The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-02-22

as the giant craft swung over the
army base something went wrong
with the vertical controls. the bic
boX-kite arrangement at the stern
that guided the Roma up or down
at the will Of its pilot.
AS the controls failed to work.
the nose Of the big ship pointed
down. Crashing down il struck a
live wire" carrying $500 volts Of
electricity. As the airship struck
the ground il burst into flames. Tn.
gas bag settled down over the car.
trapping the occupants.
Survivor Tells Of Crn.A.
A vivid report OF how the acci-
dent happened was told b. an army
ohcer. one OF the few survivors. TO
Capt. L. II. Il Doyle. commanding
ofhcer OF the naval air station al
Hampton Roads, one Of the first 20
reach the scene. Half-bIinded by
the flames and unable 10 realize how
he escaped the destruction with his
companions. the officer gives the
following description OF what oc-
CURED:
We were over the army ba.e and
little more than 200 feet in the
air when the trouble started.
know how high We were because 7
noticed We just cleared the 500
foot smokestack there at the base
and of 10 one side. The first hint
OF trouble was when the Roma be
gan to settle forward with its nose
dropping down. l believe the ele-
waiting planes, the vertical controI.
carried away, for she did not re-
spond to the controls and kept set
tling.
Ballast Thrown Out.
Then we began heaving ballast
overheard hoping to tighten her for
ward so she would get back on an
even keel. In spite Of this she. kent
heading downward and crashed into
a high voltage wire. which set her
/ afire and evidently turned the bi.
ship almost over as she landed kesi
up, with the blazing gas bag un-
Gerneath."
Z. L. Potter. an cmploye at the
army base who was watching the
airship's fight. said that she sp-
reared to be sailing along smoothly
about 1000 feet in the air when
suddenly she began TO waiver as
IL something had gone wrong with
her steering apparatus.
Capt. Doyle. after interviewing
some Of the survivors. declared hts
conviction that the elevator con-
troll" had either broken or jammed
Parachutes Fail 20 Open.
she started to come down nose
first" Potter declared in givinP his
version of the tragedy. Al the
outset her descent SsS slow. The
crew began throwing out ballast
. ~ 4
scent grew faster. and two men
leaped out with parachutcs. The
parachutes never opened. The men
jumped too close to the ground.
About 200 feet up the rear OF the
bag hit some hiGh-3ower electric
wires. There was a crash and
flames shot into the air. The men
who escaped were those who man
age dto get clear Of the airship and
jump to safety"
Other observers believed that th>
aged to get clear of the airship and
zoo feet from tho ground.
As her nose touched the earth
there was a terrible explosion shak-
ing her throughout her entire 40
foot length. She turned over. a
mass OF flames.
OF the two men who jumped a.
the craft neared the ground. one
struck a pile of scrap iron and was
crushed to death. The other es-
capped with minor hur.s.
CrawI< From Under wreck.
Lieut.. Burt. one OF the passcn-
gers who escaped unhUrt. stated
that the cabin broke near where
he was stationed. and dcpres-
sion in the ground allowed him 10
crawl underneath the envelope to
safety.
Twenty-three Bodies Recovered.
Late tonight twenty three bodies
had been extricated from the wreck
age. Acetyline torches. used to cut
away the alumium Eirdcrs and Fab
away the aluminium girders over the
CHASTITY scene as the workers strUg-
gled in the still hot tsnGIc Of twisted
and torn metal Fircmcn. mean
while. poured streams on Tho glow
ing mass TO enable the rcsCucrs 90
reach the manElcd and burned
bodies. Twelve hours after iN~ ca
plosion some parts Of IT, Roma
were still blazing.
Sergt. Nerden Peakc. pn' - 'he
few survivors. confirmed .hr report