The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1921-09-09
Structural Weakness Apparent
Cause d Tragedy 81 the
Giant Alrshlp zR-2.
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~fhs hull structure In. In general
ssinciplss. Of standard type such AZ
sssd In xeppelin airships and In
ssSiies british types. but = very con.
adersbls saving of structural weight
has been effected By large number Of
improvements In details"
This excerpt from the ofsicial British
description Of the zR.2 seems 10 ex-
plain the disaster which befeii the
giant dirigible while on It's trial trip
last "Wednesday, The saving III struc-
.ursi weight was effected al the ex-
pease of tho entire airship and the
lives of - of the men who manned
her. According to survivors. an ab.
supt change Of direction when the yes.
vi was above Hull strained the frame
work beyond it, strength. II broke In
two In the middle and fell Into the
Humber river with terrific explosions
lncluded In the dead we're Commander
louis H. Maxfieid and II mere of the
American crew which WAS Ia bring the
sirship 10 the United States. aud
British Air Commodore l. NJ. Maitland
and - ~ tire English crew. Only one
American. rigger was among the
survivors,
KR-: was the largest airshlp ever
constructed and was built by the Rrit.
~h government for the United States
savy. The price was to be $4,000. 600,
W course. as she had not yet been
turned over To the Americans the
financial less does not fall on the Amer.
i~~n government. The catastrophe was
sot 4 great surprise to those In Eng.
lend who had watched the building
and tests Of the airship. On several
preliminary trials defects and weak.
s~~se- were uncovered. and the Anal
rial night which ended 40 iisastrously
lad hecn postponed repeatedly Though
me weather seemed entirrly favorable,
u II said that enlisted men Ut the
british air service stationed nj How.
Sen had offered To bet ten to one that
the dirigihie never would get across
re Atlantic; that they declared II was
strursuraily weak. and impossihly
large. with unreliable engines aud a
framework Incapable of standing the
strain ~ It's own N tons Of dead
seiThs Will. In the air.
News IT the disaster reached Wash
ingfon while u congressional commit
tee was listening to arguments IL
esror Of an appropriation for the com
niesian Of FRI. an American. huiii
rosnranion ship ~ the ZR.2. on which
more than million dollars airead,
has been expended. Ofieers of the
navni harvsu of seronauties are conn
DER. that the navy will he pe,nlttee
10 essntlnn~ iis rigid alrship building
program Notwithstanding the loss ol
ZR1.
fiRnal snr the ZR,i call for nm air
ship OF slightly smaller sixe than this
ZR2 length of go feet. diameter
shoui ~ feet. aud gas capacity OF APP
proxima..iy 2.ao.o00 cubic feet. Tn.
Her designers have adhered NOR,
loosely than III. British 10 the struc
turai plans Of The Germans. who wer,
the original builders OF rigid airships
The naval Eas extracting plant a, Foo
Warfb already has stored eaouEl
heiium gns 10 oil the envelope O
Ltf. Halium Ia far less dangerou
than hydrogen gas. being noninnamma
bic
Late "Wednesday night congress a.
ionrnei for a 3o-dsy recess. or unit
September u. The senate fnane
committee remains on the Job 10 co,
naae iis work on the permanent tn
" and the tag revision meaxur,