Evening star., 1921-08-25
AIR BUREAU. NOT DISCOURAGED.
HOPES TO BUILD MORE BIG SHIPS
Congressional Attitude Toward Further
Appropriations Awaited Because of Ac-
cident-Causes for Wreck Advanced.

While no lane of ships was planned
such as was posted to aid the NC
boats on their Transatlantic flight two
years ago. the battIeships Utah, Ohio.
wyoming and Arkansas and the oiler
Brazos. together with a DESTROYER.
were to take positions across the
North Atlantic to wireless the wealth
er conditions to the ZR-2 before she
started and while she was en- route
TO this country in order to permit
her to pick the best route.
It is not thought that the Navy
Will endeavor to purchase from Eng.
land any of her remaining rigid air
ships, but that construction in Amer.
lea will be undertaken If others are
authorized.
Expressions of Regret.
Expressions Of deep regret were
voiced by government officials with
out exception over the total destruc-
ton of the giant airship ZR-s with a
heavy loss of American and British
lives. Pride in the acquisition of the
new queen of the air and hopes Of tre-
mendous development in military and
commercial aeronautics had lent in
terest to the planned-for transatlantic
flight of the British-built air cruiser
even beyond that which it normally
would have aroused.
Latest advices to the Navy Depart
ment indicated that of the seventeen
members of the hand picked American
crew on board during the test only
one. Quartermaster Norman o. Walk
er of Commerce. Tex. had survived.
London dispatches. however. put the
american loss at seventeen, declaring
every American on board was lost.
1T is terrible thing" wis the COM
ment of Secretary DENLY as he re-
ceiyed cabied dispatches giving details
of the catastrophe.
i'm MI n folp n To- ~rl~
to the British air ministry q mes
sage expressing the sympathy Of the
Navy Department.
The Navy Department Of the United
States extends to the air ministry and
the British navy deepest sympathy in
the appalling disaster to the ZR-e."
The message said: I'VE hope our early
loss Of life"
New Dirisible Urged.
Far from being discouraged by the
disaster. naval" aviation officials i'm
mediately prepared to seek authority
for construction of q new shin OF
the ZR-2 type in the United States
we Will carry on; bull and operate
as many IRIS as may be authorized
by Congress Admiral William A.
Moffett, chief of the naval bureau OF
aeronautics. said. 80 that these brave
men may not have lost their lives in
vain
Other aviation officers. while greatly
distressed. declared they had not lost
faith in rigid airships. They pointed
out that Germany had built and sue
cessfully operated 140 ships of SINH
lar design. many Of only slightly less
carrying capacity, while English con-
structors had turned out sixteen.
The only serious accidents recorded
against these. So far as naval files
indicate. was the wreck of an early
German Zeppelin over Lake Constance
before the war and the smashing OF
the British R-34 when she ran afoul
Of her hangar.
Omcial dispatches to the department.
did not contain any information upon
which experts could. base an-epinion
as to the cause of the disaster. The
opinion was expressed. however. that
the theory Of an explosion Of hydro
gen gas In one or more Of the four
teen compartments might be dismiss
ed at once. Construction of these sec
tions and the other precautionary
measures taken in designing the ac-
tual containers of the gas. it wa: