Evening Star Newspaper, February 5, 1922, Page 3

CRANDALL Q USE OF CONCRETE ROOF N Expresses Doubt as to Greater Hazard, Fire or Weight of Cement Building Code Requires—Welcomes Probes. Harry Crandall, one of the owners of the Knickerbocker Theater that collapsed a week ago, is convinced that there must have been a weak- ness or defect somewhere in the ma- terial or constyuction that caused |them.” d | rator in question was called in to fill the roof to fall. He Is anxious to fin out what that weakness or already happened, but for the future protection of the public. He is ha: ing an independent investigation made to try to discover what was at fault. Reginald W. Geare, architect the ill-fated theater, in first author- ized interview, of the roof is in perfect condition to- defect | weeks ago. was, not that it could cure what has|'qualifiedly and absolutely false. given to The Star|by a distance of approximately ten last night, stated that the main truss|feet. No work had been done on the papers, February 4. and attributed to a decorator whose identity is known only to the office of the prose- cuting attorney, that three cracks existed in the roof of the Knicker- hockir Theater ‘of sufficlent width to permit three fingers to be placed in It is alleged that the deco- said cracks and paint them over three ‘This statement is un- Ceiling and Roof Separate. “There had not been any work done on the Knickerbocker roof at the time alleged and certainly we would not have the roof ‘decorated. If the decorator to whom the statement is of [attributed refers to the ceiling of the theater, that was a separate structure from the roof and removed from it ceiling of the Knickerbocker since last June, when the house was closed day and the steel seats on solid tile|for a full week to permit the erec- and cement supports on which each)tion of a scaffolding which is the only truss rested are still in their original |means by which the ceiling of the position, showing that the claim that | theater could be reached for repaint- they were not sufficiently strong is|ing. This was done as a part of the “that in his own min without foundation in fact. He denied | complete redecoration of the house. that he has reached any conclusion “No cracks were found to exist in as to the cause of the roof falling.|®ither the walls or the ceiling of the Mr. Crandall _strongly intimates he is questio: ing whether the concrete roof was not too heavy, for in the first inter- view he has had with newspaper men, e Yesterday, he repeatedly said house ard the roof was not at any ti involved in this process of redecors. tion. If such cracks as are described by the decorator had existed in the roof of the Knickerbocker the leak- age during rainstorms would have been such as to drown out an audi- building regulations for a fireproof|ence sitting below and would have structure called for a concrete roof. 1 have seen hundreds of tin and other come at once to our attention. ‘'There were no cracks and there Toofs that did not fall under the same | was not called in any decorator sub- storm conditions, while what proof roof. collapsed. I am wonder- ing if in making safe against the fire | firmed ‘We | sequent to the supposed was a most_modern, fire-|of the Kniokerbocker last Jou complete redecoration Robert Etris, the manager, con- Mr. Crandall’s statement, and hazard, the builders and_engineers|(In proof that he had n @are not making us liable to a greater|or suspicion of any dl:g’e’ll‘":)n!n'::: danger. A cement roof very heavy. Crandall Welcomes Probes. Mr. Crandall is glad, he said, that full and complete inyvestigations are 1o.be made. He welcomes them, and hopes that if any defects are found |fePorts that a and any ,blame Is fairly placed there will be proper punishment— |and is certainly | building and his family lived under that same |fall falling pointed out that he roof. He sal Etris Aso Denfes Cracks. “My attention is called to published decorator was to the Knickerbocker Theater ::"t:fi paint over three cracks alleged let the blame rest where it will, even [t0 have been found in the Knicker- own shoulders. “If 1 am shown to be at fault in any respect. 