Sioux County pioneer., 1922-03-02
FLAMES BALK.RESCUERS
Eleven Survivors Escape Death By
Jumping as Failing Ship Nsars
Ground In Fatal 1000
Foot Plunge.
Norfolk, va-HreakIns Of the
cable controlling the elevator rud-
der caused the disaster to the
Roma, resulting In the loss OF a.
lives, according to a statement by
Major General Patrick, head Of
the army air service.

NOrIOlk, Va.-Flung eartnWard, pre-.
sumably by a broken rudder, the giant
army airship Roma plunged 1000 feet
or more to the ground at the Hamp-
ton Roads army base, capsized across
high tension electric line and burst
into roaring furnace of blazing hy-
drogen gas in which thirty-four mem
bers of its army crew and passengers
perished.
Eight persons were injured seri-
ously and three were uninjured or
only slightly bruised, making total
Of As, in all, aboard.
Many hours after the fall, the ship
still was mass of flames from end
to end of its 41O-foot mass. The fire
was feeding on the million cubic feet
of gas in the great bag.
Barely dozen of more than two
score men aboard had been picked up
alive. One died en- route to a hospi-
tai. All who survived the fire escaped
by jumping as the ship struck. The
others, penned in the hull beneath the
fallen bag, were burned to death.
Heat of the fire fought back the res.
cuers for hours.
Every man who escaped was burned
or bruised. Witnesses and survivors
Of the smash agreed that the huge,
kite-like structure of the stern rudder,
itself as large as a bombing plane,
had slipped down and to one side as
the Roma drove along 1000 feet above
the army base.
The airship, which is estimated to
have cost about $1,250,000, was max
ing trial fight with new battery
of Liberty motors. They were in.
stalled to replace Italian engines
bought with her in Italy, which proved
unsatisfactory.
Motors Thunder Draws Attention.
1t was just before 2 p. M, when
those below at the army base at
Hampton Roads, their attention
caught by the approaching thunder Of
the six motors, looked up to see the
Roma dip down from its straight
flight. All agreed that the rudder
seemed to slip.
The ship nosed down sharply and
as it fell nearer It was seen that the
crew was hurting out sand ballast
from the ports In the fragile fabric
that formed the covering of the space
between the keel and back, living and
operating quarters, The dipping,
blunt nose Of the bag did not respond.
On came the ship, unchecked in its
glide earthward head-frst. The com:
mander could not force it forward the
few hundred feet that would have
dropped it into the bay and compare.
tive safely for those aboard. 81
Below ran the double wires of the
high tension electric line. It carried
1890 volt current. The Roma's
nose. covered with aluminium, thrust
Into the wires and broke them as the
ship f1attened to earth and rolled over,
and the next moment an explosion oc:
CURED and flames burst out along the
hull space. #
The Roma was wall Of flame q
city block long and until the thou.
sands Of gallons Of chemicals and wa.
ter had checked the fire 1t was i'm.
possible to reach the comrades
mangled and dead in that fiery fur.
mace. The ship left no passenger list
behind when 1t set out for brief
trial run from Langley. field. 81