Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-23
BOARD GETS READY
FOR BLAST INQUIRY
Death List Remains at Six;
5-Year-0ld Boy Is Not
Expected to Recover.

With the death toll of the McCrory 5
& 10 Cent Store disaster standing at six
today, all but one of the other persons
injured in the explosion were showing
signs of improvement Five-year-old
Charles Decker, hovering near death In
Sibley Hospital, was reported no better
this morning.
Meanwhile the city was marshaling
its inquisitorial forces to probe into the
cause of the disaster and to guard
against any recurrence.
With the coroner marking time pend
ing the completion of thorough inves-
tigation, the members of the special
board of inquiry appointed by the Dis
trict Commissioners have decided to
commence their examination OF wit
nesses at 10 O'Clock Monday morning In
the boardroom of the District Building.
The United States Bureau OF STANDARDS
and the Bureau Of Mines will be called
upon to lend its aid in the investiga-
ton.
One of the most significant out
growths of a preliminary investigation
Yesterday was the disclosure that there
is no regulation in the District code
requiring any official inspection OF low
pressure water-heating boilers such as
the one at the McCrory Store. 1t was
explained they were considered so sa1e
that inspection was not deemed neces-
sary. However, according to Assistant
Engineer Commissioner Donald A.
Dawson, under the same circumstances
similar explosions might occur in any
of the many private homes and apart
ment houses where similar boilers are
used.
Death List at Six.
The death of Mrs. Florence Darling.
the total of fatalities to six yesterday
afternoon. The dead are:
Mrs. Darlington.
Miss Elizabeth Dawson, 38, OF 337
Maryland avenue northeast.
Miss Kitty Cullinan, 46, OF 45O5
Arkansas avenue.
Mrs. Annie Cockrell, Al, niece of
Miss Cullinan, also Of the Arkansas
avenue address.
| daughter of Mrs. Cockrel.
Charles jacobson, So, of 1924 Twelfth
| street northeast.
With the exception of Charles Decker,
who lives at 528 RoXboro place, all OF
the other victims are believed to be re-
covering.
The two others most seriously injured
are Mrs Ida Decker, mother OF Charles,
and Mrs. Lulu Carter, "a, graduate
nurse. of 609 Delafleld place.
Both of the women are in Emergency
! Hospital with fractured skulls and in
! ternal injuries, but they had shown
such improvement this morning that
| their physicians held forth for the first
time hope Of their recovery.
Veteran Leaves Hospital.
Warren Thayer, 20 years old, one Of
the heroes of the disaster, was still suf-
fering from shock, believed to be re-
currence of shell shock sustained dur
ing the World War. When he was
picked up after the explosion he num-
bled incoherently that an ammunition
car had run over him. Physicians be-
lieve he was injured in this manner
during the war. He left the hospital
| today.
Six other persons, hurt by flying
concrete and the force Of the explosion,
are still in a serious condition, while a
score more are nursing minor injuries.
| Damage to the McCrory store, neigh
| boring business houses and the street
and sidewalk has been approXimated
| by Fire Department officials at $4,000.
| Engineer Commissioner William B.
) Ladue announced late yesterday that
/ he had assigned his assistant, Mai.
| Dawson, to take full charge of the
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