1 ought to pay the penalty,” he said. The calamity and none has felt deeper sympathy than he expresses for the bereaved or sorrow for those who lost their lives. In a_statement to the news- paper men, he said: AL at the Knickesbocker ::!,s‘;l -:;’el;h; z eater has been a horror to none alse and with = more than to him. Mr. Crandall said, | tion in fact. fut founda ker roof thi statement, b 18, et decorator This which is attributed to a Wwhose identity is known prosecuting “attorney, is “Had three cracks Width to permit three fin; ers t psl.fied in them' existed in tfier:oog tg: akage would have been apparent at once during rainstorms. If the dece ‘of sufficient “I have been asked several times |Tator in question refers to the ceiling to make a statement, and the only statement I am able to make at this time is that I cannot express too strongly my sympathy for those who were so unfortunate as to lose their lives or be injured in the falling of | ! the roof at the Knickerbocker Thea- ter, also_for their relatives and friends. Words cannot express my feelings in the matter. “As to the cause, I have not the slightest idea of what it could be, but if there is anything wrong I hope the investigations that are now going on will bring it out, and if any ome is responsible for any me- glect, they should surely be 'punished, although in making this statement I do not wish to be understood as thinking any one _responsible, cause, so far as I know, the archi- tect, Mr. Geare, is & very honorable and capable man; Mr. Frank Wagner is an extremely upright, conscien- tious builder, and I am sure that|exacting routine through which a his statement still is contr: ar. l?ct here have been no cfng’(su:: :cther the walls or the ceiling of the nickerbocker, nor has any work of any kind been done on either since he complete redecoration of .the ouse last June. The only way the ceiling could be reached was by the erection of an interfor scaffolding, which necessitated the closing of the theater to the public. There was no r:r.\ck‘i and no decorator was sum- ned. “Had such cracks existed as alle and had I felt no concern for the rb: lic welfare, I still should have taken immediate 'steps from purely selfish motives. since the living apartment occupled by myself and Mre. Tiris n the ni Theater building propersr ©-cr PoCker ‘Three Inspections Made. Mr. Crandall explained at length the none of the District oficials would | theater owner or manager in Washe pass any building that was not right ington must go to get a license to up to the regulations. None of these | open his theater. While not seeking things, however, relieves my mind of { to dodge any responsibility himself, the fact that there were so many | he pointed out that before he could people killed and injured in a theater | open his doors the building had to be that happened to bear my name. Denies Many Reports. Answering frankly questions put to him by the newspaper men, Mr. Crandall denied that there was any truth whatever in the report that Robart Etris, manager of the Knick- erbooker Theater, had a conference with Mr. Crandall on the afternoon before the roof fell, suggesting that the theater be closed. Specifically @and positively, Mr. Crandall denied each of the reports in circulation about weaknesses which it was al- leged were known to have existed in the building. Mr. Crandall very direotly and positively denied that any weakness or defect in the build. ing had ever been brought to his at- tention. He said that he honestly mever suspected that there was any ‘weakness or defect — if he had, he * would have closed the building at once. Both Mr. Crandall and/Robert Etris, manager of the Knickerbocker Thea- ter, issed separate statements last might denying that there was any truth in the statement that a decora- tor recently was called in to putty up and paint over cracks in the ceil: ing and who is alleged to have dis- covered cracks in the roof. Mr. Crandall's statement is as fol- “wish_emphatically to deny the reports published in SPECIAL NOTICES. Saturday’s approved separately by an electrical inspector, by the fire marshal and by the building inspector—all of whom, he said, were very strict. Then the license is issued only for one year and subject to having the theater shut up at any time that any defect to war- rant such action is discovered. It was only a day or two before the roof fell that the authorities in the District building had notified Mr. Crandall, he said, that the Knickerbocker Theater had been O.K'd for a renewal of the license. The license was issued under date of January 24. Mr. Crandall 1aid strlss on