New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-26
Disaster VIII Stimulate
Greater Aerial Efforts
Lakehurst Station Commander
Says Nary Aim VIII Be TO
See Lires Not Lost in Vain

Commander r. D. Weyerbacher
senior plant officer at the Lakenurst
aviation station. who had charge Of
the construction and designing Of the
hangar for The LR-2 and is supervising
the building of the ZR-l. said vester-
day he did not believe the tragedy of
the HR-2 would affect the development
OF dirigi0les for war purposes He ad
mltted is m gnt have the effect Of halt
ing commercial operations on large
scale
The only safe method OF proceeding
IN ~, the design OF airships IS arrived at
through experience and we must also
consider this accident in that light
he said. 1--WE are expecting a co,n
plete report from England and when
II IS received we VIII be able to de-
teclnine the Pre- bablc cause, thereby
assisting US IN the development Of air
ships
Commander Weyerbacher said he
knew some OF the British and Amer
can officers who were killed and tina.
he felt the loss Of their services
keenly.
Does Not Look for Adverse Effect
81 do not believe he continued
"tAat the accident Will have an ad-
verse effect upon the development Of
lighter than-air craft
From the navy point OF view it win
stimulate US to greater efforts. Il may
have an effect upon commercial de
velopment but this will be only TEN
been made AT d cost Of life. Our aim
should be TO see that these lives have
no. been lost in vain"
He said he did not believe that a
hydrogen explosion caused TIE dsas-
ter, explaining that hetiunl would be
used only in war time because Of its
great cost. The Bodensee. the German
dirieible, which uses hydrogen gas
has been struck twice b. lightning, but
without injury, he aGced.
Officers OF the Lakahu1st station are
generally Of the BELIEF that q defect III
the fabric covering of one OF tie gas
bags was responsible for the destruc-
ton OF the ship
Captain FrancE Evans. L. S. n, com
handing the temporary air station and
hangar at Lakchurst. said that reports
indicated that the big dirigible Esd
saggcd and broken in the center rather
than buckled or bumped, and that the
explosion followed the apparent break
ing of the back of the craft.
II the original break had been IN the
structural backbone, Captain Evans ex-
planned, the mid-section would have
been pushed Up BY the still inflated
central gas bag, instead of being
dragged down by the dead weight, a:.d
the ends of the big ship would have
been spondin.sly depressed.
Million Already Spent for FRI
Although appropriations were stopped
before the FRI was completed, most Of
the necessary duralumin structural
material is already manufactured and
awaiting assembly. much of the enye-
lope has been Fabricated and nearly all
the material for her completion pur-
chased at a cost Of about million dol
lars.
For months The naval gas extracting
plant at Fort Worth. Tex, has been
storing helium gas, and sufficient gas
Of this type has been assured to fill the
envelope of ship & large az the lost
ZR-2
Plans for the zR-l call for an airsfli IN
of slightly smaller size than the zR-4.
a length Of $40 feet. diameter about so
feet, and gas capacity OF approximate
ly 1900 900 cubic feet Her total cos.
is estimated at $500, 600. While de-
signers of the ZR-2 departed somewhat
from the structural lines Of the Zeppe-
Inns, the naval designers laid their