The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1922-02-24
33 PERISH WHEN
BL||NP EXPLODES
Giant u. S. DirigibIe Roma Is De-
StrOyed in Flight.
ONLY II SURVIVE DISASTER
Accident Occurs When Huge Aerial
Vessel Is Flying over Hampton
Roads and Lambert Point
Army Base at Norfolk.


Norfolk. Va, Feb. 22.-Thirty three
persons were killed when the War de-
partment's giant dirigible Roma burst
into flames on d trial trip from Lang
ley (Va.) field.
The Roma, which was purchased
from the Italian government last year,
carried % prominent guests in addi-
ton TO her crew. the total on board
being A.
At five o'clock in the afternoon only
eleven had been accounted for and all
hope for any of the others had been
abandoned 1t is believed they were
burned to death almost instantly.
Tn accident occurred when the YER
teal controls were carried away, caus-
ing the ship to fall into nose dive, in
which it struck a high-tension electric
wire. causing the gas bag to explode,
Captain Boyle of the Hampton Roads
naval air station said in a telephone
message to Rear Admiral Moffatt of
the navy aviation service.
air only a half hour and was sailing
over the Lambert Point army base at
Norfolk at 2 10 p. m. when, with
defamation, she burst into flames.
Immediately she crashed downward
to the ground
Largest in the World.
The Roma was the largest semi-rigid
airship in the world. She was 40
feet long, 80 feet wide, S81a feet high.
The capacity of her gas bag was 1,1OO,-
600 cubic feet and she was propelled
by six 12-cylinder engines, a total of
2,7OO horsepower. Speed, 80 miles an
hour; cruising radius at full speed, g.
300 miles; radius at cruising speed, s.
600 miles; carrying capacity, 100 pas
sengers.
The Roma was built by the Italian
government for war purposes and sold
to the United States government for
approximately 100000. Her value
was estimated at $1,25O,O0O.
The explosion came without warn
ing and was heard at Newport News,
ten miles away. Several of the passen-
gers jumped as the craft crashed
downward, striking one of the army
base barracks. The heat from the
fire was so intense that firefghters
could not get close enough to battle 1t.
Those in the balloon were burned to a
crisp and their bodies may be unrecov-
cradle.
Plans were being made to send-the
Roma on a demonstration flight all
over the United States starting this
spring. 1t was in preparation for this
trip, which was expected to be an
epoch-making affair, that the trial
Eight was being held.
The Roma was filled with hydrogen
which also brought disaster to the
ZR-2 in England, when As persons
were killed. 1t had been planned to
fill the vessel with helium, the new
pon-infiammable gas, on the transcOnti-
mental trip.
The Roma was said to have been
almost 1000 feet in the air when dis
aster overlook her.
Roma's Crew.
Here is a partial list of the crew of
the Roma in the flight, only few Of
whom survived:
Maj. John G. Thornell, Capt Dale
Mabry Capt. Walter J. Reed (who pi-
lOted the machine and was one of the
few survivOrs), Lieut.. Byron e. Burt
Sergt. Roger B. McNally, Sergt. L. M.
Harris, Sergt. Louis Hilliard, En-
gineer J. NJ. Biedenbach, Engineer
Sergt. Thomas Marlborough, Radio OPP
orator Sergt William Ryan, Sergt.
Bigger Virgil Hoffman, Corp. Rigger
Irby HuziOn, Corp Bigger Alberto
Flores, Private Rigger Gus Ainkston,
Private Rigger Marion Hill, Engineer
Thomas M. Blakely, Private Engineer
John Thompson, Private Engineer Yer
ION Peck, Sergt Bigger Homer Cor
~, Sergt. Photographer L. G. Loupez,
engineer Joseph III. Budenbach, VIII
lam A. McNair, unidentified man, be-
ieved to be w. d. Burton, civilian.
The Survivors.
There are eleven survivors, as fol-
Ows:
Capt. Walter J. Reed, pilot; Maj.
John D. ReardOn. First Lieut. Clar-
nee NJ. Welch, Sergt. Virdon T. Peck,
sergt. Harry A. Chapman, Sergt. J0-
,eph Ell. Budenbach, engineer; Charles
0worack, civilian; Ray Hurley, civil
an: w. B. Burton, civilian: William
A. McNair, Corp. Alberto Flores, rig
ger.