this point—that the theater owner has absolutely nothing' to say regarding the strength of walls or kind of roof that sRall go on his building. He hires an architect, who must make his plans conform to the building regulations. When completed the building_must be examined and ap- proved by the building inspector's office, ‘while the architect guarantees to the treater owner that the oon- tractor has completed his work ac- cording to specifications. So that, ac- cording to Mr. Crandall’s argument, the” owner's assurance regarding proper construction of the building comes from the architect and from the building inspector and other Dis- trict officials. Mr. Crandall insisted that he must not be understood as trying to place any blame on any SPECIAL NOTICES. THERE APPARENTLY HAS BEEN misunderstanding _in ~regard ~to Foundry. C ‘White, deceased, wa: connected with the firm of White, located at 462 Maine ave. s.w. We are still in busi. ness and are giad to take care of our friends FRED J. WHITE, 460 to 474 WANT EMPLOYMENTMake offer, any-| & g light, collecting, clerk, carpenter’ work. | thin, Address Box 283-B, Star office. PRIVATE SALE ®f art treasures, household effects of the laty A. G. ELDRIDGE, WNalson 1733 20th st. n.w. Ne lers. Thesday and Wednesday. gl d"‘le'" “A Friend in Need Is a Friend Indeed” To all suburban residents coal, why worry? Let us install a Vesta Kero- ecne Burner in your cookstove. Clean, econom- ical. ‘odorless, efficient and lsbor saving. Once used, always used. Built at 626 G st. n.w. * OWING TO SEVERE WEATHER. CONDI- “tions the minetrel and dance to be gi 7, by J. Morgan Reed Jrs. and Barl 19 e ew York ai el SMITH'S TRANSFER AND STORAGBE CO. Asbestos Roofing Cement Cements leaks. preserves and keeps any kind of roof. 1 will apply same and guarantee Toof for b years and will repair ail leaks from matural ctuses free of charge. Also sol 31 52 . 5-gal. buckets, delivered. Azcoln 4219. Madison Clark, 1 Save. e Attention, Home Builders {Heating & ‘We arrange to finance you in the building of your home aa your own lot. Long time. te rev ipal;” easy payments and attractive rms. Write or phose 5 FEDERAL UNDERWRITERS, INO., * Woodward bld, _Main 970-971. QUICK SERVICE—CALL Residence, Lincoln 2008. Col. 7545. YOU REMEMBER ME! | John Hodges, the Bookbinder 1011 E Street NNW, Dot S B e - sow is the to bave it done. Bring in Jour eld books and have them bound. AN G FOR isnos takea in as Daymest on Victrolas, Exuowomufi‘fi . Erapich & Back and Emerson pianos. Lok & “ROOF TRO LEAKY ROOF DEMANDS EXPERT ATTE tion. Five years' guarantee. Col. 10448, 1336 Fairmont st. n.w. [0 ONE MINUTE'S THOUGHT WILL CONVINCE you that you sho ing something and ‘will find ;‘!‘t L 1““ ou 1 no ter place to Buildin, l&w “E;fl‘:nl?: Wm. D Gallther, Pres,; James' Morris | motto_pictures, fiim who are short of | tiate ‘on new and old roof work. sieita 2T S, | The “Tronclad Roofers™ ‘WANTED_TO BEING A VANLOAD OF FUR. | _. nitm New York 'and _Philad -Will put your roof in good shape and keep it i articles in needlecraft. Gmungdc.l:l' ram; eloping and printing, hemstltching, pecoting and pl % Martha Washingion cands, D ians. We bitid Roofs Old Roofs OMd slag and other roofs repaired, service; material guarantecs. Prompt Get es- J. F. TOMPKINS, 528 21st st. n.w. 11+ W. H. TURBERVILLE 9 Formerly of Turberville & Harding Electric Wiring, Fixtures, Appliances, Supplies, 1719 Conn. Ave. N.W. Phone North 8407, 80 for many years to come. - Qur z guaran: 438 60, and we furnish one witlf every ub.m IRONCLAD Bertis 34167 pany. Phone Main 14, 5 THE ORIGINAL BIGGS," “THE ORIGINAL BIGGS. We Do -Work of all kinds rgal'l!!pfly, {'edasnnably old steam and Plumbing 1810 14th st n.w. ‘WAR] Ford—Ford—Ford. oS B LT s, bt e ; Strobel Motor Co. At i mern CLAFLIN FOR EYPGLASSES, ~ Bad Weather ith the ave: e Tage roof—look for T TheShadeShop 830 13th St. = Window Shades Made to -Order-in-Our - Factory- If T haye left behind a thing unsightly, . [} i Remind them that it 1s but the broken shell i ‘Whence has emerged a free and radiant spis ou, oh, Father, doest all things well. If there should follow, on my sudden parting, Rebellious thoughts in hearts that clung to me, Remind them of Thy gifts so freely given— For of Thine own, Lord, have } If there should fall the blight of i: Confusion, in dear. places.