I am trying to find out information about the old Knickerbocker
theater that once stood at 18th and Columbia Road N.W. Washington DC. 
I would like to learn more about the theater even through I know that
it was quite new at the time when it was destroyed in the
knickerbocker snowstorm of 1922. I would like to know where I can get
my hands on some articles or pictures of the old theater. Anything you
might like to share with me would be most appreciate it.

Hello,

Thank you for using Google. 
I searched many sites about this theatre for its picture or more
details, but unfortunately, there is not much available. Here is what
I've found about Knickerbocker Theatre.
"The $150,000, 1,700-seat Knickerbocker opened in October 1917 at 18th
Street and Columbia Road. The lavish movie palace contained a
first-floor refreshment parlor, balcony tearoom, marble floors,
crystal chandeliers and a $4,000 organ. Its huge fans were said to
provide patrons with breezes akin to those of riding in an open car
going 25 mph.
Those fans were not needed, however, on the cold and snowy night of
January 28, 1922. Three hundred patrons had braved the city's worst
blizzard in more than 20 years to see the movie "Get Rich Quick
Wallingford." A little after 9 p.m., as the orchestra played an
intermission tune, a crack appeared in the theater's ceiling and
suddenly, weighed down by two feet of heavy, wet snow, the
Knickerbocker's roof caved in. Ninety-eight people were killed and 133
injured."
http://www.innercity.org/columbiaheights/newspaper/movie_theater.html

Reginald Geare was the architect who was involved in its design.
http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2001/08/13/focus7.html

Painted nuts and bolts: Knickerbocker Theater, 1922.
http://www.dataoptions.com/journal.html

After this incident of 1922, the storm was named as Knickerbocker
Storm
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/lwx/Historic_Events/StormsOfCentury.html

Search terms used:

"Knickerbocker theatre" 1922
"Knickerbocker storm"

I hope this helps you. If you need any clarification, do let me know.

Regards,
netcrazy

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Request for Answer Clarification by stephenh-ga on 25 Jul 2002 06:30 PDT

Thank you for your first answer you seem to know a lot about the
subject. However, I still have a question about this subject. I would
to know the day in october 1917 that the theater opened.  That is
because, I want to go to the library and get a copy from the microfilm
the article about the grand opening.
I have always been facinated with this subject and I still am.  Any
further information which you might be able to provide me would be
extremely helpful.  Do you of any living person whom remember this
theater in it's hay-day's.

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Clarification of Answer by netcrazy-ga on 26 Jul 2002 06:59 PDT

Hello stephenh,

After an exhaustive search about this theatre, the only information I
was able to get was about this disaster that I’ve already mentioned in
my answer. There is no information available about the exact date in
October 1917, when it was opened.
Further, I also checked for any person who is still alive after that
disaster, but again no luck.
I'm sorry to disappoint you with no further results for your question
but I do hope that your librarian should be able to get you the date
as well as the microfilm about this theatre.

Thanks
netcrazy

I saw some photos about this at
http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/historic/nws/nwind24.htm

Also, I'm reading Stanley P. Hirshson's book about General Patton
where he makes mention of Patton helping with the rescue efforts on
that day.  It sounds like it was a very gruesome task rescuing the
bodies.