New-York tribune., 1921-08-25
Navy Plans to
Construct New
Craft at Once
|.r;ation Officials, Not Dis
outraged, Prepare to
Seek Authority for Ship
Of Same Type as ZR-2
tragedy Not in Vain

Terrible Thing,'' Is Com.
I ment of DENLY as He
/ Sends Message to British
4 SAsIINGTON, Aug. 24.-Expres-
s.ss Of deep regret were voiced by
S.vsrnrnent officials without exception
.-dav over the total destruction of
/ ~ riant airship ZR-2, with a heavy
.r Of American and British lives.
,1ae in the acquisition of the new
uxn Of the air and hopes of tre-
s.adous development in military and
snmmercial seronautics had lent in
srss to the planned-for trans-Atlan-
i. fight of the British-built air
aruiser even beyond that which it nor
SILLY would have aroused.
Latest advices to the Navy Depart
-snt indicate that of the seventeen
4senbers OF the hand picked American
Hisw on board during the test not one
4,srsiyes. Late advices tonight, how
ersr. were that boats were still patrol
a,g the Humber River in the faint
sue Of picking up members of the
isv
1 DENLY Cables Sympathy
1t is terrible thing" was the sad
eminent Of Secretary DENLY as he re-
..;ved cabled dispatches giving details
+ Q: the catastrophe.
. Nr. DENLY Immediately forwarded to
lie British Air Ministry a message ex-
.:essng the sympathy of the Navy De-
ursment.
L, "The Navy Department of the United
States extends to the Az Ministry and
Z .ae British Navy deepest sympathy in
3iit sppalling disaster to the ZR-2," the
Message said. "We hope our early re-
ssrts will prove exaggerated as to loss
! II life"
Far from being discouraged by the
Disaster, naval aviation officials i'm
nediately prepared to seek authority
/ ia' construction Of new ship of the
R2 type il the United States.
I'VE will carry on, build and operate
rs many ZR2s as may be authorized
|y Congress-" Admiral William A
aofett, chief of the Naval Bureau of
lsronautics, said tonight. so that
:asse brave men may not have lost
|Asr lives in vain"
The work of construction will con-
|tnue on the ZR1, the sister ship of
HE ZR-2, which is being built at Phil
|nelphla. Secretary of the Navy Den
IN announced. Much of the material
|'sr this huge ship has been delivered
1.-THE Philadelphia yard. and part of
|ae gas bag has been fabricated. 1t
e planned to finish the FRI by july
next, provided Congress continues to
Fpropriate for the ship. A million
allars sought for construction of the
nahip IN the last navy appropriation
|alll was refused by Congress, but por-
aeas of the fund of $4,000 author
nd for naval aviation purposes NAV
: diverted to it.
Inls government will not suffer any
,sanclai loss by reason of the destruc-
|a'n Of the ZR2, Admiral Moffatt. Di-
|sstor Of Naval Aviation, said to-day,
|aough It was estimated tonight ST.
|MooO had been paid on the craft.
lac contract with the British con-
|a1uetors provided that this govern
|lsht pay S2,000,000 for the ship when
E. vas completed and turned over to
as United States Navy. Delivery was
T. depend upon the perfect operation
e the ship. The contract also pro-
aced that in the event the ship failed
p reach the United States after being
|s*epted by this government only one
si OF the construction price would
are to De paid by the United States.
AVIATION officers tonight, while great
J distressed, declared they had not lost
am IN rigid sirships. They pointed
~ That Germany had built and sue
Hssfuliy operated lao ships of similar
ssign, many Of only slightly less carry
ag capacity, while English construc-
's1s had turned out sixteen.
Iae only serious accidents recorded
,sanst these. so far as naval files in
fseate, was the wreck Of an early Ger
ssn Zeppelin over Lake Constance be-
we tne var and the smashing Of the
'htlsh R-34 when she ran afoul of her
aangar.
onicial dispatches to the department
"a not contain any information upon
.aaen experts could base an opinion
y 70 the cause Of the disaster
Structural Weakness Blamed
Inc theory most generally expressed,
1yNfver =
.s'' aeTeloped- rupturing the envelope
- 90 70 bring the hot gases of the en-
sae exhaust into contact with the
s.'ol0gen' or that buckling Of struc-
"a i-'s' braces might have punctured the
81 containers, permitting the escap-
e gasoline to come into contact with
y exhaust lines.
nao,her possible cause Of the acci-
~. ~ put considered remote, involved
=. s...sckiing Of structural braces over or
ssl one OF the six power eggs" which
~-1a.so TIE horsepower engine.
.,,.a .as report OF July 18, describing the
H. s'sufal weakness developed in the
,-'p On 81 eaSier test, said the ship
ss- - unable TO stay aloft more than
sana,Ion. '''"0' q" N
=. rom cause as yet undetermined" +"
,,,s report said, "two intermediate
Is.s.fse Issasssfse frames and an Intermediate
fr,ss frs'saoinal frame buckled just aft Of
'';ae seven"
srsa.s .aafs were Immediately made and
III ira s.., parts similar to those which
sss,. .aaea we're strengthened, a subse-
lsr*.is report said, suggesting that the
- mad been caused by overload
e,s,.n .ns section during the progress Of
.ss,nac'ion. II is presumed here that
sss ravssn surrey Of the entire ship
ts .4ae a. the time Of these repairs
0s'sfmine whether other sections
~ oesn strained.
"a1''n Says ZR-2 Crash
WM End Experiments