Evening star. [volume], January 29, 1922, Image 1

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
If
WEATHER.
Clearing today; tomorrow probahly
falr; little change In temperature.
Temperature for twenty-four hour*
rndeil at 10 p.m. last night. Highest,
29: lowest. 21..
Full report on Page 12.
?4
Member of the Associated Press
Tbi? Agtocfsted Press Is exclusively entitled to
the nee for republication of nil newt dlspntrh'*
credited to it or net otherwloe credited In thin
psper nud nlso the loenl news published herein.
All rights of publlcnticn of wpeciel
dispntehes herein nre nlsn reserved.
V . ftTO 9ft ^tQO Entered ss wecond class matter
O. 0 I ?./? O. *mOyOi7*7. post office Washington, D. C?
WASHINGTON, D. C., SUNDAY MQRNING, JANUARY ,29, 1922.
?*
frlVE CENTS.
OR MORE KILLED AND
INJURED
KNICKERDOCKER THEATER CAVES
ROOF COLLAPSES
BALCONY FALLS
Rescue Work Spewed
With Hundreds Lying
in Tons of Ruins.
Forty persons are known to have been killed
and between 60 and 100 injured when the snow
laden roof of the Knickerbocker Theater, at 18th street
and Columbia road northwest, collapsed last night,
burying hundreds beneath a twisted mass of steel, stone
and concrete. .
At 3:30 o'clock this morning the ruins were still being
searched by more than 200 soldiers, marines, police and
firemen. More dead are believed to rest beneath the
pile of debris. All injured have not beten reported. The
list may reach 100.
The roof crushed in at about 9 o'clock. After eight
hours search in a blinding snowstorm the rescue work?
is incomplete.
As this is written, reports from the scene tell of the j
cries of the injured still heard from beneath the wreck- j
age.
At 5 o'clock this morning wrecking cranes were be-1
ing brought to the scene to lift the heavy girders of steel;
which still kept many captive and prevented recovery of J
the dead.
CRASH CCMES AFTER INTERMISSION.
The orchestra was playing during the intermission for a change i
of reels. The show was about to begin. People were filing in and
out oil the theater.
Came a hiss?a terrlffic crash?the rattle and clatter of falling ;
timber, stcne, steel and plaster. A woman screamed. Parting in;
the middle under the weight of many inches of snow, the roof j
had given way. It struck the balcony, which extends about half!
way over the pit. Down crashed the balcony.
A stillness, an unearthly pause, followed the din. Then a;
scream, an agonized cry, a moan. Beneath tons of steel and;
masonry scores of men women and children were buried.
The catastrophe will rank among the most terrible on record.;
While there have been about forty bodies removed from the ruins,;
the workers, who are continuing this morning their labors among'
the mass of wreckage, report more bodies pinned beneath under
heavy girders. It will be late today before the final truth is known.
s CHURCH HOLDS MANY DEAD.
Every hospital within practical reach of the scene was full to j
'to overflowing this morning. In the Christian Science Church,j
which stands at the corner of Columbia road and Euclid street,;
lay the bodies of a score of dead. Some of them had not been iden-1
tified. Every house, every sicre, served as a first-aid stationi
through the night and early today, where the injured were treated j
and dispatched in ambulances to hospitals or to their-homes. ;
Hotels in the city threw open their doors to he injured and to 1
the rescuers. Residents in ihe vicinity of 18th street and Colombia'
road served hot coffee and food through the night.
Toward, dawn this morning a crowd of several hundred j
anxious relatives beseiged the hospitals, the newspapers, and took;
part in the search of the ruins?all awaiting word of some onej
who was in the theater. More than onpe during the night the
tragic news was broken, over the telephone, to a father, or a
mother, of the death of a loved one.
Amoag Tkoar Dead. a member of the Gridiron Club.
, , u The crash came at 9 o'clock. It
Among; those killed were t. H. ??"
began with a loud hiss> followed by
Krnest, district manager for Wash
ington of the Dictograph Products
Company: Douglas Hillyer. a local
Athlete and well known in Washing
ton society; Miss Mililred Walford,
a deafening roar. The middle of the
roof gave way first. It was followed
by the entire roof and the balcony.
