The New York herald., 1921-12-22
Big DIRIGIBLE FLEES
FROM CAPITAL GALE
Roma Near Destruction at
Dedicatory Exercises on
Boiling Field.
SWEPT INTO VIRGINIA
Official Taking Over From
Italy Is Carried Out Under
Difficulties.
Special Dispatch to THE NEW YonK IIsrup.


New York Herald Bureau.
Washington. ID. C., Dee. 2i.
The big dirigible Roma, making her
debut as the newest craft Of the United
States army air service, fled from Wash
ington to-day to escape being wrecked
by high winds that swept over Boiling
Field and niarred the dedicatory exer-
cises in which some OF the high officials
of the American and Italian govern
ments participated
The Roma, which is the largest air
ship In the United States, vas hurled
the army and navy air stations who
were attempting to hold her with ropes.
They turned the dirigible's nose to the
wind to minimize the strain. They at
tached weights to the ropes. but the air
ship would not hold.
Finally the engines were started and
tire airship took off for Langley Field,
$50 miles away, where there is a hangar
sufficiently large to give shelter. The
officers in charge feared that IL the
Roma remained in Washington outside
hangar. as had been arranged, she would
have been wrecked. She reached Lang
ley Field safely.
The Roma. because of the storm, had
difficulty in reaching Washington. She
required almost three hours to make
fifty miles of the distance, although her
normal speed is eighty miles an hour.
The wind was against the airship and it
was necessary to fight every inch of the
way.
The Roma arrived with only three of
her six engines in working order but
army mechanics We're hanging out of the
side trying to put them in commission.
There was the greatest difficulty, after
the airship finally reached Boiling Field.
to make landing. The Roma lowered
over the field at an altitude of 200 feet
for a long time before 1t was possible
to get her to the ground by means of
ropes. which were let out to soldiers and
sailors.
This was the first extended fight OF
the Roma. which recently was purchased
for the army air service from the Ital-
ian Government She left Langley
Field at o'clock this morning and at
o'clock sent radio saying she was
fifty miles from Washington. Then the
heavy wind started. and it was 10 min
utes to IL o'clock before she poked her
nose over the field, where a group OF
officials had been waiting for hours.
The ceremonies. which had attracted
the interest of many army officers at
tached to the different delegations at
tending the arms conference. were
speeded up because of the weather con-
ditions They were in charge of Major
Gen. NJ. M. Patrick, chief of the Army
Air Service.
Ambassador Ricci of Italy officially
turned the giant craft over to the United
States Secretary of War Weeks ac-
cepted the airship for the United States.
Thereupon she was christened by Miss
Fonrose Wainwright, daughter Of Col
Wainwright, Assistant Secretary of War
Miss Wainwright mounted small lad
der at the nose of the airship and broke
bottle of liquid air.
II hereby dedicate this airship," she
said, "to the service of the United
States"
Lieut.. Gen. Giuseppe vaccari, chief of
staff of the italian army. presented in
the nam of the italian Minister of War
g battle flag for the airship. The cere-
monies were witnessed by large num-
ber of officials, including Secretary of
the Navy DENLY, the officers of foreign
delegations and members OF the House
and Senate Military Affairs commit
lees.
Throughout the exercises the crews
called in to hold the airship in place
were fighting hard against the wind
and that part of the program which pro-
vided for taking the visitors to the
ceremonies for flight over Washington
had to be abandoned.
The Roma is about two-thlrds the
size Of the ZR-2-410 long and SS feet
high, with a gas capacity Of 27,0G0
cubic feet. She is what is technically
known as q semi-rigid. The American
Government bought the airship from the
Italian Government for 100000. The
trials at Langley Field. recently COM
pleted, were successful.