-known of old, ‘Give tears and sleep and friendly hands for comfort, Reminders of Thy goodness manifold. This earthly life, one chapter of LIFE'S story, Shall then be read by them with clearér eye; This mortal frame as but an outgrown garment, Of LIFE Thou givest more abundantly. MARIETTA MINNIGERODE ANDREWS. For Th one, because, he frankly said, he has no idea where the blame belongs. That he is convinced that there must have bee some defect or weak- ness is because the accident hap- pened. If it was due to the weight of the spow, then hundreds of other buildings, some of flimsy oonstruc- tion in the near neighborhood, would have fallen, he contends. If it was due to vibration caused by street cars, similarly other buildings would have been shaken. So he is led to the belief that there was some un- known weakness in the building and no one is more anxious than himself, {he says, to find what and where that weakness was. It is utterly absurd, Mr. Crandall says, to talk of the theater having been purposely- weakened to save cost. _Any’ cheapening would have to be done on the finishing and fitting, because the building regulations took the walls and roof out @ the owner's option. They specified what he had to do. He pointed out that he had recently spent $20,000 in putting in marble stairways to the boxes and balcony, which he certainly was not called upon to do and would not have done If he expected’ the building to col- lapse at any time. Similarly, he had just approved an expenditure of $3,000 for a new stage setting, which he says he would not have done if he knglw there was danger of the roof ng. "SO;‘ aside from any humanitarian motives—if I was ahsolutely hard- hearted and bloodthirsty avaricious, from a purely financial etardpoint, if I knew of any weakness, I would have had it tfixed, and not laid my- self liable to serious damage to the theater and equipment, and the loss of everything I put into it," said Mr. Crandall. Says Experts Fall to Find Cause, He calls attention to the fact that there have been fifteen or more expert engineers who have examined the bullding since the collapse, mot one of whom has yet been able to show where the weakness lay, “and if those expert engineers cannot say, hov was I, without the technical and scien- tific knowledge to know?” Mr. Cran- dall asks. . Talking only yesterday with an en- gineer, Mr. Crandall’s attention was brought to the fact that the walls, which it has been said were toy weak and not of sufficient thickness to stand tthe strain, must have been ex- ceptionally strong to stand the con- cussion when the roof fell. This en- gineer told him that it would have been no wonder at all if the con- cussion and suction, which tually blew people out of the theater, had blown down the walls. Replying to ¥e suggestion that the fan on the roof was too heavy and caused the break, Mr. Crandall said that was absurd, because the fan had been_in ever since the building was opened and was certainly not as heavy as the two cement blocks that had to be left out to install the fan. Mr. Crandall has 3een statements in the newspapers of péople who said they heard a cracking sound and knew it to be “the shearing of steel and the settling of masonry” honrs before the roof fell. He insists that such a person was criminally neg- ligent in not reporting that, not to him but to the police or other au- thorities. He also feels, that a con- tractor claiming to have worked on the Knickerbocker Theater, and who says he knew it was of insecure con- struction, was also criminally neg- ligent in not reporting what he knew to the proper authorities. “Any one— contractor, builder, workman or any individual who knew of dishonest construction was morally bound to report it. Those are the sort of peo- ple whe should be brought before an investigation and made to tell what they knew,” said Mr. Crandall. He repeatedly stated his desire to do everything possible to aid in clear- ing up where the fault lay. Many Express Sympathy. So far as financial loss is concerned, Mr. Crandall has not given it any thought. His deep concern, since the calamity, has been over the humar lives wiped out and those maimed and injured. His greatest solace in the days since the disaster has been in the fact that the relatives of many of thos® who lost their lives have come personally to see him and in letters expressed their sympathy for what he has had to suffer as part owner of a theater in which there was such a frightful