Evening star., 1929-12-04
Jury BLAMES TANK
IN BLAST INQUEST
No Responsibility Fixed for
Explosion That Took
Six Lives.

A coroner's jury decided today that
the fatal explosion in McCrory's and
10 cent store two weeks ago was an
accident resulting from the bursting of
an "overheated, defective hot-water
tank"
The explosion, which occurred in the
afternoon of November 81, resulted in
the deaths of six persons and the injury
of more than 20 others.
Convened specifically to determine the
cause of death of Miss Elizabeth Daw-
son, the jury's verdict read as follows:
I'VE find that Miss Elizabeth Dawson
came to her death in Emergency Hos
pital on November 81 from fractured
skull, hemorrhage and shock. We be-
lieve her death was the result of in
juries dye to an accident resulting from
the explosion of an overheated, defec-
tive hot-water tank"
The jury made on effort to Ak respon-
sibility, nor did it indicate belief that
any individual was responsible.
Miss Dawson was the first of the in
jured to die, and consequently the in
quest was based on her death.
1t is the duty Of the jurymen to de-
eide upon the existence of any criminal
responsibility for the blast, which
caused six deaths and resulted in in
juries to more than 20 other persons.
If the jury should find that no criminal
responsibility exists, their report will
contain only their version OF the cause
Of the explosion. Coroner j. Ramsay
Nevitt presided at the inquest. The
District of Columbia was represented
by Assistant Corporation Counsel Rob-
ert E. Lynch and the District attorneys
office by William H. Collins, assistant
District attorney.
Explains Water Tank Theory.
Mai. w. A. Danielson of the War
Department testified that during the
infiniteSimal elapse of time involved in
the breaking of the water tank and
the transformation of the hot water
300, 900 horsepower would be generated.
This, he said, Is comparable to the
devastating force of a stroke of light
ming.
At the request of Assistant Engineer
Commissioner Donald A. Dawson, Mai
Danielson made an investigation of the
room in which the explosion occurred.
He said that in his opinion the direct
cause of the blast was without QueS-
ton the bursting of the tank and the
consequent release of the superheated
water. When water heated above 2l2
degrees is exposed to air 1t Is con-
verted into steam and expands many
times the volume Of the water. 1t was
this expansion, he testified, which
caused the eruption of the sidewalk.
Maj. Danielson expressed the belief
that If the explosion had occurred ur-
der the store itself, the entire building
would have been shaken to pieces.
He attributed the breaking OF the
tank to the giving away of the i'm
properly welded" bottom. He said there
was no way of determining what caused
the bottom to break loose, but that 1t
might have been caused by stoppage
Of the cold water supply or an accumu-
lation of steam in the top of the tank
Reports Clerks Complaint.
Lieut.. Joseph C. Morgan, in charge
of the homicide squad, said that car
Donating machine, which had been IN
the vault was blown entirely across Sew
enth street by the explosion. He said
that he interviewed Miss Olga v. Ship
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