New Britain herald., 1921-08-25
NAVY WANTS ID
 CONTINUE PROGRAM
AerODautiC Plans and Work on
 R-1 Hangs in Balance

loss of the ZR-2 before actually becom- ing naval property officers of the naval bureau of aeronautics confidently hope the navy will be permitted to continue it's rigid airship program. They point out that America already has gigantic hangar at Lakehurst, N. J., completed at d cost of s.. .OOO OOO and capable of housing two ships of the size of the ZR-2, as we'll as other complete facili- ties.
 Appropriations Stopped.
 Although appropriations were stop ped before the ZR-1 was completed most of the necessary duralumn struc- tu1al material is already manufactured and awaiting assembly, much of the en- velope has been fabricated and nearly all the material for her completed, pur- chased at a cost of about $1 100000.
 For months the naval gas extracting plant at Fort Worth, Texas, has been storing helium gas and sufficient gas of this type has been assured to fill the envelope of a ship as large as the lost ZR-2.
 ZR-1 Plans
 Plans for the ZR-1, call for an air ship of slightly smaller size than the ZR-2, length of 67O feet, diameter about so feet and gas capacity of ap- proximately 2,2OO GOO cubic feet. Hei total cost is, estimated at S2, 300, 900. While designers of the ZR-2 departed somewhat from the structural lines of the Ieppelins the naval designers laid their plans for a ship incorporating the latest developments of the original rigid builders, the Germans, of whose plans more than 100 were filed here for rati- t.Cation.
 Still Without Details.
 Still without details as to the cause Of the ZR-2 disaster today naval aero nauts were loathe to accept the hydro gen explosion theory advanced in carly dispatches from England. They were rather inclined to believe that some structural weakness developed or that the girders and frames which were strained in the July IT flight failed and caused gasoline or hydrogen leaks. Ii gasoline or hydrogen came into contact with the exhaustS of any of the SIX engines swung beneath the great en- ye!ope an explosion could readily have been caused, it was explained
 The reports that the ship fell in two pieces, however, tends to cause bellef in naval circles that structural failures were the prime cause of the disaster brought about perhaps by too sudden ;l strain on some weak part.
 Crew Well Equipped.
 Every member of the crew and pas sengerS of a rigid 1t was said at the of flee of the chief of the naval bureau of aeronautics is equipped with regulation safety parachutes and life preservers. The combined equipment is fitted into a compact bundle not larger than a satchel and provided with a hook and handle. If danger threatens, a member of the crew has but to attach the hook to his life belt and leap over the side to safety Officers infer from late re ports of the disaster that many of the crew must have been killed outright by the force of the explosion, or stunned before they could jump clear of the falling wreck.
 Six naval craft which were standing by awaiting orders to proceed to their sea stations along the projected course of the ZR-2 were released for other duty after the receipt of the news of the wreck. While no lane of ships was j planned, such as was posted to aid the NC boats on their transatlantic flight two years ago the battleships Utah, Ohio, Wyoming and Arkansas, and the oiler Brazos together with d destroyer were to take positions across the north Atlantic to wireless the weather condi- tions to the. ZR-2 before she started and while she was enroute to this coun- try in order to permit her to pick the best route.
 It is not thought that the navy will endeavor to purchase from England any of her remaining rigid airships, but that construction in America will be undertaken if others are authorized.