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Hokitika Guardian, 30 January 1922, Page 3

OVER 100 DEAD. (Received 'This Day at 10.10 a.in.) WASHINGTON, Jan. 20. It is certain there! will be more than 100 dead in the cinema crash which was the most serious disaster in Washington’s history. Thousands of firemen, marines, soldiers, policemen and volunteers worked all night in the debris and are still digging, dragging out the crushed, dead and injured. The hospitals are full of dangerously hurt, who are not expeted to live. Shows throughout the district are being used as temporary hospital quarters. Many injured are suffering fropi exposure of the night’s cold. The theatre which

was one of the most beautiful in the city, seated 2,200 and every night was filled to capacity. The storm fortunately decreased the attendance and saved | many more hundreds from death. I The dead number 90, and injured 250. PARTICULARS OF DISASTER. 'Received This Day at 10.15 a.m.) WASHINGTON, Jan. 29. The cinema theatre which collapsed, was situated in one of the finest residential districts in the city and was often attended by Government officials, and diplomats. Among the dead are two noted correspondents of American newspapers, a former member of the House of Representatives.

Hundreds of men, women and children, relatives of those entombed, struggled to break within the cordon which stretched around the scene ol tlie disaster. Moaning could be heard from the debris, which consisted of a mixture of concrete, steel and snow. The blizzard continued all night, hampering the rescue work. The collapse of the roof is attributed to hasty wartime construction.