The Washington times., 1921-08-28
GASOLINE TANK
EXPLODED,V|EW
Of AIR EXPERTS
British Ministry Conducts Rigid
Inquiry INTO Disaster-To
Examine Wreck.
SURVIVORS TO BE QUERIED
Rumors of Flaws and Weakness
In Giant Dirigible Will Be
Thoroughly Sifted.

LONDON, Aug. 27.-While two ma
lions are grieving for the loss of the
gallant American and British lives in
the Inflated final trial trip of the
ZR-2, which buckled and exploded
over the River Humber on Wednesday
a rigid Investigation into the causes of
the international disaster is being
made by the British sir ministry.
The wreckage wrl be thoroughly
examined, to ascertain. IL possible
= whether stories that British and
American experts had found defects
In the Orders of the giant alrship
have any foundation in fact.
Theories of Tragedy.
The five survivors OF the forty eight
men who, all unaware Of the impend-
Ing horror. went to sudden death will
be questioned at length, in an effort
10 fathom the mysterious tragedy
which has aroused the sympathy Of
the entire world.
One theory Of the cause of the dis
aster Is that while the airship's rud.
ders were being tested the giant craft
TOOK sharp turn. which caused her
framework to buckle. and that the ex-
plosion Of a gasoline tank completed
, the tragedy Of the air. The actual
cause, however, never may be known.
American naval officers here ex.
press the opinion that the wreck was
oue 10 hydrogen escaping from one of
tne ships gas bags being ignited by
the exhaust from one Of her six mo-
tors.
Ship Broken in Two.
What they say they are unable TO
understand. however, is how it was
possible that gas leak sufficient 10
make an explosion. possible could
nave occurred without 1t having
been through the pressure gauge
lifted to each gas bag.
Inc cause OF the disaster to the
ZR-2, according to the best inforIna-
ton obtainable I'm Howden, the base
Of the destroyed .dirigible. was the
amidships, made of aluminium alloy,
cutting the airship I'm halves.
An explosion Of either hydrogen or
petrol occurred Immediately after the
Orders gave way. and flames burst
through the structure. but the explo.
sion, 1t is declared, was not the cause
Of the breaking up OF the airship. Il
The break occurred in the part of
the airship where girder was
strained when she was first brought
TO Howden. The girder had been re.
Enforced. however, and the shin found
to be perfectly airworthy, Il was said.
None of the authorities in How.
den would venture any opinion re-
garding the cause OF the break.
Structural Weakness.
American naval aeronauts are in
clined to believe that some structural
weakness developed or that the grid
ers and frames which were strained in
the July IL flight failed and caused
gasoline or hydrogen leaks. II gaso-
line or hydrogen came into contact
with the exhausts Of any of the six
engines swung beneath the great en-.
velope, an explosion could readily
have been caused 1t was explained.
The reports that the ship fell in two
pieces, however, tends to cause belief
that structural failures were the prime
cause OF the diaster. brought about
perhaps by too sudden a strain on
some weak part.
Reports said Orders that were
strained on July II were repaired
July 26 and all intermediate trans
verse and longitudinal Orders in the
bottom part of the four parallel sec
tions were strengthened by the add
ton OF extra bracing pieces. Panels
were also riveted TO the bases of all
intermediate transverse Orders in the
four sections, IT was said
According to the report II was be-
iieved that the failure OF the Orders
probably was due to their stressing
while the ship was under construction
at Bedford. where at times as many as
forty men congregated in one fifteen
meter section. straining the ship to a
greater degree than 1t would ever be
strained in a flight.
The explosion apparently happened