
L. v. Strayer of the Pitsburg Dis
patch and C. C. Brainerd of the
Brooklyn Eagle, and the law classes
Of 1924 at George Washington uni
versity held similar services in honor
Of two of it's members who were
killed. Georgetown announces that
it's memorial services will be held to
morrow at st. Patrick's church. A
number of other churches made SINH
lar announcements.
The city commission today turned
over it's investigation of the disaster
to Col. Charles Keller, engineer COM
missioner, and the building inspect
or's office. The federal grand jury
and the coroner's jury visited the
ruins OF the theatre today and it was
announced they would conduct thor
ough investigations to determine if
possible the cause Of the accident and
whether any individual was to blame.
Payton Gordon, district attorney, re-
quested the war department to as
sign several army engineers to as
sist the coroner's jury In its enquiry.
The Capper resolution proposing
an inquiry into the disaster was re-
ferred tonight by the senate to its
District of Columbia committee by
request of it's sponsor who said the
committee desired to make survey
of the inquiries already ordered and
to determine further the scope of the
senate investigation.
Senator Calder (Republican) of
New York urged that the inquiry be
broadened so as to determine what
additional building code should be
adopted to insure further safeguards
Washington, Jan. 31.-The roof OF
the Baltimore & Ohio railroad
freight depot at First street and
Florida avenue northeast crashed in
late today. Eight men had just
checked out for the day and no one
was injured.
The snow had been practically re-
moved from the slate roof, it was
said, but it was possible, it was add
ed, that the supporting brick piers
and oak beams had been weakened by
the accumulation of snow from the
recent storm. But little freight was
there at the time.
The crash came unexpectedly as
in the case of the KnickerbockeI
theatre, the roof giving away sudden
ly and coming down with deafenine
crash. A great mass Of debris filled
the interior Of the structure, which
is 400 feet long and 40 wide and one
story in height.
President of Trust Company