New-York tribune., 1922-02-23

= = X :
c.. "can" the helum and ship it TO
Langley Field for use in the Roma's
bag were issued SOME time ago, but
they apparently were countermsnded
or their execution DELAYED. The C-7
as still in her hangar az the naval base
With her bag iilled with helium gas.
Tanks into which the heiium was to
h" shipped were put in position near
TIE CT >eyeral days ago, but the de
faSing % tae navy blimp's bag has
never been completed
Order Hheld Mistake
The government Is now building.
near Newport News. a plant FOR the
maHufacture OF helium gas. Had the
Roma been kept in her hangar until
sufficient hclium was obtained to hN
Ter the destruction by FIRE could not
have happened. some aviators declare
Despite the fact that thirty-four
bodies were dragged from beneath the
wrockage Of the craft where she fell
tae searohers went through the pile Of
twisted steel again today. but 10 more
bodies We're found
while the heroic work of Captain
Dale Mabry. who was burned to death
=.
70 all circles to-day, there were some
10 said the brave commanding Office
called To allow for the increased mo-
neatUm Of the ships descent after her
rlcder broke. His order to stop the
motors IS also regarded as a fatal mis-
take. Had the motors been working
when The ship was directly over the
army base and about 400 feet in the
ar tie craft probably would have
Hen INTO the waters Of Hampton
Roads instead of across the electric
wire.
Ran Amuck in Air
After the Roma's engines were shu.
OF her nose pointed toward the earth
- az aangle o. about 45 degrees. Her
ruddev was helpless and her elevation
lever failed 10 work Captain Mabry.
according 10 aviation experts. was try
i7g 10 land the Roma or the open field
car tho army base The shin barely
missed colhdina with orc of the big
piers overlooking Hampton Roads She
missed sm0kestack BY inches and
tHcn She fell across the electric vires
ard burst irto fames.
" were running amuck IN the ar.
rs thc vay orc Of the survivors cx.
pressed the condition Of the Roma after
her engines were stopped and the rud-
DER refused to work. Fearing 4 re
primsnd from his superior officers, this
survivor asked that bis name be not
used
There was nothing that could &c
cone Win the ship. She could not be
Guided either one way Or the other
ao MAS Ike . ship at sea without
ruddcr, only her position was more
rerilous
tll HuddIed in Corner
'NAon we missed big smohestack
Just before We struck the ground
every man ON board breathed q sigh
OF relief. heard them say Thank
cod for that, and said SO myself
ne snip vas then headed for the
earth nose first. We were all huddled
- corner. We could not stand erect
with the ship pointed nose first
9ward tie earth at . sharp angle.
Two hundred feet In the air. mea
or tie ship were rasping for breath
hey held on TO the ship with q grip
ma q drowning man must have when
Ire Is ghting for life.
We felt Ike ne were going TO an
Unknown fate 81 a terrific rate. The
nip was dropping toward the esrtn
Ith terrific speed. The wind beat into
eur faces and we breathed with dif-
tcu!ty.
'Lieutenaut Burt was stil working
e- the elevation lever all the way down
on that awful drop. / can hear him
nov sAoutlng 10 Captain Mabry, she
@ah pond, captain Then he
shouted cut oil your motors and they
+e"Io stopped one at 81 time"
Sergeant Johlp j.. Reardon. who Wa
med by MS wife to-day SAID the snip
llst into flames so quickly he did nc;
realize She was on fire until men fell
4N about him with them clothing OF
t~c.
iir Appeared in Flames
II was at my post near my engine
when the order was given to smut OF
the motors ! heard q shout through
nc shin that the rudder was not work
ng and then Lieutenant Burt's terrible
warning that the elevation lever woalG
OF work. did not know how fast re
ware going but it didn't appear to me
like It vas more than a minute after
Lieutenant Burt declared ne could nov
get the snip TO respond to his efforts
10 make her climb, before there was an
awfui bump. fell over on my back.
Fire poured n all around me It
aecncd like as ii we were in he'll Fire
7vaS everywhere. / waited for the flames
IT, burn = hole III the thin fabric that
shields tne main bag was fearful
thc bag would explode. When sn open
tttE Vas maui t4E CittAbH Icl I4c 10
ooke nay head through | jumped Ny
clothing was on fire and my hands were
burned. but am alive"
Sergeant Reardon said as soon as
the bag exploded the air itself ap-
peared obe on fire. The flames poured
over the men Ike so much water. Their
entire bodies caught fire at the same
time
Captain C. l.. Whitehurst. army en-
c4uee' who witnessed the plight OF TIE
Roma from a field al the army base.
said nc saw the men lighting for their
Nes wnllc the craft was 200 feet in
t7o air.
Hodies Of 4 Unidentified
'he body OF Captain Hale Mabry
1as not Identified until late to-day. Or
hughes M4bry, ii brother of the brave
officer. recognized it by ring on the
ecad mans left hand. The flesh wa
burned trem almost every finger on
thc hand
Nobody has claimed the bodies a.
Sergeant Marlborough, Lieutenant Hal
Sergeant Gorby and Sergeant Schu-
maker The officers Al Langelov Field
we're not sure OF the identity or the
cur bodies believed 10 he those Of tn.
tour sergeants. All Of them are 50
badly burned Identification vas i'm
possible.
The destruction Of the Roma prac-