Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-24
-FOUR BOILER BLAST
CAUSES ARE CITED
BY FIRE OFFICIALS
Report to Be Submitted to
Special Inquiry Board
Tomorrow.
HOLDS RUST IN PIPES
MOST LIKELY THEORY
Doubts It Will Be Possible to Show
Whether Clogged-Up Water
Line Was Responsible,

Having completed his investigation oil
the McCrory and 10 cent store dis
ester last Thursday. Acting Fire Mar
shall Charles G.. Achstetter has prepared
a report containing four possible eX-
plantations of the cause of the boiler
explosion which claimed six lives and
resulted In injuries to more than
score.
when the special board of inquiry
appointed by the District Commissioners
to investigate the tragedy, meets to-
morrow morning, Achstetter will sub
NIT his report.
It also was learned last night that
experts who have been making an in
vestigation for the owners of the store
have found some grounds for the belief
that the boiler blast may have been
caused by a preceding external ex-
plosion in the vault.
Water May Have Been Lacking.
Mr.. Achstetter's tentative theories
are:
/. That the blast was caused by the
water supply of the boiler being acct
dentally cut of.
2. That an accumulation of scale or
rust In the pipes may have prevented
the surplus steam from reaching the
safety valve.
8. That the safety valve itself may
have failed to function.
4. That the draft to the heater may
have been left open, generating more
surplus steam than the boiler could
accommodate.
The acting fire marshal is inclined to
believe that his second theory is the
most plausible.
Recently. he said, he cut out a Sec
ton of water pipe in his own home and
Il l.
had more than half closed it. If the
pipe leading from the boiler to the
safety valve had become choked in this
manner, he explained, it is highly prob
able that the pent-up steam would ex-
plode the boiler.
Doubts Proof of ClOgging.
Either too hot a fire or a shortage
of water in the boiler could have caused
the blast, he declared, but even so, If
the safety valve had been functioning
properly and the pipes leading to it
clear, the surplus steam should have
escaped without disaster.
Mr.. Achstetter was doubtful II 1t
would be possible to show that the
pipes were clogged, assuming that such
a condition did exist. So forceful was
the blast that many of the essential
pipes were blown away, or so badly
twisted that the individual units can
not be identified.
While the death toll of the disaster
remained at six late last night, hos
pital authorities reported that some
improvement had been shown by all of
the more seriously injured victims.
Physicians at Sibley Hospital said
that 5-year-old Charles Decker, whose
life was at first deapaired of, showed
some signs of Improvement for the first
time yesterday. However, the boy is by
no means out of danger, they said.
Two Are Holding Own.
At Emergency Hospital it was said
that Mrs Ida Decker, mother of
Charles, and Mrs. Lulu Carter. graduate
nurse, both of whom were hurt badly,
are more than holding their own. AL
of the others injured virtually are out
of danger.
The dead are: Mrs. Florence Dar-
1ington. so, of SO w street: Miss Eliza
beth Dawson, SO, of 337 Maryland ave-
nue. notheast; Miss Kitty Cullinan, IS.
of 4505 Arkansas avenue; her sister,
Mrs. Annie Cockren, Al, also of the
Arkansas avenue address; Mary Anne
Cockrell, two-year-old daughter of Mrs.
Cockrell, and Charles Jacobsen, So, of
1924 Twelfth street northeast.
NIAdIIC6 d. 4GpUoB lOI tIlC
McCrory firm, said the experts con-
Quoting the investigation for the store
have not yet submitted formal reports.
II was believed, however, that these
experts found some evidence OF an eX-
ternal explosion which might have
blown the top off the boiler, causing
the second and more severe blast.
I'VE are depending a lot Mr.. Tebbs
said. ION the investigation being con-
Quoted by the District authorities and
experts from the Bureau Of Standards
and the Bureau Of Mines.
I'VE are anxious to- have all of the
facts of this terrible disaster brough;
to light and we will cooperate with the
investigating officials in every possible
way"
Mai. Donald A. Dawson, Assistant
Engineer Commissioner, is chairman OF
the special board of inquiry, which to-
morrow will begin hearing evidence as
to the cause of the explosion. Other;
on the board include: p. M. Green
Law, inspector of boilers; John w. Och
mann, building inspector; A. r. Nc.
CONCEAL, inspector of plumbing; Fire
Mashal Achstetter, and a representa-
tive of the Corporation Councils of.
flee, probably Robert E. Lynch, rank.
ing assistant.
Jacobsen, whose legs were crushed
in the wreckage and who died from
loss of blood, was buried yesterday.