, 1921-09-01
Structural Weakness Apparent
Cause of Tragedy of the
Giant Airship ZR-2.
FAULTS KNOWN IN ENGLAND
Congress Takes Thirty-Day Recess
After ~Dlseardina Anti-Beer Bill
Panama Yields Coto to Costa
Rica at Uncle Sans Com
mand, and Goes Into
Mourning.
BY EDWARD w. PIckARp.

THE hull structure Is. In general
principles. OF standard type such as
used in Zeppelin airships and in
earlier British types. but a very CON
siderable saving of structural weight
has been effected by a large number of
improvements In Details
This excerpt from the official British
description of the ZK-2 seems to ex-
plain the disaster which befell the
giant dlrigible while on its trial trip
last Wednesday,. The saving OF struc-
, tural weight was effected at the ex-
pense of the entire airship n the
lives of 10 Of the men who manned
her. According TO survivors, an alb
rupt change of direction when the yes
sci was above Hull strained the frame
work beyond its strength. II broke In
two In the middle aud fell into the
Humber river with terrific explosions.
Included In the dead We're Commander
Louis II. Maxfield and Is more Of the
American crew which was to bring the
airship to the United States. and
British Air Commodore i. NJ. Maitland
and 20 Of the English crew. Only one
American, n rigger. was among the
survivors.
ZR-2 was the largest airship ever
constructed and was built by the Brit
ish government for the United States
: navy. The price was TO be 50. o 900.
OF course. as she had not yet been
turned over to the Americans the
financial loss does not full on the Amer
lean government. The catastrophe was
not a great surprise TO those In Eng
land who had watched the building
and tests Of the alrship. on several
preliminary trials defects and weak
nesses were uncovered, and the final
trial flight which ended so disastrously
had been postponed repeatedly though
the weather seemed entirely favorable.
II is said that enlisted men Of the
British air service stationed at How
den had offered to bet ten to one that
the dirigible never would get across
the Atlantic; that they declared IL was
structurally weak. and imposslbly
large. with unreliable engines and a
framework incapable of standing the
strain of Its own 33 tons OF dead
weight while In the air.
News Of the disaster reached wash
ington while a congressional commit
zee was listening to arguments In
favor OF an appropriation for the CON-
pletion of FRI. AN American-bullt
companion ship of the ZR-2, on which
more than a million dollars already
has been expended. Oficers OF the
naval bureau OF aeronautics are conf
dent that the navy will he permitted
To continue Its rigid airship building
program Notwithstanding the loss Of
ZR-2.
Plans for the ZR-1 call for an air
snip Of slightly smaller size thar the
nh-2. a length Of 070 feet, diameter
about 10 feet. and gas capacity NJ ap-
proximntely 2.2O0.OO cubic feet. The
Total cost Is estimated Mt 81, ZOO. 900.
her designers have adhered more
closely than the British to the struc-
turnl plans Of the Germans. who were
me original builders OF rigid airships.
me naval gas extracting plant at Fort
worth already has stored enough
nenuin gas to I'LL the envelope Of
n"-l' Helium is far less dangerous
BILE.
late Wednesday night congress nd.
Sourhed Tor a 80-dny recess, or until
Hepienlber 81. The senate finance
.v"hlttee remains on the Job TO CON
.ue IFS work On the permanent tar
" ana the tax revision measures