Evening star., 1922-02-08
The Knickerbocker Disaster.


Not many people. whether experts.
observers or those who have follow
ed the story of the collapse of the
Knickerbocker Theater. In Washing
ton, will be inclined to agree with
the Rock Island Argus that 1.-The only
explanation Of the tragedy is that it
was to be-" Rather the suspicion pre-
walls. as the Norfolk virginian Pilot
expresses it. Here was not a fright
full act of God. but frightful mis-
take of man." for. as another writer
says. somewhere somebody blum
dered."
But whatever investigation may de-
velop as to the causes, the lesson is
SO clear that the press intends that
| it shall be thoroughly learned and
applied. Fearful disasters of this
class are, alas. the price we have to
pay for stimulated vigilance in the
domain Of pusie ae.S
everywhere demand that the price
shall not be paid to no purpose. THE
Iroquois fire in Chicago" the New
York Globe recalls. resulted in revo-
lutionafy changes in theater con.
and with the advent Of the movie "the
safety of theater buildings has be-
come a much more serious problem"
the New York Post adds. The fire
hazard has been reduced to mini
mum as a result OF the terrible iro-
whether adequate provision has
been made and is being made against
construction hazards" In fact, as the
st. Louis Globe-Democrat sees it, the
EFFORT to reduce the danger Of fire
has resulted in system Of building
which presents perils of its own,
and now "the new construction Of
complicated trusswork and reinforced
concrete" that has saved from the
one peril must be wrought so pains
takingly as to save US from tne
oshsr The m ,Pss hoehssssr tse cId euiiaers
working in stone, erected structures
which have stood the storm of cen
turies," and "if this can be done with
stone there Is no excuse for failure
to attain safety with the much su-
perior modern material. steei. ,e-
ford to build safe buildings" the New
Haven Register thinks. ut Is the
owners OF moving picture theaters,
vet the Brooklyn Eagle notes abun-
dant evidence that care has not oeen
extended to all eonstfnsciHWM con tnss W.. Sl
ineton house was built when costly
mevte theatsrs were few and far be-
tween" ana, "with moving picture
theater buildings springing up; IKE
mushrcoms;. as .hs ths waeninsten prcsioenee
csts.trophe. cousas, the. South Bend Tribune
eontends, "iays the whole subject Of
hicture house construction open 70
raview.n and calls for most searcn-
ing investigation OF motion picture
houses all over the United states.
,,e. a.nmsoi ,hs reiaxation Of building laws
and inspection ITO permit the spsedy
erection Of mushroom building" dur
ing the s'heetic war period, as tne
Omaha News and the ROCKY Meanss
tain News express u, ana pash sstass =,
lies the civic system which makes
Wsshineton zone OF the worst: most
nerfmncforiiy governed cities In the
counfry," to quote the knox1iile
Sentinel. The citizens OF tns asaIiiIe 1is
warsis Of the federal government"
and az il be true that the building
laws are too Lax, then Congress- muss
accent q large share Of the blame.
fndeed, ''in the end, Congress is tne
sSi.y esrtgg tas declares as the the Hartford
Rinses RnnM Hsc expisins Il, Congress controls
every PENNY that is spent fSr nianici-
nal works in the District" and Con
Eress, "if it does not PROVIDE Innas
That are sufficient 70 ,ss enaorSe ;s
its building laws and others laws, rs,
In mart. reasonable fol. what follows
from parsiffiony or neglect"
"Hesponsibility for this dreaoiuI
catastrophe comes home at last e tne
Eoyernfient Of the District OF Coiurn-
6ia," declares the New York Worid.
But what, it asks, Is that govern
ment-A question WHICH the ithaca
Joufnal-News undertakes to answer
thus: ,.,,
Bushwhack Corners, New FORKS East
Side. OF heaven knows where, who
never saw the capital until he was
somehow elected to Congress-, mas
the right to say to the people OF
Washington how MANY schools they
shall have. what they shall pay their
teachers, what shall be ths Size OF
their police force. Men from
All PARTS of the country who know
nothing Of washingfen's needs and
WSShfhEton's problems ana often
times don't give a hang have the
sole right to determine what kind
6 I lssvefnmsns Wa'Ainstea Is to
J Ths Adrian takisAl TslsSfaaa ~.