Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1922-03-01
"a PERISH WHEN
BLIMP EXPLODES
Giant U. S. DirigibIe Roma Is De-
Stroyed in Flight.
ONLY II SURVIVE DISASTER
Accident Occurs When Huge Aerial
Vessel Is Flying over Hampton
Roads and Lambert Point
Army Base at Norfolk.


Army Base at Norfolk.
Norfolk, Va, Feb. 22.-Thirty four
persons were killed when the War de-
partment's giant dirigible Roma burst
into flames on trial trip from Lang
ley (va.) field.
The Roma. which was purchased
from the Italian government last year,
carried % prominent guests In addi-
ton 70 her crew, the total on board
being -.
Tn accident occurred when the YER
teal controls were carried away, caus-
Ing the ship 90 fall into nose dive, In
which u struck a high-tension electric
wire. causing the gas bag To explode,
Captain Boyle of the Hampton Roads
naval air station said I'm a telephone
message TO Rear Admiral Moifatt OF
the navy aviation service.
The great dlrigible had been I'm the
air only a half hour and was sailing
over the Lambert Point army base at
Norfolk NJ 2:1O p. m. when, with a
defamation, she burst into flames.
Immediately she crashed downward
TO the ground.
Largest in the World.
The Roma was the largest semi-rigid
airship I'm the world. she was 40
feet long. 50 feet wide. SS1s feet high.
The capacity of her gas bag was 1,lOO'-
600 cubic feet and she was propelled
by six 12-cylinder engines. a total of
200 horsepower. Speed so miles an
hour; cruising radius at full speed, g.
300 miles; radius AT cruising speed, 81
600 miles; carrying capacity, 100 pas
sengers.
The Roma was built by the Italian
government for war purposes and sold
10 the United States government for
approximately 100000. Her value
was estimated at 81 100000.
The explosion came without warn
ing and was heard at Newport News,
ten miles away. Several of the passen-
gers jumped as the craft crashed
downward, striking one of the army
base barracks. The heat from the
fire was 30 intense that flrefighters
could not get close enough 10 battle 1t.
Those in the balloon were burned TO
crisp and their bodies may be unrecov-
cradle.
Plans were being made 20 send the
Roma on a demonstration flight all
over the United States starting this
spring. II was In preparation for this
trip. which was expected 10 be an
epoch-making affair, that the trial
flight was being held.
The Roma was filled with hydrogen,
which also brought disaster 10 the
ZR-2 in England, when 40 persons
were killed. Ii had been planned TO
fiji the vessel with helium, the new
non-inflammable gas, on the transconti-
mental trip.
The Roma was said TO have been
almost 1000 feet In the air when dis
aster overlook her.
Roma's Crew.
Here is n partial list of the crew of
the Roma I'm the flight, only few of
whom survived:
Mai. John G. Thornell. Capt. Dale
Mabry. Capt. Walter J. Reed (who pi-
ANAtM ANt AANNAAAAlI was NAAt Vi AAAC
few survivors), Lieut.. Byron T.. Burt.
.Sergt. Roger b. McNally. Sergt. L. NJ.
Harris. Sergt Louis billiard. En-
gineer ]. NJ. Biedenbach. Engineer
Sergt. Thomas Marlborough, Radio OPP
orator Sergt. William Ryan, Sergt.
Bigger Virgil Hoffman, Corp. Bigger
Irby Huzion, Corp. bigger Alberto
Flores. Private Bigger Gus Ainkston.
Private Rigger Marion Hin. Engineer
Thomas NJ. Blakely, Private Engineer
John Thompson. Private Engineer YER
non Peck, Sergt. bigger Homer Cor
by. Sergt. Photographer L. G. Loupez.
Engineer Joseph H. Budenbach, VIII
liam A. McNair. unidentified man, be-
lieved 10 be w. ID. Burton. a civilian.
The Survivors.
There are eleven survivors. as fol-
lows:
Capt. Walter ]. Reed. pilot; Mai.
John u. Reardon. First Lieut.. Clar-
ence NJ. WEIGH, Sergt. yirdon t. Peck.
Sergt. Harry A. Chapman, Sergt. Jo-
seph II. Budenbach, engineer; Charles
Dworack. civilian; Ray Hurley. civil
ian: w. b. Burton. civilian; William
A. McNair, Corp. Alberto Flores, rig
ger.