loss of life. His desk is stacked high with letters of sympathy and comfort from indivi- duals, churches, clubs and organiza- tions. He has received hundreds of telegrams similarly expressing sym- pathy from screen actors and &c- tresses. Mr. Crandall yesterday expressed appreciation of the consideration shown him and of the aid given by many persons and agencies while the work of rescue at the theater ruins was in progress. He said: “I also want to thank the n papers for the way thev have handled the entire situation—being fearless, but yet frank and fair in their views. “I also wish to extend my thanks to the police and firemen, soldiers, sailors, marines, doctors, nurses, civ- ilians, and all others who did such ‘wonderful rescue k during this ter- rible disaster. I wish to specially thank the First Church of Christ, Scientist, UESTIONING. | [N THE NAME OF THOSE WHO DIED IN _ THE KNICKERBOCKER THEATER DISASTER | “That ye may have Life, and that ye may have it more abundantly.” ——————— et Victim of Knickerbocker Theater Crash. S t, e given Thee. lation, ! Being the architect, the steel work did not come under my direct super- vision, but was the province of & compteent engineer, who had the mat- ter in charge. However, the changes were entirely within my knowledge. The changes in design did not involve any change in the quality of the steel itself.” ‘When asked whether or not the story that a crack appeared in the main MRS. GERTRUDE E, TAYLOR ©Of 1605 Hobart street northwest. LICENSING LIKELY {Senator Calder Will Examifie District of Columbia under an exami- nation system is being given consid- eration by Senator Calder of New York and former bullding commiss- foner of Brooklyn and the Queens, as well as a practical buflder himself. Senator Calder has sent to Albany for a copy of a bill now pending in the legislature FOR D. . BUILDERS Bill Now Pending in New York Legislature. MAY INTRODUCE MEASURE Declares Greatest Danger Lies in Fact That Contractors Are Not All-Around Men. Licensing of all buflders In the there proposing such missioner of Brooklyn and the Queens. ¥, . Urges Rigid Tests. Rigid tests should be applied, by all means, he said, to plages intended for public assemblies unless the builders and the building department were certain beyond a shadow of doubt that the construction was sub- stantial enough and equal to with- stand the weights with whicn it ‘would be passed. It is not a difficult matter to test these constructions by lacing bags of Cement on them and eaving them there for several days. Numerous tests were conducted, both on sample construction and on | actual fobs, when he was bullding | commissioner, Senator Calder said. ‘This was done by loading wel, the construction after the st ) and cement had been placed, and it was left there for several days. to de- termine whether’there was a_sag or | bresk. It was not done in all build- | ings, he sald, but if there was any doubt whatever the test wes applied. Of course, this might be Inconuvenient to_the builder, but that was no con- sideration when the lives of hundreds otLpeovl- were affected, he pointed | ou ———— Mrs, Pearl Watts Stanflll of Selma, | Ala., i8 expected to become a candi- | date to succeed her husband in the | office of county sheriff. . THE BOOK YOU WANT —can be supplied by PEARLMAN'S BOOK SHOP D. PEARLMAY, 2y.9ri 933 G Street Only Unusual Offering All-Wool Blankets Bome Blightly Bhopworn $2.98 Degelr-Price, $7.50 and $8.50 Larga Size Feather Pillows $2.25 a Pair 11mest Quality Double Sheets 93c Each Hop Pillows for Restless People $1.00 Each The Ideal Bedding Co. 1524 7th St. N.W. North 10145 * ceiling of the theater recently and was camouflaged by putty and paint was true the architect replied that any such story was absurd in the extreme. “The ceiling could not have been reached without erecting a scaffold and it . would have been impossible to erect scaffolding in the main hall of the theater and to have painted the celling without closing the theater for at least four or five days, since the construction of scaffolding in so high a room would have taken considerable time, in addition to the time required for painting and plastering. This work could not have been done for less than several hundred dollars. No record of such an expenditure is known to thd theater management, nor was there any time since last summer when the theater was closed at