The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-03-22
A|RSH|P DISASTER
ARoUSES OFFICIALS
AiRsHiP ROMA is WRECKED IN
eI,cHr BEING MADE TO TEST
NEW LIBERTY MOTORS
LanoIey Field Officer Says Cause OF
Wreck in Which Thirty-four Men
Lost Lives viii Always
Remain a Mystery

Norfolk, Va.-Army air service ex.
perts Wednesday put under way their
investigation 70 determine the cause of
the disaster to the American airship
Roma. in which thirty-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
folk mud flats Wednesday, its charred
remains concealing many Of the secrets
the air service experts will seek to
probe.
"None will ever know what caused
her to collapse" one officer from Lang
ley field said.
Practically every one of the thirty
four victims was burned to death, Of
ficers 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 an army court Of in
Quiry to determine the blame. While
the court will require several days to
complete its investigation, the 1ndica.
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 D. 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 I'M
der the unusual strain. cumming into
the controls. This occurred at height
estimated at $50 feet I'he Roma.
nose pointed down and Lieutenant
Burt, at the elevation level, tugged des-
perately to straighten 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 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 its
living freight. A t,w seconds more
and the fire tgnited by the twisting
serpents of flame from the 2JOO-volt
electric wires, swept the wreckage.
A great sheet of fame shot from the
huSe gas bag. leaping high into the air
and driving away the scores of SOL
dlers 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
mad jumped from the machine Just be-
rore 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 fire was extinguished. n
dozen charred bodies were found
tangled In the skeleton.
The rest Of the bodies were held fast
under the ship and q derrick was used
ii life the giant frame before these
could be relased.
rev OF the survivors could recall
the Incidents leading up to the collapse.
Lieutenant Welsh and Major Rear
don were In the forward cabin when
tne collapse came. They were stunned
Tor few seconds and while still in n
oaze began cutting away at the fabric.
AFTER cutting large hole they found
themselves directly over a deep depres.
son In the ground and this enabled
them to crawl to safety.
Captain s. c. Whitehurst, army on.
s'heer' an eye witness, said the shin
appeared to be In distress at a height
OF quo feet. He could easily see tho
"ny ngureH OF the crew passengers
sc"rrying frantically back and forth
throwing ballast, storage batteries and
o'"er movable articles over the side in
u" eHort to tighten the ship.
STORIES Of the crash conflict. hut
general opinion is that the kas bag
'Aaoded as the ship struck the ground.
More than half of the officers and
men Killed were survived by wives and
"n''dren. The families of the officers
've at the field and here and there
",ona the neat rows Of homes flowing
piacK crepes stir gently in tho hro.,o