Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-02-22
81 KILLED AS AIRSHIP ROMA
FALLS, EXPLODES AND BURNS UP
Confined From First Pagc.)

Confined From: First Pagc)
civilian ON the ship. and that she
actually carried forty-Gye.
The bodies OF thirty-one had been
taken out OF the debris at { O'Clock
and those who knew personally many
of the officers and enlisted men. were
unable to identify a single one OF
the victims. SO badly charrcd were
the bodios--virtuaily cooked to death
in the mass OF wreckaec when the
explosion and flames cncompa ssed
them.
Only those in the forward part Of
the operating compartment, %: the
ship had chance for their lives.
| Several were injured severely by
jumping. but three came gu, nrac-
| ticaliy nnhurt and were discharged
i from the hospital within a few hours
after the disaster.
out OF the rortyhre men who left
! the langley Field air station this aft
| crhoo'. eleven found their way, alive
| To The United States Public Health
Service. These men. some more dead
| than alive. lay on their cots with
| burned aud broken Limits swathcd in
bandaScS Some had their faces
smcarcd with cream To relieve them
II their intense suffering. while
others lay asleep or unconscious
with only their closed eyes visible
\l who We're able to talk were suf-
fcrinr from shock.
Albert Flores. who was in the OBJ
servers pit on top OF the bag. said:
Il felt the ship Tilt up from the
back and start TO slide down. Il tried
to go back down inside. but then l
decided TO come out forward again.
By that time we hit the ground and
| was thrown out on the ground"
Flores was burned about the hands
and is suffering from shock.
Praise for officers.
Major j. D. Rcardon. who was in
the control cabin At the time Of the
accident. said that the work of tho
officers in charge was excellent.
Lieutenant Burt and Captain Mahry
were at their wheels" the major
said. THE ship gave a duck and !
saw Lieutenant Burt pull with all
his might on the elevation levers.
HE yelled out. she wont respond
anG then cut the motors. One ~
ONE I heard the motors shut off. and
net been shut OF we would have hit
the ground much harder
When asked IL he had seen any
flames. he said that he had not.
Ray Hurley. n civilian and engine
expert. Was aboard and suffered Il
slight Sprain or one arm and burns
about the hand. The trip was lIur
!cys first flight. 1T was the first
time | had ever been 'Np. aud when
the Roma started TO swing | didn't
know anything was wrong. / thought
she was acting all right; | didn't
know different. 1t was not until the
machine hit the ground that real
izcd she was wrecked. She was sail
ing along smoothly and she WAS com
ing straight from the Langley Field.
We were up only q short time when
We foil"
Snw WtspS of smoke.
Several cycwitnesscS watching the
Roma soaring above the army base
shortly before the death plunge,
ella lined tonight they cav wisps Of
smoke dar,ins out OF the side Of tho
huge gas bag. a moment later the
volume OF smo!s. increased and be-
huge blimn whirlcd downward.
one OF the mechanics In the crew
Of the Roma who was rescued short
~ after the big ship hit. said. how
ever, oar rudder broke aud the
planes did not work. So far as
coulG see there was no fire until We
hit the ground"
Colonel i. NJ. Quincy, commandant
OF tn. army base, who witnessed the
fall of the Roma. bears out this state
ment. He said he did not see any fire
until after the big gas bag, had land
ed on the ground.
As The Roma ncarcd the scene OF
the disaster. IL was apparent that
she was in trouble. officers at the base
say The big ruddcr seemed 10 bo
working badly and the crew WAS
desperately throwing out ballast
Their Efforts to put the airship on
AN even keel succeeded for only
minute or two, as she again tilted and
began riunging toward the earth
narrowly missing the smokcStack Of
| the base power plant. Two sharp cX-
| plosions were heard before the fire.
men began lighting the flames, but il
Is believed these were caused by gaso-
iine in the fuel tanks.
TIT !r"undS In 20 Seconds.
| Sergeant Peek. an engineer :tloard
| 'hc Roma, SAID that ne was tending
his motor III the port rear engine
boat; The Liberty was running fine
when Ne suddenly yccrcd IN and
n"sed down. | was too insane to
ihink much of anything"
J"'"ph y. Bicdcnhach. engineer
was burned about the face and hands
Il" said; II didn't see any frr. TN.
snip just tilted up and started 10
nose diyc 1t took 90 seconds for us
/" hu % ,'~nund and an exnIosior