The fallen balcony covered the* alt
of the theater. On top of th'at was the
1727 Riggs place; former Representa- roof.
Mrs..^Charles M. Wesson, wife of Col.
<M. Wesson. I". S. A.; Thomas R.
3v>urne.' 1430 K street northwest, and
C. ? Brainard. Washington corre
spondent of the Brooklyn Eagle and
of falling timbers, concrete and steel
was silenced, the agonized shriek
and cries for help from those buried
beneath the-mass began. The screams
(Continued on Page 2, Column I.)
f
RESCUING INJURED FROM KNICKERROCKER THEATER
The Known Dead.
Former Representative A. J. Barchfeld of Pennsylvania, 1945
Calvert street.
Miss Helena Barchfeld, daughter of former Representative
Barchfeld. *
C. C. 'B.rainard, correspondent of Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
Douglas Hiliyer, 2021 Hillyer place.
Mrs. Charles M. Wesson, wife of Col. C. M. Wesson, ordnance
department, U. S. A., 18?1 Belmont road.
Co!. Charles Coles Tucker, of Donaldson & Tucker, attorneys.
McC. Farr, Henderson Furniture Co.
Jacob Urdong, 2312 20th street.
Mrs. Mary Ethel Atkinson, 2233 18th street.
L. L. Lehler, 204 B street ncrthwest.
W. B. Sammon, alien property custodian office.
William Tracy, 501 Rhode Island avenue, /i trombone player
in the orchestra.
Mrs. B. H. Covell, 2409 18th street.
F. H. Ernest, District manager of the Washington office,
Dictograph Products Company,, offices 402 Evans budding.
Mrs. Marie Russell, 2475 18th street northwest
W. L. Sccfield, Danville, Va.
G. S. Freeman, musician.
D. F. O'Donnell, 1731 Columbia road.
Mrs. D. F. O'Donnell, 1731 Columbia road.
Mildred Walford, 1727 Riggs place.
Louis F. Valentine, Almas Temple, 727 13th street northwest
Mrs. Louis Valentine.
W. M. Crocker, Congress Hall Hotel.
Mrs. Norman E. Mar tin dale, 2633 Adams Mill road.
Joseph W. Beal, 1488 Chapin street.
R. H. Conroy Vance, Fredericksburg, Va.
Thomas R. Bourne, 1430 K street.
"Doc" Brosseau, North Adams, Mass., student at Georgetown
Foreign Service School.
F. H. Hall.
Orseto E. Matellio, 1800 Belmont street, orchestra leader. ?
Unidentified woman with light hair, brown leather coat, light
brown sweater, wearing khaki knickerbockers, brown stockings
and brown sport shoes.
Unidentified man, Sandy hair; V. L. on brass belt buckle.
Unidentified man in full dress, believed to be player in or
chestra.
An unidentified women, dark brown hair, about forty years
old; pongee waist, black and white plaid skirt.
An unidentified woman, reddish brown hair, about forty'years
old; white shirtwaist, moleskin collar and velvet skirt.*
An unidentified woman with small check brown skirt and darl^
silk waist; brown hair; about forty years old.
An unidentified woman, short, heavy; wore Mack one-piece
dress with large pearl buttons. ~ . If j
Heavy-set woman, black velvet dress, string, of beads aroumk
neck.
An unidentified man with diamond ring; heavy: black suit;
gold Watch; silver penciL
Woman with pink silk waist and dark skirt; heavy sot; light
?|miy| A J *" ?" "*' * v ? ---.-J
List of the Injured.
Mrn. II. J. Hronn, 10471 II lit more
norlbwPNt.
Wallet Inl Say. 2312 20th street
norlhwcst.
M. K. CaRtney, add re** unknown.
Mr*. Henry S. Powell. 2400 16th
Mtreet. hrulwrd and eut. wan taken to
Rmergrnr} Hospital. Henry Wilson
and Mi** Iklelln \VII*on, her aon nnd
dnujrhtcr. who were In the balcony,
were removed to their home. Ha mil
toil \Vil*on, another mou, win nt home
when the Are enicine* pn**ed. He
went to the acene of the aeeident nnd
found hi* mother aa Mhe wa* being
taken from the building.
' Henry T. I.neey, forty years old. an
employe of The Star, 1117 K street. i
fractured ribs. ?
J. li. Durland. 2100 18th * treet; eut*
and bruises.
Mr*. J. L. Durland. 2100 18th Mtreet. 1
Mhoek. cut* and hruiMCM.
\ohlle Tomn**o A**erelo. third mcc
i retary of the Italian emba*My, 1803
| California Ntreet.
It. J. Rowen. 1040 fliltmore ntreet,
' badly Injured. j
Mr*. Mildred < K. J.) Howe*. 1040
Riltinore Ntreet, leg broke*.
Marie Rhea, 1301 Rhode Inland ave
nue. \ '
j + John ftlenner, musician. 1538 A
? street northea*t.
Belle Rembo, 1020 Calvert Mtreet.
F. W. Dodnon, 1330 Montague Mtreet.
J. R. l>od*on. father of above, 1330
Montague Mtreet,
John PrealoMO, musician, 435 M
street, badly cut head, possible frac- j
ture.
A Iphonso Vantoucke, musician. 508
East Capitol street, cuts* fractures;
of rlgbf arm and *houider.
?? Mertle, 2400 18th Mtreet, arm
cruMhed off at Mhoulder. s
?. Caplan, 1715 18th street.
Moe Gold, 1713 18th street, fractured
jaw. N > I
Hugh Glean, 1855 Calvert street.
Edward A. Williams, trombone
player, 701 C street, broken leg.
Mr. and Mrs. Jonas MI.chnleus?
Wood ley Apartment* Injuries slight. |
Or. Cast Is Lee Hall, 1700 Columbia
road* fractured arm* and his wife,
dislocated Mhoulder* fractured arm
! aad^cnts about head. x
Ml** Margaret Cole. 107 East,
Florence courts, lacerated* ankles.
v ' darewce Long, thirty-two, 4849
B lit more street. ?
James A. Curtain, twenty-one. 2402j
Ontario road, of Florence* Mas*.
. Miss Helen Hopkins, 1028 Blltnaore
street, cuts about the head.
M. Tiee, 3521 Newark street, j
abrasion about head and body.
' Albert . R. Sward, 1438 U ntreet ?
northwest* fractured akull.
Miss Mactican White, $828 Columbia
road, broken leg,
Etta Underwood, 2500 K ntreet
northwest. * ? . -j
, Mr?. Matlic Schwab, 181* Calvert j
mtte*.- . ' " ^ . ' *
Mr*. Mary Chalmers. -- Grafton
Jitrfft, Chevy Chase.
I
Clarence Newkirk. 1 T.'S.'l Columbia ?
road, removed to home.
Mr*. Bernard RrcK*fan. 179- Colum- !
b!a road, both shoulder* broken.
Min? SadZe Brc**lan. 17IKL Columbia ,
road.
Mr*. Juliette Webb, California ;
Rtreet, slightly injured.
Kepre*entative John A. Smith wick i
of Florida.' 1868 Columbia road, fell!
from balcony and watt Mllghtly injured i
about arm* and neck.
Lewi* Strnyer, 1837 Calvert *treet, j
removed from theater uncoiiwcioun ;
and daughter Martha taken out with '
! fractured collarbone.
Mr*. Dougla* Hlllyer, 2021 Hillyer j
place, pinned under -debrl*. but not j
badly Injured.
Ml** Elisabeth' Jeffrie*. 1707 Ma*-'
*acku*etls avenue, *erfou* internal !
- injurle*.
FJIiott Brumbaugh, ?]Or?0 Blltmore
, street, *hock and brui*e*.
X. I. I'rdong. 2312 20th street, in-.
Jiired about face and nrm* and burled
for three honr* under the debrl*.
# Mr*, Gertrude Taylor, 1605 Hobart
street, probable internal Injuries. i
Vincent Dannber, ten year* old, 1800 i
Belmont road, very seriously injured. J
John !Vesbft and his sister, Kather- j
inc -\esblt, of 1748 P street northwest,1
*lightiy Injured.
Col. C. M. Wesson of 1821 Belmont !
road northwest, slightly Injured.
K. H. Shaughanessy, wecond a**l*t
ant poNtmaster genera I.
Mrs. R. 11. Shaughne**y, wife of
| Nceond assistant Postmaster General.
11673 Columbia road, broken ribs.
Ruth ShaiiKhnessy, daughter, ten
years old, both arms broken.
