Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-28
A|RSR|P DISASTER
PROBE NEAR CLOSE

NORFOLK, Va, Feb. Platter
hearing testimony from seven wit
uesses, including four survivors, the
army board of inquiry investigating
the wreck Of the Roma, the world s
largest dirigible, adjourned late to-
day. Taking of testimony will be re-
sumed Monday and the investiga-
ton will not be completed until
Tuesday or Wednesday,
Testimony tending to show the
Roma's gas bag forward was not
taut or filled when the big airship
took what proved ton be her death
dive Tuesday was given by Walter
Sims, connected with the firm of
C. w. Grandy & Co., cotton factors.
Mr.. Sims, in his testimony, said:
Just before the Roma started on
her fatal nose dive9 she seemed to
buckle up close to the bow, appar-
emily bring the nose Of the ship
from left to right.
cit looked to me that there was
dead weight in the bow. The nose
of the ship sagged, leaving me with
the impression that there was no
gas in that part of the ship. She
appeared to lose her buoyancy.
Il was at No. 6 warehouse when
saw the Roma sailing over the
base: The box kite or tail gear was
apparently out of position and it
attracted my attention. heard the
engines stop and the ship began to
drop.
II saw her make the nose dive
and heard the explosion. I got
into my automobile and drove to the
spot where she fell as quickly as
possible"
Mr.. Sims was one of the first r
sons to reach the Roma when she
fell
Captain G. B. West, of the medi.
cal corps, was a witness and testi.
fled as to the nature of the burns OF
the men on the Roma. The board
visited the spot where the Roma fell
1t was announced by Major B. John
son that the findings would not be
made public until after detailed
report was sent to Washington.
The board today was endeavoring
to ascertain why batteries were
dropped from the Roma on her mad
dive toward the earth. 1t was the
general impression that they were
through Tout Of the ship by some
member Of the crew who believed
the craft might be Hghtened.
REITERATES CHARGES OF
ROMA'S BAD CONDITION
CHICAGO, Feb. 27.-Robert M
Smythe, Jr., brother Of Lieutenant
CLIFFORD N. Smythe, one of the vic.
tins of the Roma disaster, today re.
1terated his statement made, last
wednesday that he had seen letters
from his brother in the air service,
declaring the Roma unsafe.
The letters were addressed to my
rather or mother, who gave them to
me to read" he said today, follow
ing thefreported denial of. the state
ments credited to Lieutenant Smythe
by his father, Robert M. Smythe, in
Hampton, Va, yesterday.
Il don't recall exactly what they
said, except that the motors were
working poorly, and that Lieuten.
ant Snythe returned from the NRo-
mas trial trip by train. I have ev-
cry reason to think that DIR. Nichol-
sons statements are true, as he
was very close friend of the fam.
lily and corresponded with my broth.
er regularly" ..
It was DR.. J. M. Nicholson who
gave out what he said was the text
Of Lieutenant Smythe5s letter ex.
pressing the opinion that the Roma
was unsafe.
Mr.. and Mrs. Robert M Smythe,
ST., will arrive in Chicago tomor-
row afternoon with the body of their
son.
DR.. Nicholson today denied that
he had given reporters extracts
from letters from Lieutenant
Smythe, which quoted the Roma
victim as saying that the ship was
unsafe. He disclaimed making any
such extensive statements as were
reported Wednesday, saying that
there is bound to Jbe a big investi-
cation of this thing and don't want
to be dragged into it,
Mrs. Smythe told me that Cliff
ford had written her about the
Romas trial trip and that the en-
gines were working badly" DR..
Nicholson said today. "He wrote
that number of the men had gone
back by train, but I don't know
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