The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-01-24
SNOWFALL
RECALL
CRASH
Marks Anniversary, 70 the
Hour, Of Storm That Brought
Down Knickerbocl<er.

z z
Washington's first snowfall,
which began at 1855 o'clock this
morning, marks the first annjyer-
sary to the hour Of last years
snowstorm, which eliminated,
after four days Of steady showing,
in the worst theater disaster IN the
history Of Washington and the
second in the history q the nation.
Caused Hundred Deaths.
It win be one year ago this com
ing Saturday night 1t cit o'clock
that the Knickerbocker tragedy hap
pened. bearing in IT. sruesome
train nearly 100 deaths, many in
jured and MANNED. ana much suf-
fering and misery az wei an legal
|entanglements without end.
The place where this sudden and
appalling havoc was wrought still
Fears Its ragged, OnninOus ruins like
o. monsfcOus tombstone and causes
TIE passer-bN 70 pause and ask why
Warrington. the beautiful. should
be permitted to suffer from q sight
unpleasant to eye and memory.
The KnickeFbocker Theater, at
Eighteenth street and Columbia
road northwest. on the evening OF
January % last year was crowded
with hundreds Of men. women and
children. all In joyous mood. the
holiday season having just passed
and left its happy imprint on
everybody. No one had even the
slightest suspicion that everything
was not safe, or that death how
cred around Their. al.
W:t.out warning ard WITT terri.
Sy..R sU66e::ess tie -oos os TIE
playhouse collapsed under its heavy
weight Of snow. carrying with II
In its crash iron beams, steel raft.
ers, blO0xs OF broken concrete and
the whole balcony. burying under
meath its heavy load many OF the
patrons and pinioning them for
hours under the debris.
Traffic Had Stopped.
To make matters worse. snow
was falling heavily and q blizzard
was raging. The streets and side
walks were almost impossible and
street car traffic had almost en-.
tirely suspended operations. This
state OF affairs seriously interfered
with the prompt arrival upon this
scene Of horror Of the police and
fire departments.
II was a ghastly sight that pre-.
scented itself to those who arrived
first on the scene OK horror. Crfea
intermingled with prayers coming
from the unfortunate reached the
ears Of those who had rushed tc
the rescue. Police did heroic work
day after day and night after night.
not minding the bowling snowstorm
and freezing temperature. They
were ably assisted by the fire de-
partment and the military forces
which had been Communicated by
the Secretary of War.
Church Made q MOrgue.
Nurses and ambulances and
physicians worked INCREASINGLY try.
the injured and attending to those
who had found their death where
they expected to find happiness.
The hospitals were crowded with the
MANNED and bleeding and the ad-
joining Christian Science Church
offered by the church authorities
was transformed into a temporary
morgue.
After the catastrophe had hap
pened 1t caused comments every
where in the public press and in
Congress-. Measures were suggested
to prevent similar accidents
Lawyers were consulted as to legal
aspects Of those who had been in
jured and those who had suffered
from death.
The coroner's jury found certain
men guilty of alleged negligence and
manslaughter and the District At.
torney began his Investigations in
the matter.
Engineers Of the Army and Navy
and other experts co-operated with
the District Attorney in the. invests.
CATION of the disaster and in an eff
fort to fix the blame. Finally
finishing their investigation and
examination Of witnesses. the grand
Jury returned an indictment April
8, 1922, for granddaughter against:
Reginald w. Geare. architect: John
H. Ford. fabricator OF the iron.
work; Julian r. bowman, In
spector Of the Building Inspector
office; Don M. Wallace, foreman for
the building contractor and Richard
G. Fletcher, in charge OF the cement
and tile work on the building.
Charges against four other men
made by the coroner's Jury were
ignored by the grand jury.
| The accused were arraigned' and
Continued on Page 229