I June Bergman, twenty-one, of 1821
! Blltmore street, injured arm.
Joseph C. Bruce, 1019 Hobart street,
arm Is badly gashed.
Mrs. J. 11. Hills, wife of Capf. Hills,
V. S. A., and daughter of Col.
Creagher, l> S. A., badly hurt. Capt.
Hills, who'Is still Imprisoned, direct
ed the rescue of bis wife.
Mrs. Guy EMridge, 1824 Blltmore
street, pinned under debris for live
hours.
Miss Mfiry For*ythe, 1802 Belmont
Street northwest, suffering from
fthoek.
John T. McEverley, 2477 18th street
northwest, suffering from shock.
John Martert, living with Dr. Pal
?ett, at 1122 3th street.
Dr. E. E. Harden, 1832 Blltmore, his
wife mmI two children, a boy and girl.
Gilbert Caplan, 1715 18th street
northwest. f
Alice Pasquale, 1710 Enelld street.
Miss Vlrgtala t*oole, 1364 Oak street.
Mrs. Josejtfft Younger, 1463 Colum
bia road.
Warren Helphen, 213h- Calvert
street. W.
'? H. k Calvert
(Conftnued on Pa^e J." Column l|' ~
STORM GOES SEAWARD;
LEAVES TRAFFIC TIE-UP
AND 26 INCHES OF SNOW
Trolley Service Suspended at 9
O'Clock Last Night?Cars
Stalled Along Streets.
NINE SOUTHERN TRAINS STUCK
j BETWEEN D. C. AND ALEXANDRIA
i
! .
iFew Arrivals or Departures From Union
j
! Station?Some Cars Leave for Nearbv
I ?
Virginia?Fair Weather Promised.
After covering- Washington w.ith
twenty-six inches of snow and almost '
eomplteelv paralyzing activities of all
kinds, the heaviest snowstorm since !
the blizzard of February. 181t?. passed
off the eastern shore of Maryland earJy i
today, trailed by intense gales along: ]
the Atlantic coast. Fair weather. :
with normal January temperature will j
follow the storm, according- to the !
weather bureau forecast.
With the exception of telegraph and ;
telephone communication, the District '
was virtually isolated last night from j
^l.e^U^de . v\o.?ld, ?U.e?t car tiaffic
was suspended entirely about 9 o'clock j
on all lines, while relief gangs made ?
strenuous efforts to get food to crews i
of cars snowbound in the suburbs. J
Many cars of the Capital Traction 1
Company, stalled in the snow along i
the various lines, were ordered aban- i
doned by the officials and their crews ::
sent home.
Passenger service on the railroads!
leading into and out of Washington.!
was crippled and only a few trains.;
tunning on belated schedules, arrived!
in or left the Union Station. Nine j
trains on {lis southern lines, operat- J
ing out of Washington, were stalled j
on the tracks bet ween here and Alex- !
andria. Ya. j
Twenty-itl* Inehcn at S OTloek. |
At S o'clock last night th? official!
weather bureau measurement of the j
snow was twenty-six incites, the!
greatest fo 1 i for the length of time j
in the histoiy of the bureau. Twen-j
tj -nine inches, however, were ineas- j
ured by the officials of the weather |
bureau at Washington Circle, but !
this measurement is not regarded as j
official. During the great blizzard of j
1891*. the bureau stated, but 20.51
inches of snow fell during: the two-J
day storm, a fall of 13.7 inches being i
already on the ground when the storm
started. I
Unabated for almost twenty-nine |
hours, the storm began to dissipate1
about 9 o'clock last night.. As the j
storm disappeared, the wind increased |
in velocity, but the weather bureau
D. C. MERCHANTS REAP
HARVEST IN RAPID SALE
OF STORM FOOTWEAR
Merchants selling rubbers, put
tees. boots and similar articles |
did ?? "land office" business yes
terday. supplying the needs of
persons who were forced, to be out
in the storm. " >
By late in the afternoon more
than one store was "sold out,":the
demand (seeming especially heavy
for puttees and other leg cover
ings.
Boots of all varieties, including
sea-going hip-boots, made their
appear^ice, while Army and Navy
uniforms of the several varieties
? adorned the manly forms of scores
of pedestrians.
