Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-10-17
C-2'SL0SS REEVES
HEL|UM AGITATION
Army Officers Here Believe
Accident Due to Use of
Hydrogen Gas.
SURVEYING AIR ROUTES
Gen. Patrick Prepares at Once for
Inquiry Which May Decide
Type of Future Ships.

: Loss by fire Of the Army dirigible
CO at San Antonio today. following
the destruction at Hampton roads
several months ago Of the giant
airship Roma, is expected by air
service ofiicials here to renew the
agitation for development of nom
combustible helium gas for use in
all government liehter-than air ships
While, no Official report on the &C.
cident at San Antonio had been re-
ceived. officers said It was evident
that destruction Of the c. was due
to the use Of hydrogen, as was the
case with the Roma
$4,000 Cubic Feet Of Gas.
The CO measured 1872 feet in length.
was 81 feet wide. and 81 feet high,
the bag having a capacity Of 172. 900
cubic feet of gas. She was propelled
by two 15o-horsepower Wright mo-
tors and normally carried a crew of
six officers and men, Her speed was
rated at siXty-fipe miles an hour.
When the blimp1 left her home sta
ton at Langley Field. Va. on her re-
cent trip to the Pacific coast. there
was no intention to establish new
RECORDS Tor speed eF endurance on the
way across the continent or on the
return trip which ended today at San
continental fight was to survey air
snip routes. to photograph airways
Tor the information of aviators and
20 give practice to her crew in long
Instance. cross-country flying.
~ was said that data assembled on
westward
invaluable although the ship had
peen destroyed before the round trip
could be completed. None of the data,
however, has yet been received in
Washington.
Prepares for Inquiry.
In advance of official reports. Mai
Gen. Patrick. chief of the Army air
service, prepared Immediately to or
der an inquiry by a board of compe-
tent officers to determine the cause
OF the accident and fix responsibility,
If that should be possible. The re-
port Of this board will be submitted
to the Secretary Of War when COM
pieted. and i. lis the expectation of
air service offlcials that it will play
part in whatever pro-
gram for the development of heiium
gas Tor use in government airshfps
may be presented to Congress-.
The westward flight OF the &C was
originally scheduled by way Of Wash
ington. Akron, Dayton, Belleville. M. :.
Little Rock. Dallas. San Antonio,
Maria and Yuma. the western termi-
a "a being Rossfield. near Los Angeles.
during the flight, the ship passing
over Nogales, as well as Yuma. and
not making several Of the calls origi-
nally planned, She sailed from Lang
ley Field September II and arrived at
Rom Field September 20. after a leis-
urely trip west.
Helinm Plant Closed DovO.
The bl1mp type of airship is not
designed for altitude work, but dur
ing test flight. The c. had
reached an altitude Of $500 feet,
which was considerably greater than
any height she was compelled to
reach In crossing the mountains on
the route she took westward. The
crew. so far as known. experienced
no difficulties in making Its way
over the various ranges at the low
points selected and which determined
the course taken.
After destruction of the dirieible
Roma estimates were submitted by
the War Department for rcsuminK
the wartime development of nom
infammable helium gas for use in
Army airships. After the war Con-
gress had disallowed appropriations
for this work, and the only helium
plant operated by the government
was closed down.
The current Army appropriation
bill. however. allowed 100000 to be
expended "for experimentation, con-
servation and production Of helium."