Evening star., 1947-12-24
WreekeTP|ah
Final Search in
Empire Ruins
Womon's Body Found;
ChiIdren's S Lawyer
Asks Congress Probe

All missing persons in the Empire
Apartments collapse were accounted
for today with the recovery of a
fourth body and workmen prepared
to wreck the building after one more
survey of the hazardous ruins.
The body Of Mrs. K. B. Van Sick
Ter, 78, was taken from the building
at Ninth street and New York ave-
nue. NV, at 1910 last night, more
than three hours after it was dis
covered by Murray Shipp, president
of the Pines Wrecking Co.
Shortly before her body was re-
moved, Harold S. Harrison, an at
torney for two of her children, sent
letters to the chairmen of the Senate
and House District Committee re-
questing Congressional Board of
inquiry to determine why rescue
work was delayed and If there was
official negligence.
Mr.. Shipp said he was satisfied no
bodies remained in the ruins, but
that his men would make a final
check of one unexplored mass of
debris on the second floor level this
morning and that he would make a
personal survey thereafter.
Requires Dangerous Mission.
This required a dangerous mission
into the shattered seven-s story build
ing, with only rope around. his
waist as security against a possible
slip or shifting Of the rubble.
1t was such an operation that
resulted last night in the recovery
Of Mrs. Van Sickler's body.
Secured with rope held by two
men at the fifth floor level Mr..
Shipp was lowered to what was the
fifth floor, now piled up at about
the fourth floor level. Peering into
the debris, he saw fingers of one
hand protruding. About the same
time, as he was standing on a
precariously hanging section of the
building, a small slide started. He
slipped 4 or S feet, but was jerked
to safety by the rope.
Body Freed After 2 Hours.
Later. spotlight aimed from
underneath, illuminated a foot in
the debris. A firemans net was
slung about l8 feet beneath the
body and crane was used to shake
the wreckage. Two hours of this
freed the body, which had been
tangled in bedclothing and a mat
tress.
Mrs. Van Sickler was identified
at the morgue by son, Giles, of
Fitzgerald, Ga.
Autopsy reports on two others re-
covered from the ruins Monday,
Ernest Dorsey, "A, and Joseph M.
Smith, 10. we're expected from
Coroner A. Magruder Macdonald
today. The fourth victim, George
Patterson, 10, was found shortly
after the building collapsed at II: 80
pm. December 16.
Praising firemen who had entered
the building before it was con-
demned as unsafe, Mr.. Shipp said
the tragedy pointed up the need for
District disaster squad, MAIN
tanned as an independent agency.
Trained Rescue Squad Urged.
This kind of thing needs a squad
Of trained men who know buildings
and can start rescue work before a
wrecking company is called" he said.
The men should know how to shore
up building under emergency con-
ditions and all the other short cuts
to rescue work.
He said firemen are not trained
for such work and that it was re-
markable that they accomplished
what they did during the night of
the tragedy without injury.
The request for congressional in
vestigation was made by Mr. Harri-
son as the attorney of William M.
Van Sickler of Accokeek, Md, and
Mrs. L. B. Phillips of Round Hill,
Va, son and daughter of Mrs. Van
Sickler.
Mr. Harrison's letter pointed to
the 'incongruity" of having Build
ing Inspector Robert H. Davis-"the
man officially responsible for proper
building inspection chairman of
q citizens board appointed by the
Commissioners to investigate the
structural failure.
Mr.. Harrison said thorough in
vestigation under the direction of a
construction engineer having no Of
fetal position in the District gov
ernment was indicated by the al
legged admission" of Engineer Com
missioner Gordon r. Young that
bootleg" building operations-build-
ing without official permit - have
been practiced.
The attorney said he hoped a
joint committee inquiry would be
set up to determine official negli-
gence, If any, in the making of
building inspections. the approving
OF building remodeling plans and in
the filing of reports and records,
some of which were reported missing
from the Empire Apartments file.