Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-07-27
FAIL TO AGREE ON CAUSE
/. OF FATAL ROMA WRECK
Italian and American Views
80. on Acciden, Widely
."'y' Divergent.
WILL NEVER KNOW THE FACTS
U. 9. Invcstirntoes Think No.e-cap
-.of DiriEihie finftcnrd Causing
Downward Pressure. Witch F"rced
Z. thsei-Ptnte> To Buckle.
tRy Associated presx.l

III ...Iu... 4. HN Associated lreSS.
-" ASHlN .tuiy PC American
nnd Italian technical experts ar. In
hisasreement a. /" the most prob
ABLE cause OF The wreck Of the seini-
sriGid Italian built army dir!rihle
Roma. February II. last. near Nor
) folk. Va. with the loss OF ;hirty four
tlives. The anal report Of the iuy-Sti-
ssatinG board enoodying the Italian
sas wcllras the American conclusions
swas mftie public today with nm ac-
comaanring statement from Score
.thry- weeks declaring there was no
scontroversy between American and
tI;alian authorities involved
= The report stresses the statement
.that all the facts OF the disaster
can never he known Those who
smlghi have known what sent >tne
ship p!GnSinp to earth IN a swift
.nose-dve TO he destroyed by FIRE on
,the ground persisted In the wr"ckar.
physical evidence that might have
>trld the story was consumed in the
thames
AT the very best saws the re
.port OF the bonrd headed by Major
sDavennort johnson air service. which
gathered and siftAd tho evidence wv.
,can do no more than determine which
sof the possible causes were the most
sprobable"
Believe No.c-Cnp FInttcncd.
= Briefly stated. the American experts
.reaohed the conclusion that nottcn-
ing OF tn" upper surface OF the
metal nose cap on the bow OF the
.Rreat sas bag caused downward
-prcssure as III. ship drove along
Eat probably sixty miles an hour;
rthe down thrust was resisted by the
sStern stsbilizers aud stresses develop
ed which the evidence OF one witness
Indicates caused buSil!jnG "i the
Keel frames putting tn" rUddcr con
Atrols out Of commission and leaving
.the huge aircraf, 10 plunge down
Ward with her crew helpless to check
sthe drive.
= The italian experts disagree with
>this view They believe that the
."reCalling rudders" Cuunt"rDolS ius
,the movement of the up-dOwn'' rud-
.dtr cort!ol. probably orerstrcss
sand broke. aud this WAS followed by
.tha rupture OF tho ruddrr control
cables This, they contend LETT the
."up:do@ n rudders free 10 assume
sthe natural position. giving "a posi-
.t!Nt ansle OF attack OF not less. than
g degrees TO the elevators az has
.heen recently proved by tests in
Italy
This caused an !mmedlat" upward
-mo,ion 81 The rear part % tho Roma"
.the Italian conclusion continues
,"and her consequent dive TO the
Srounti'
Use Only Heiium Hereafter.
The air service report draws from
the disaster certain definite lessons
II holde tina, in future such airsnlps
ms the Roma should he inflated with
only nonexplosive helium gas, that
provision should I've made 90 that the
ships commander. conld drop all or
any. part o! the ships ballast in
etAntly; So that he Rlko could droD
all gasoline fuel tanks In the same
way. and so that he could cut OF all
motors Instantly with \ central mas
ter switch The hoard found shat
no hallast had been dropped before
the Roma struck earth. that two OF
her six Liberty motors we're stin
running. pulling her earthward and
that tho gasoline fuel as well az the
hHdroSsn IN me great bag. was re-
snons!bie for the terrific Are that
followed the crash
''tndoubtedly" the >report saws.
the lose OF life In this accident
would not have been so great II the
suppoTHng medium in this envelope
had been nAamriaolc nonex-
'piosive gas such as hclium"
The, Investigation disclosed that on
the flight that <r'ied In the disaster
there hac been tSonbie with the air
scoops which Were used 10 iii the
oalio onoi IN the forward gas COM
partment 10 take up any contraction
~ the hydrogen and resulting fat
ten!Hg OF the surface Low pressure
IN the compartment had been noted
ana whom the scoops were tried they
iai'eu 10 operate or TO operate prop
cry. The report says Survivors tas
theo mat this trouble was believed
10 nave been rtmedied Tn. poin,
Is Important, ar tho bag itself prop
cry inflated. supported The umbrella
IKE nose cap OF metal