Omaha daily bee., 1922-02-22

Barely a dozen OF more than two
score men aboard had been picked
up alive. One died cnrou,e TO hos
pital. All OF those who survived the
fire escaped by jumping as the
ship struck. The Others, pcnned in
the hull beneath tho fall OF the bag,
were burned 10 death. Heat OF The
fire fought back the rcscucrs Tor
hours.
80 Bodies Recovered.
Three fire departments fought tho
flames with chemicals and by 7 to-
night il was out. Dcrricks began
picking up the wrcckagc as the
flames were driven back. There was
scarcely more than the aluminium
framework and the six Liberty
motors to move. Within the wreck
age lay the bodies, many OF them
charred beyond direct recognition.
Thirty bodies had been taken out
tonight. Three or four more were
thought 10 he still in the charrcd
mass that alone remained OF what
had been the largest ship OF her type
in the world.
Accounts of surviving officers as
to what happened were not available
tonight Every man who escaped
alive was burned or bruised, or both.
Eye witnesses who watched the
smash agreed, however, that the
huge. kite-likc structure OF the stern
rudder, itself as large as bombing
plane, had slipped to ono side as the
Roma drove along thousand feet
above the army base.
Making Trial Trip.
She was making trial fight with
a new battery of Liberty motors.
They were installed 10 replace Ital-
ian engines bought with her in Italy,
hut which have not proved satlsfac-
tory. Installation was completed at
Langley field two weeks ago,
1t was just before 2 when those
below at the army base at Hampton
Roads had their attention caught by
the approaching thunder OF six
motors and looked up to see the
Roma dip down from her straight
fight. They agreed that the ruddcr
seemed TO have slipped bodily down
and to one side.
The ship nosed stceply down as
she came closer and it was seen that
her crew were hurting out sand bal
last from the ports in the fragile
fabric that formed the covering OF
tie space between her keel and back,
the living and operating quarters of
the ship. The dipping blunt nose of
the bag did not respond. On the
ship came, unchecked in her glide
carthward head first. Her COM
mandcr could not force her the few
hundred feet that would have
dropped her into the waters OF the
bay and comparative safety for her
people.
Hits Electric Wires.
Below ran the high double wires OF
the high power electric line. 1t
carried a $500 volt current. The
Roma's nose, shod with its alumni
mum guard, sank into the wires,
broke them as the ship hattcncd TO
earth and rolled over, and the next
moment came the noise Of an cx-
plosion. Flames burst out along the
hull space.
There was a rush OF men to the
rescue from the army post and the
navy base beyond. Just as the Roma
ncared the wires two men were seen
to leap from high up in her slanting
hull. As the stricken, flaming mon
ster writhed in her first death agony,
10 more dropped from doors or ports
or through holes they tore in the IA
brio sides that enclosed them. Some
leaped from the platform where the
engines stood. far cut from the hull.
Rcscuers Driven Back.
SO fierce was the flare of the gas
flames that rcscuers were driven back
before its terrific heat. They watch-
cd hclpessly as the great S0-foot bag
shrivelcd in the blaze of the liberated
gas. The Roma was a wall Of flame
city block long and until the thou
sands of gallons OF chemicals and
water had checked the holocaust. it
was impossible TO reach the men
manglcd and dead, in that fiery fur
mace.
The ship left no passenger list be-
hind her when she set out for q
brief trial run from Langlcr. 1t is
Turn to Page Three, Column one.)