Anything that would serve in
the storm was put on. The man
with the heaviest boots was en
vied. while the less-well-protected
persons contented themselves with
storm rubbers and galoshes of sev
eral varieties. ,
EARLY MORNING FIRE
BURNS THREE HOUSES i
? . !
Three-Alarm Blaze on H Street Be
tween 17th and 18th, Adds
to "Night of Terror."
A three-alarm fire at 1714-16 and 18
H street northwest added to the
"night of terror." The blaze broke
out at 2 o'clock this morning and at
5 while still burning fiercely, was un
der control of the worn-out firemen,
some of whom had just returned from
a. night of labor at the Knickerbocker
Theater disaster.
The origin could not be ascertained.
Tfie damage is expected to run into
inalny thousands of dollars. Inasmuch
cs the entire three houses were prac
tically burned otit infcide/ The occu
pants of the' thre? establishments
were aroused.and reached the street
in' safety. ?3 *
officials *=r?itl that ft would^ not S"
beyond twenty-five miles aVhour In
Washington, although cales were re
ported all along: the Atlantic coast.
Street car companies, which had
made vialant efforts to give some sort
of service throughout the day. gave
up all hope as the number of stalled
cars increased early in the night.
The Capital Traction Company aban
doned its service entirely, and re
leased the tired car crews.
The Washington Railway and Elec
tric Company also virtually suspended
its service sbooi 9 o clock after run
ning a few cars over three of its lines?
Jit. Pleasant, Georgetown and Lincoln
Park. The subsidiary suburban lines
were completely tied up. and a number
of cars stalled near Glen Echo and
Forest Glen. Crews of these stalled
cars were taken food.
Some cam <o Falls Charrfc.
Electric lines running into Maryland
and Virginia had difficulty in main
taining any schedule. Several cars left
on the Washington and Old Dominion
line about 6 o'clock for Great Falls.
On the Falls Church division of the
Washington-Virginia Electric railway
only a few cars left and c&me into
Washington. The Alexandria division
of this line was completely crippled
since early yesterday morning.
The Washington. Baltimore and
Annapolis electric line ran few
trains in and out of Washin*t<*?.
Late last night one of the outbound
trains was reported stalled some
where between this city and Balu
more.
Besides halting sire*t oar traffic,
the storm made it virtually impossi
ble for automobiles and other vehicles
to cope with the snow, and last
night the downtown streets were
lined with abandoned cars, some of
which the owners had rot been able
to move since Friday night. Taxi
cabs did a thriving business, but as
(Cgi","tiiiu^d"on~^'aee 12- Column I.)
GOOD MILK SUPPLY
LOOKED FOR TODAY
Local dairies expressed the belief
last night that there would be plenty
of milk for the District today, des
pite the somewhat lessened arrival of
milk trains yestprday.
One of the largest dairymen de
clared that his supply from farms in
Maryland and Virginia had not been
diminished by the storm, and thai
he had a full supply for delivery t?.
patrons today.
Deliveries perhaps would be lale.
this dairyman stated, but declared
that the storm had not hit his farms
wlth the violence it showed here, and
that as far as he was advised the
milk supply to this city was normal.
Plaa to I'M Tracks.
Several other managers of local
dairies, said much the same thing,
although it was admitted that con
tinuance of the heavy snowfall to
dav would give ji severe setback to
the local milk supply.
Evenv effort is being made b\
dairies to keep the sources of sup
ply open, and in some cases, plans
were made to use trucks bring in
milk, should the rail delivery totally
fail.
M is the hope that, despite any con
tingencies. enough milk may be brought
here to supply all the. children of the
"city. Testerday many persons were
unable to get milk at some of the chain
groceries, and late in the afternoon and
in the evening several stores weft re
ported to be wholly without milk.
One chain store in the northwest sec
tion declared that it had enough milk
on hand to last well through the after
noon. refuting stories that the milk
supply was entirely exhausted. Two
deliveries of milk were made to this
particular store in the chain, its man
ager said, late in the afternoon.
? The general food situation in the Dis
trict was said to be good, and no alarm
was to be felt, it was declarul by thos?
crfnversant with the situation, unless
i the snowstorm "hould conUnue tu.
I itb'afed 'tot an unprecedented perlM.