all, much less for so long a period as would be rquired to accomplish such work. I cannot under- stand how such a story became broad- eilst. It is obviously without founda- tion,” 1t was asked if cinder concrete was used structurally in the construction of the Knickerbocker Theater, and Mr. Geare stated that cinder concrete. being the lightest material which will comply with the building code and is fireproof, was used only on top of the structural slabs for the purpose of forming hips and valleys on the roof to shed water toward the rafn con- ductors. Cinder concrete was also used in the balcony on top of the structural slabs for the purpose of forming the steps to which the seats were fastened, he sald. “Such use of cinder concrete is common practice in building con. struction,” he continued, “and was not used for the purpose of economy but for the purpose of decreasing the dead load and making less weight for the structural members to support. There is no foundation for the report that cinders were used in the main support- ing structural slabs.” Trust Seats of Steel. “Reports which have been pub- lished, stating that the trusses hold- ing up the theater roof were laid on no support other than hollow tiles are erroneous,” the architect contin- ued, “there was no truss in the build- ing that did not rest on a secure steel seat. The main roof truss rested on a steel I-beam eighteén inches high and about ten feet long, which, as shown by a photograph, has never been dislodged in the slightest bit trom its original position and is in perfect condition today. The ' steel seats on which the truss rested were each supported by tiles filled with concrete, which formed a solid foun- dation. In my opinion, the theory that these supports were not suffi- cient to carry the weight imposed upon them were erroneous, since of them is in {its original position and was not dislodged.’ In regard to the question of the use of faulty cement in the building, Mr. Geare said: “The cement used was one of the well known brands of portland cement which is used in im- portant work, and to my direct knowledge, the specifications, calling for the best cement obtainable, were carried out, and no faulty construc- tion along this line was installed. To my_mind, the report that cement in a_deteriorated condition as soft as plaster and capable of being crum- bled in the hand was circulated by some one inexperienced in building construction who mistook one mate- rial for another.” Mr. Geare was most emphatic in his denial that he has in any way im- plied that the responsibility for the Knickerbocker disaster is in any way attributable to those connected with the construction of or operation of the theater. Mr. Geare said: “If there has been any newspaper talk the fact that I have formulated a theory for the Knickerbocker catas- trophe which will -clear every one of any possible blame it is also un- founded. heretofore that I had any theories whatsoever. I immediately placed all plans and records at the disposal of the public, and all information, to- gether with my theories on the ques- tion, will be available at the proper time for the investigating committee, but until such time I shall withhold any opinion which I may form. ‘Words have been put into my mouth already that I had mo conception of and never uttered. Implications have been published that would tend to show that I was trying to shift any share of the responsibility. This has been far from my thoughts at-all times since the disaster.” —_—— REPORTS BILLFOLD STOLEN. Edward A. Creecy, proprietor of a store at 200 Florida avenue, reported to the police last night that a col- ored woman had robbed him>of a black billfold containing $55 in bills and checks totaling $52.96. He told the police that she had taken the wallet from his pocket when he passed from one side of the store to the Town and Country Club, and all | another to accede to her request for others who opened their homes for|change of a $5 bill. first-aid stations—also the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Goodwin Iltudd, Sam Steinberger, all the hotels ard every one else whe furnished coffee and sandwiches to those who were working so hard.” Geare Denies Reports. Responsibility for the Knicker- bocker Theater disaster has not as yet been officially placed by Reginald ‘W. Geare, the architect who planned the moving picture house at Columbia