The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-02-22
THlRTY.FOUR DIE
in AIR TRAGEDY

"ohio i"hSSSt S~nu-rlSlQ alrShlp
Roma, and pride Of the American air
service yielded up today the last dead
of the disaster. The recovery fixed
the toll of the disaster as the great
est in the history of American aero
nautics, 81 dead and eight injured;
three were practically unhurt. Of
the dead 80 are identified, including
some of the air services most gallant
officers and men. Among the dead
are Major John Th0fnell, commander
of the Roma at the time of the
christening at Washington last De,
cember and Captain Dale Mabry, her
commander during Yesterdays flight.
Major General Mason M. Patrick,
chief of the air service, came here
yesterday by airplkne and made a
personal inspection M the wreck dur
ing the night and oilered an immedi-
ate investigation. Ulcers are at loss
to account for the rilshap that caused
the ships rudder t9 tilt and thereby
render the craft uhmanageable.
-
Newport News, Va, Feb. 22-Un-
confirmed reports that the bag of the
semi -dirigible RomS destroyed yes
terday with loss S4 lives, was in
flimsy condition at the time of the
flight are to be Investigated by a
board of inquiry.
Norfolk, Va, Feh. 22.Inyestiga-
ion of the crash Of fthe Roma at the
army base yesterday win begin to-
day with the arrivaio officers of the
army air service from. Washington.
The number of deah are 81, and all
are identified. OfYthe II Survivors,
eight are in the hasbital, one is criti-
cally injured. TheiRrmy officers who
survived the disaster declared the re-
suit of the collapse was due to elevat-
ing rudder.
Norfolk, Va, Feb. 21.-Thifty-four
dead, including Is officers of the army
air service, is the result of the trial
trip of the giant dHigible, Roma,
wrecked at the ar9l supply base this
afternoon.
Her contact WITH the high voltage
wires which she t<e asunder started
ner- Eus-Dug unne Ssafu 'tfirS -cvpiosfon
followed as the nose of the craft
struck pile of car material a few feet
beyond.
The explosion sent flames 800 feet
in the air, as eight of her survivors
leaped from the "deck" of the ship
Three others were dragged from the
mass Of wreckage and flames.
Only those in the forward part OF
the operating compartment of the ship
had chance for their lives. Several
were injured severely by jumping, but
three came out practically unhurt and
were discharged from the hospital
within few hours after the dis
| aster.
Lieutenant Burt, who with Captain
Reed was the principal pilot of the
Roma, was one of these. He jumped
when the ship was only few yards
from the ground.
Of the 45 men who left the Langley
| field air station this afternoon II
| found their way alive to the United
States public health service. These
| men, some more dead than alive, lay
en- their cots, with burned and broken
limbs swathed in bandages. Some hat
their faces 'smeared with cream to re-
lieve thenf Of intense suffering while
others lay asleep unconscious with
only their closed eeyes visible. AL
who were able to ak were suffering
from shock.
| Albert Sloras, Vvho was in the OBJ
servers pit on top of the bag, said
~ felt the ship tilt up from the back
and start to slide down. I tried to &c
back down inside but then I decide {
to come forward again. BY that time
we hit the ground and I was throw
out"
Sloras was burned about The hand.
and is suffering from shock.
Maj. B. d. Reardon, who was in tn,
control cabin at the time of the acci
dent, said that the work of the officer!
in charge was excellent. "Lieutenan
Burt and Captain Mabry were at theil
Wheels" the major said, "ship gave
duck and saw Lieutenant Burt pul
with all his might the elevation lever
He yelled: 'She won't respond" ant
then cut the motor. One by one
beard the motors shut off and then w
struck. If the motors had not beer
shut off we would have hit the groun'
mch harder"
When asked if he had seen an,
flames he said that he had not.
Ray Hurley, civilian and engin
expert, was aboard and suffered
slight sprain of one arm and burn
about the hands. The trip was Hur
ley's first flight. 'It was the frs
time had ever been up and when tn
Roma started a swing I didn't know