Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1922-03-03
ARSH|P DISASTER
AROUSES OFFICIALS
AlRsHIP ROMA is WRECKED IN
FLIGHT BEING MADE TO TEST
NEW LIBERTY MOTORS
Langley Field officer Says Cause OF
Wreck In Which Thlrty-four Men
Lost Lives viii Always
Remain a Mystery

Norfolk, .Va.-Army air service ex.
perts Wednesday put under way their
investigation to,determine the cause of
the disaster to the American airship
Roma, in which thlrty-four were killed
and eleven injured.
Stark and flame scared, the twisted
steel skeleton that had been the queen
OF American skies, lay near the Nor
foik mud flats Wednesday, It's charred
remains concealing many of the secrets
the air service experts win seek to
probe.
Practically every one of the thirty.
-FOUR victims was burned to death, OF.
hcers and physicians said. Most OF
the bodies were identified by trinkets.
Major General Patrick, chief Of the
army air service, Washington, was on
the ground with IN army court of in.
quiry to determine the blame. While
the court will require several days to
complete Its investigation, the indlca.
ton was that the crew would be exon.
Grated and the cause OF the crash re-
ported as unknown"
The consensus OF opinion Is that
Captain ID. l.. Mabry, commander OF
the Roma. In making the turn over the
army base failed TO allow for the in.
creased power. The rudder broke un.
dor the unusual strain. junming into
the controls. This occurred at height
estimated at $50 feet. yrhe Roma =
nose pointed down and Lieutenant
Burt, at the elevation level, tugged des.
perately to stralghten the ship. She
refused to respond and he yelled at
Captain Mabry to shut off the motors.
They were shut off one by one.
In the meantime. the helpless giant
sagged rapidly, nose pointing down at
an angle OF As degrees. Two score
feet from the ground the nose passed
over a half-dozen high tension wires,
tearing them to fragments. A second
later the dirigible thrust her nose into
mass Of steel billets, machine parts
and scrap iron and collapsed on It's
living freight. A few seconds more
and the fire ignited by the twisting
serpents of flame from the 25OO-volr
electric wires, swept the wrecknge.
A great sheet of fame shot from the
huec gas tng. leaping high into the mir
and driving away the scores OF SOL
diers and civilians who rushed to the
rescue. Unable to approach the pyre
the rescuers turned In fire alarm and
then picked up Lieutenant Reilly, who
had jumped from the machine Just be-
fore she struck the wires. He had
failed to open his parachute and
creashed into mass of metal. He died
on the way to the hospital.
When the Are was extingulshed. n
dozen charred bodies were found
tangled in the skeleton.
The rest of the bodies were held fast
under the ship and derrick was used
Il life the giant frame before these
could be released.
Few OF the survivors could recall
the incidents leading up to the collapse.
Lieutenant Welsh and Major Rear
don were In the forward cabin when
the collapse came. They were stunned
for few seconds and while still in n
daze began cutting away at the fabric.
After cutting large hole they found
themselves directly over deep depres.
sion In the ground and this enabled
them to crawl to safety.