road and 18th street, according to an authoritative statement given out by him yesterday to The Star—his first authoritative statement since the tragedy. “Certain articles which have ap- peared in the Washington papers of recent date give the impression, I believe, that I have expressed a co clusion as to the cause of the col- lapse which implied a responsibility on various people and in various di- rections. This is absolutely a. false impression thgt has been circulated. I have not yet expressed any be- liefs concerning the cause of the ter- rible disaster, nor have I in any way intimated or implied that builders, steel workers, engineers or inspectors were in fault in any manner. Certain interviews which I have been alleged to have made never occurred and have been without foundation. Othershave been vpurely fabrication and others have been simply a distortion of my Mr. are denied emphatically the statement to the effect that he’ had not known of a change in the steel design of the Knickerbocker Theater. He said he not only knew of it, but also knew of approval by the uilding inspector’s office. It has been said that certain structural elements of the building were changed radi- cally from the original design and in 80 doing the building had been ma- terially weakened, and that Mr. Geare was uninformed of this until after the catastrophe. To this Mr. Gears yesterday said: “During the time of the building of the Knickerbocker Theater in 1916 and 1917 I was.on the Job _ cons tly. and there were no changes which were unfamiliar to me, Precinct Detec- tives Poole and Burke investigated. High School Books for the mecomd semester Pearlman’s Book Shop G. D. Pearlman, Prop. 933 G St. Only EADY “—with a big stock of Blank Books......... E. Monison Paper Co Complete Stock The Gibson Co., Inc. 917-919 G St. NW. Health Candies 0,008 Bc 1, 1 have not told any onei SEPARATE SUPPORT FOR ROOF FAVORED Official of U. S. Architects Denies Snow at Theater Was Disaster Cause. E. J. Russell of St. Louis, Mo., mem- ber of the board of directors and executive committee of the American Institute of Architects, said in an in= terview last night that the collapse of the Knickerbocker Theater could be attributed only to faulty design or_construction, or both. The theory that the weight of the snow was directly responsible for the fatal crash a week ago was scouted by the architect, who is stopping at the Shoreham Hotel. “It ‘was merely a coincidence,” he added. Early passage of the proposed law registering architects was urged by Mr. Russell, who pointed out that he meant this as no reflection on Mr. Geare, architect of the Knickerbock- er, as he had not investigated the disaster and could not say who wis at fault. The institute official expressed the opinion that trusses forming the main eupport of a roof to a large building should be bolted or anchored in some way In their seats. The ends of the trusses should rest on some sort of pillar or iron framework, rather than on the inclosing wall, he believed. In other words, he pointed out, in build- ings of any considerable height the roof should rest independently of the walls. iy Might Have Deteriorated. It was possible in ihe case of the Knickerbocker, Mr. Russell said, that the trusses and beams supporting the roof may have become deteriorated through exposure to .damp air or other rusting influences, thus weak- ening them. This possibility could be readily established by tests on the iron and steel found in the ruins, he explained. His attention being cglled to the fact that the District building code permitted a safety margin of twenty- five pounds to the square foot of roof, the architect asserted that, while this margin appears to be ample, it was customary in middle western cities to require a forty-pound margin. He stated that the roof of the Knicker- bocker, if properly designed and con- structed, and using the twenty-five- pound safety factor, would have borne a weight of even 100 pounds per_square foot without collapsing. Read All the LATEST FICTION For zsc Per Book PEARLMAN’S BOOK SHOP 6. D, PEARLMAN, Proprietor G Street Only A Star Classified Adver- tisement will bring you many competent appli- cants. “Around the corner a Star Branch Office” List of Branch Offices and Classified Rates will be found on page 39 of tod‘zy's Star. CHRISTIAN SCIENCE. Free Lecture ON Christian Science Paul Stark