Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1922-02-24
AIR CHIEF SAYS
CABLE SNAPPED
Roma'S Nose Dive Caused by
Broken Control Wire.
NAMES BOARD OF INQUIRY
Rigid Investigation of Disaster to Be
Made by Maj. Davenport Johnson,
Maj. J. II. Jouette and Maj
j. T. McNary.


Washington, Feb. 23.-Breaking OF
the cable controlling the elevator rud-
der caused the disaster to the Roma,
resulting in the loss of thirty-four
lives, according to Major General NJ.
NJ. Patrick, chief of the army air
service.
In a telegram to Major General
Peter G. Harris, adjutant general OF
the army, General Patrick, who is
investigating on the ground, said:
"Have ordered thorough investigation
to determine cause of Roma disaster.
Information already gathered indicates
that the cable to elevator rudder
broke; ship nozed down, striking live
wires carrying high tension electric
current and this started fire. There
was no explosion and no fire until
after these wires were hit and broken.
The board of inquiry which viii
make the investigation referred to by
General Patrick is composed of Major
Davenport Johnson, chairman Major
John H. Jouette and Major Joseph L.
McNarny, recorder. The board started
taking testimony at once.
Rigid Inquiry Pledged.
The inquiry probably will go far
deeper than the ascertainment of the
causes of the fatal crash. Appalled,
by the series of accidents to aircraft
recently, particularly to the lighter
than-air type of the Roma, officers sale
the probe would go into the funda
mentals of lighter-than-air construc
ton.
The recent disasters to dirigible'
of foreign manufacture caused ail
service officers to question the ad
visibility of further dealing with these
types of ships The Roma was o.
Italian construction and the ZR-2 o
British. Both had been purchased b.
this government.
The navy is particularly interested
because it is now negotiating for 1
German Zeppelin of the most advance
type to be built in Germany unde
American supervision.
Three Inquiries Rushed.
Hampton Roads, Va, Feb. "a
charred skeleton of twisted meta
splashed with bits of frayed bnnt
ing, marked the spot where thirty
four American army birdmen died i
the crash of the Roma.
While three concurrent investiga
lions were being rushed by army OF
ficials, fellow-airmen honored thei
dead as crusaders of the sky suddenl.
overtaken by tickle fate.
There are eleven survivors Of tn
crash and the terrific fire. Those o
the survivors able to talk blamed tn
catastrophe on broken elevating con
trolls and a Liberty motor that wen
: dead" The Roma was making 1t
first test flight after Liberty motor
had replaced the original Italian
engines.
Out of the maze of counter stories
it was apparent that the crew ant
passengers of the Roma for the mos
part never had chance to escape.
Trapped beneath the falling envelop'
of the bag, they were blasted int
shriveled corpses in the first grea
/ explosion. The handful who escapes
either dived from the cabins just be
fore the crash or landed in deep gul
leys that crisis crossed the field Of
which the Roma fell. These gulley
provided protection from the b.,,
a few
Dies in Parachute Leap.
1t was in this blazing inferno tina
all but one of the victims persisted
The exception was Lieut.. William
Riley, New York. He leaped with |
parachute just before the crash. Thu
; parachute failed to open and Lieut.
Riley crashed headlong into tha con
crete roadway with broken neck.
Soldiers, Using a railroad crane
lifted the wreckage while volunteer
dug out the bodies. No feature wer'
recognizable.
Only two of the eight injured a
the army hospital here are in dan
ger of dying from their burns. fhes'
are Charles Dworack, Dayton, o.
and Sergt. Harry A. Chapman, st