Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-02-22
R0MA'S DEATH ROLL WAS 81:
IT MAY MOUNT Still HIGHER;
ALL IN DIRICIBLE WERE KILLED
Only Those Jumping From Big Balloon When Near the
Earth Escaped Horrible Fate; Eight Of Eleven Saved
Are in Hospital Only Three Getting OFF lJnhuh; Col
lapse Of Rudder Blamed for Holocaust
By Associated Press to Every rvenirr.

By Associated Pfees TO Every FvenfrT.
Norfolk. Va. Feb. 22.--cornpleteiy
wrecked by fire and explosion, tho
Roma. the worlds largest semi-rigld
airship and the pride u the American
air service, had yielded up today the
last Of the dead Of the disaster which
overlook her yesterday while ma
neuyering over Hampton Roa6s and
sent her hurting downward 20 crash
into the network Of high power cleo
trlc wires that wrought destruction.
Recovery Of the last body fxed the
toll Of the disaster-the greatest in ths
history Of American aerOnautics-at
"a dead. eight injured and three prac-
ticaliy unhurt. OF the dead 30 had
been identified although many II ths
bodies Of those caught IN thn ship
when she crashed were burned. biack-
.ened and charred almost beyond recoz-
milton.
best Men In Service Killed.
These dead Included some OF the cir
services most gallant officers and men.
the list containing the names of Major
John Thorneu. commander of tho
ship, at her christening in Washington
last December and Captain Dale Ma
bry. her commander during yestor-
days Inflated flight.
Officer Bismes Rudder.
Army officers who survived IN. die
aster declared Il was caused by tbs
collapse Of the elevating rudser. Tho
Roma was sailing along smoothly
/ al frr T..
when the elevsting rudder suddenly
/ buckled. throwing the stern Of tho
craft upward.
The Duckling Of the rudder cr,p-
pied the steering apparatus and start
ed the Roma on it's plunge toward the
ground. The downward progress or
the airship was checked by shutting
OF the engines, but the pilots were
powerless TO right the craft and II
plunged 70 the ground crashing
through a line Of high tension electric
wires and landing upon pill. Of steel
rails and wheels.
FLO Csused by ships Motor.
Tbs survivors snphst!caIly dental
statements Of civilians who saw tha
accident from the ground that fire.
broke out on the Roma before she
STRUCK the ground. The army officers
VINO escaped also said they believed
the IRE and explosions which follow
ed tho crash were caused by tho heat
oi the airship's motors. rather than Ia,
lcontact with the wires.
striking these the big dlrigsble cam
sized, its great 40 foot hydrogen ha O.
smothering the passengers and snein,
compartments as il crashed 10 earth
10 become Immediately a raging fi,n-
mace OF blazing hydrogen gas In which
all VINO had not jumped to esrth mot
q terrible death. All OF the eleven
survivors escaped by jumping as the
snip struck, only one Of the victim.
meeting death in this way.
Clearing Away wreckaxe.
Air service men from I.aneisv E-fsls
the nome station of the craft began
shortly after dawn today the clearing
up Of the wreckage OF the warped and
clustered skeleton and at the same
time preparations began for the official
inquiry. Major General Masno psrrick
chief OF the air service who came bers
Dy alrplane yesterday as soon as word
OK the disaster was flashed to WASH
ineton, made a personal inspection Il
Tie wreck during the night and ordered
an immediate investiga ton.
Officers at Langley Field stiIl yver.
at loss 10 account for the rnisb.n =
tnat caused the ships rudder to ri,
and thereby rendered the 410 foot Graf,
20 become unmana geable.
TO Investigate Rotten Bag Report.
Possibility developed. however. that
the inquiry would take notice Of re-
ports that the bag OF the Roma. con-
structed in Italy. was rotten. although
officers at the field declined to discus,
such reports.
In connection with the forthconlnr
inquiry these Developments. some or,
GERS said. had been established def
ritely:
First that the left rudder Of .bs
Roma gave way when she wa, less
than half a mile from where she wen,
down near the army base fire station
Second that there was no fire on
5 the ship until after the TIT began a,
result Of the right-hand side of N.
rudder going into an almost vertical
) position
4 Third that the craft became unnlan-
Continued on page i2.