Knickerbocker Theater after the collapse of the roof
The Knickerbocker Storm was a blizzard that occurred on January 27–28, 1922 in the upper South and middle Atlantic United States. It was named this due to the resulting collapse of the Knickerbocker Theater in Washington, D.C. shortly after 9 p.m. on January 28 which killed 98 people and injured 133.[1]
An Arctic airmass was in place across the Northeast United States; Washington, D.C. had been below freezing since the afternoon of January 23.[2] The initial cyclogenesis, or formation, of the low which led to this blizzard was over the state of Florida on January 26, 1922. It moved slowly northeast, emerging offshore Georgia on the morning of January 27 and was east of Cape Hatteras on the morning of January 28 before moving east-northeast out to sea. The cyclone took three days to move up the Eastern Seaboard, which was double the normal time used by forecasters of that era to move storm systems up the coast. Snow reached Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. by noon on January 28, and continued into the morning of January 29. Temperatures remained in the 20's Fahrenheit (-5 °C) through much of the event.
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Impact
An estimated 22,400 square miles (58,000 kmē) of the northeast United States were affected by 20 in (51 cm) of snow from this cyclone, which was over one-fifth of the total area that received over 4 in (10 cm) of snow. Snowfall was quite heavy in Maryland and Virginia.[4]Richmond, Virginia recorded 19 inches. Baltimore, Maryland was paralyzed as it received the most snowfall within 24 hours since 1872. The measured snow depth at the main observing site in Washington, D.C. reached 28 in (71 cm) while an observer in Rock Creek Park a few miles to the north measured 33 in (84 cm) with 3.02 in (76.7 mm) of liquid equivalent.[1] Railroad lines between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. were covered by at least 36 in (91 cm) of snow, with drifts as high as 16 ft (4.9 m).[3] This snowstorm is one of the most significant in the histories of New York City, New York and Washington, D.C.[5]
Theater roof collapse
The Knickerbocker Theater was the largest and newest movie house in Washington, D.C., built in 1917 and owned by Harry Crandall.[6] The roof was flat, which allowed the snow which had recently fallen to remain on the roof. During the movie's (Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford) intermission, the weight of the heavy, wet snow was too much for the roof to bear. The roof split down the middle, bringing down the balcony seating as well as a portion of the brick wall. Dozens were buried. The media reported it as similar to a scene from World War I. People with lanterns frantically attempted to rescue victims of the disaster. By midnight, 200 rescue workers had organized the scene. The numbers of those involved in the rescue increased to over 600 by 2:30 a.m. Nearby residents helped feed the rescuers, also supplying them with hot drinks. This disaster ranks as one of the worst in Washington. D.C. history.[1] Congressman Andrew Jackson Barchfeld was among those killed in the theater.
Weekend timing
This event conformed to a noted long-term trend of snowstorms in the Northeast occurring on weekends. Only two since 1909 have not occurred on a weekend in the Northeast megalopolis.[7]
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