Seeley, C‘. S..B, of ; Portland, Oreg. > Member of The Board of Lectureship of The Mother Church, The First Church, of Christ, Sclentist, in Boston, Mass. AT FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST SCIENTIST Columbia Road and” Euclid St. N. Monday Evening, Feb. 6, at 8 o’clock e SR R TUnder the Auspices of First Church of Christ, Sclentist, of Washington, D. C. No_Collection. licensing, After studying it, he said, New York, Senator Calder not practical builders understand building in its all-around phases. throughout the country, he without being fully cognizant of the conditions, he believed that such a condition would be found to exist here. alent among some builders in “skimp- We are going to put on one more experienced auto- mobile salesman and one man to be trained into our sales organization not necessarily with automobile selling ex- perience. We also have a position open for the best used car salesman in Washington. Commission and drawing account with special opportunity for those who can pro- duce volume sales. y See J. F. Waters Monday Morning Sterrett & Fleming, Inc. Champlain St. at Kalorama Road STRAYER’S BUSINESS COLLEGE NEW AND ENLARGED SCHOOL BUILDING 721 Thirteenth St. N.W. (BETWEEN G AND H STS.) SUPERIOR EQUIPMENT MAGNIFICENT CLASSROOMS APPROVED BUSINESS COURSES POSITIONS FOR GRADUATES _ New Classes Now Forming In Stenography, Typewriting, Bookkeeping, Secretarial Training Day and Evening Sessions Phone Main 3430 P. J. HARMAN, Principal. it is probable that he will introduce it in the Senate. N A large percentage of builders in id, are and do not This conditlon prevalls id, and Lack of All-Around Knowledge. One of the great troubles in the building industry today, he pointed out as a practical builder, is the utter lack of men who can thoroughly superintend, a building job in all its phases. There are foremen who un- derstand this particular job, and that line of work, but they are not thoroughly famillar with the whole job 80 that they can pick out a de- fect when it appears. The few men found in the industry who superin-| tend whole building projects are so trained that they can pick out in an instant a flaw in a building that will mean serious trouole. They can do it without tests, he said. They can stand off for instance and look at a wall and tell if it is out of plumb, or whether a crossbeam is correct for the welght it is supposed to carry. He condemned the practice so prev- ing.” “Skimping” can be done, but it should not be practiced, he pointed out, by using a bad piece of timber or one not the proper weight and length for the load; neither should it be done on the foundations or wall | c‘onnruulon. nor in roof construc- tio ‘Would Be Held Responsible. Licensing builders, he said, would | make them responsible, and would do much toward overcoming some of the evils found in the building industry among men who are not practical builders but who hold themselves out to handle large building projects. Senator Calder said that it was not impracticable for a city building de- partment to apply practical tests jn the course of construction of build- ings to determime the efficiency and durability of the construction He said that he had it done in many instances when he was building com- FRO - NINT AVENUE AT HoiDo You Know that the suits we are now selling for $25 were $35 and $37.50 ten days ago? . You do not know. You must simply take our word for it. Just as you take the word of a man- ufacturer who stamps “sterling” on a silver knife or “cowhide” on a leather, bag. Reputable werchants and manufacturers hold sacred these days the wmoral obligations incurred by the printed word. But besides our word for the value of these suits —you have your eyes. Quickly will they tell you the character of the cloth, as well as the styles, the hand- tailored finish, as well as the fit. ; Blue serges and a wide variety of fancy tweeds, cheviots and cassimeres are included in this quality . group. Eight different styles for men and young men; sizes for regulars, longs, stouts and shorts. Weights suitable for now and spring. Because we know what these suits represent, be- cause of their honest value, we offer them pretty much in the same spirit that Abraham' Lincoln offer- ed his services to the Illinois Legislature:, . “If elected;” said he, “I shall be thank- ful. If.not,it wilg be all the. same.” The Aumlv e at r : Ninth 7