The Washington times., 1929-11-23
SPECIAL BOARD
To SIT 7 FATAL
EXPLOSION

place responsibility and learn how
a similar tragedy can be averted.
The members of the board are
Major Donald A. Davidson, AS
sistant Engineer Commissioner,
chairman: P. M. Greenlaw. in.
spector of boilers; Col. John w.
Oehmann, building inspector; A.
r. McGonigle, plumbing inspec-
tor: Fire Marshal A. c. AchStet-
ter and Assistant Corporation
Counsel Robert E. Lynch.
The board will convene at 10
o'clock Monday morning in the
board room at the District Build
ing.
Actual damage to McCrory's
5-and-lO.cent store, to an adjoin-
ing shoe store, and to the side
walk and pavement will total
about $1,000, it was estimated
yesterday.
Valve In Good Condition
The tank which exploded was
in a vault under the sidewalk in
front of McCrory's and was used
to supply the washrooms in the
building. Colonel Oehmann and
McGonigle, in their inspection Of
the premises, located the safety
valve of the tank. It was in per-
feet condition, and the only con-
lecture as to the cause of the
blast so far is that there was q
stoppage in the pips leading to
the valve.
Further efforts will be made to
recover parts of the plumbing
and heating system. Col. VIII
liam B. Ladue, Major Dawson,
EGreenwau, McGonigle and Lynch
late yesterday considered a pre-
liminary report which indicated
that the hot water tank exploded,
releasing a quantity Of steam,
which thus caused the entire
vault to blow up and let down
the sidewalk.
At this session it was decided 20
ask the United States Bureaus a
Standards and the Bureau a
Mines, to lend two experts q "a
in the investigation. Both offices
agreed to do 50.
The death Of Mrs. Florence
Darlington, so, of w Street neaP
North Capitol, at Emergency
Hospital last night raised the
total of fatalities 20 six.
Still in Hospital.
Seven persons remain in hos
pitfalls out Of approximately 30
persons hurt in the blast. TIE
condition OF Miss Lulu Carter, "a,
a nurse, of the 500 block Della
field Pl., N. W., AMI of Mrs. lea
Decker, "a, First block Roxb3ro
Pl., n. W., is critical. Both have
fractured skulls and internal in.
juries. The list of dead today
was as follows:
Mrs. Darlington.
Miss Elizabeth Dawson, 80, 800
block of Maryland Ave, N. E.
Miss Kitty Culli1an. 46, 4.iG9
block Arkansas Ave. N. w.
Mrs. Annie Cockrell, IL, a nice E
OF Miss Cullinan, also of the
same address.
Mary Anne Cock"ell, 2-year old
daughter of Mrs. Cockrell.
Charles Jacobson, %, 1900
block Twelfth st. N. W.
Inquest Is Postponed
An inquest was called at the
morgue yesterday after five of
the deaths had been reported.
After four witnesses had been
heard, Assistant District Attorney
William H. Collins and Robert E.
Lynch. assistant corporation coun,
sci, pointing to the possibility Of
culpability, asked that the in.
quest be postponed until more
complete evidence is available
The inquest was continued until
December 2, when i will be held
in the board room at the District
Building.
The preliminary report on the
tragedy, drawn up by Assistant
Engineer Commissioner Dawson,
revealed that the boiler never
had been inspected. In 1925 the
building code was amended and
a provision inserted prohibiting
use of hot water boilers in vaults
The regulation was not retro
active and wherever such boilers
were already in use they could
not be removed and no regu,
lation even for their inspection
existed, as low pressure boilers,
as this one was, are not subject
to inspection.