Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-12-22
BIG D|R|GiBLE BACK
AT HANGARS AFTER
WASHINGTON TRIP.
Makes Run Home in Two
Hours and Forty
g Minutes.
NORTHBOUND VOYAGE
AGAINST STIFF BREEZE
Balloon Fights Way TO Chris
icning in Five and One.
Half Hours.
MIss WAINWRIGHT Is sro>sou
Assistant Wnr scrr-,nr,'- Daughter
hrcnks Liquid Air HnttIr
On Crnft's How.
NORTHBOUND VOYAGE
AGAINST STIFF BREEZE
,iIss WAINWRIGHT is sro<son
"'""t Nnr scrrrinry'- Daughter
hrcnL. Liquid Air H"ttIr
On Crnft's How.
lBy Assocl..tcd rrcssI

N"ShlNfJtN. Dec 2l-Thc 400
loot army airship Roma fought nor
Way for I've hours and a half agairs,
mead wind from Langley Firld. Va.
10 Washington today 10 be chris,cnod
and put in commission, Officially las.
MISS Fonrose Wainwright. daughter nr
the Assistant Secretary %; Var who
broke bottic "f liquid air on the
great semiririd airship's urow.
Secretary Wc.Xs. SECRETARY Dcnhv
and Senior Ricci. tho italian nnibassa-
dor, who participated in IN. core.
"fpnirs. waited for three hours In tho.
chiIiinS winds which hIcw from th..
northwest, Tor the ship To arrive.
lhcy were TO have taken nigh, in
her OF an hour or two over the ci,,.
and I" Baltimore with other invited
Euests. but tn" wind was rising
steadily with gale proportions threat
"n!ng. mud Majo -GcncraI Patrick
CHEF of the army air service. or
dered tho Roma back 10 her hang,,
nt Langley Field as soon as She
could he rcfuc!cd
scurrirH H"mr with EnIr wind.
The great Dolphin-lik. craft Of ,h..
and left at ESQ. scurrying home with
the wind behind her in two hours
and forty minutes
y crowd o. guests ani officer, @.
the twu air services awaited the ar
rival Of the army's hcw samiripid
d!rigiblc, the largest lighter -than-air
ship in this country. q, Boiling Field
| from O'clock Spuadrons ~ planes
left the field from tim. To time To
.earch on, The great ship. Finally
she was sighted 10 tn" southwest
progressing slowly against sun
head wind. with three Of her motors
frozen up
Gradually her bulk loomcd up and
she swung toward the west. heading
directly for the field. Approaching
quite low. she seemed TO barely miss
the trees and hhngars as she pushed
Tt;ainst the wind and finally reaching
the center of tho field put her nose
down and slowly settled.
y door in tho ~" shaped keel
near tho bow few open and n great
coli of rope dropped To the hand
ling crew" below. All hands tool,
hold, and slowly the great craft
came 10 earth.
Breaks oHtiir of Liquid Air.
Fitting ceremonies followed: the
christening h. Miss Wainwri.h,
I Yho stood on Il step-laddcr under tho
great curvin" bows as she broke the
bottle o; liquid air. which few into
a BLUSH grey cloud OF vapor as the
glass crashed The old ensign was
then replaced hy Il new one pre-
sented by the Italians and hoistcd
high on tho stern over her curious
boS-iikc rudder.
Speaking for tn" Italian govern
ment, by whom the ship was de-
signcd and built. Ambassador Ricci
expressed his pleasure that America
should have bought the great semi
rigid ship. and Secretary Weeks, in
accepting it officially for the War be-
partment. said tho pleasure and OPP
portunity were rather his, that the
army should lie so fortunate in
securing a-ship developed by the
skill of Italian craf;emcn
yAncr the christening the color
presentation took place, Assistant
Secretary Wainwright, replying to
Lieutcmant-G General Giuseppe Vac
dial relations between italy and
America General Patrick then or
\ dered the field cleared and the ship
gasscd aud rcbalanccd for her home
ward flight.