Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-02-22
DlRIGIBLE CRASHES
ON TRIAL TRIP; 80
PERSONS LOSE LIVES
CONTINUED from rage one)

German Zeppelins that harried
London time after time during the
world war. The ZR-1 is under
construction by the navy, how
ever, and recently arrangements
were made with the cooperation
of the allied governments that the
Zeppelin plant in Germany should
build for the navy a Zeppelin OF
the L-type, which proved success
full during the war.
The ZR-1 was described today
as strictly a reproduction of the
best German airships. only slight
notifications in plan having been
made by the navy department, The
policy Of the department in plan
ming the ship Is understood to have
been to attempt no Improvement
until the tried and proven practice
of the German airship builders
had been duplicated successfully
and then to advance in speed and
size by slow strides, and with en-
phasis laid in every succeeding de-
sign on safety and sound structural
developments.
The Zeppelin to be produced in
| Germany also will be Of this prov
en- type and the business Of airship
building in this country on a ma
| jor scale, either for military or
commercial purposes, has been
generally expected by technical Of
Ulcers to start from this point. In
this connection, 1t was said today,
that examination Of all German
records had failed to reveal any
disaster such as that to the IRE.
which was far larger than any
German-built craft of the kind. or
the Roma.
Whatever may have been the
cause of the wreck, either of the
ZR-2 or the Roma, it is certain
| that flying officers of the army
and navy do not regard these
tragic accidents as offering any
reasonable ground for the aban-
| donment of the attempt to produce
for the American military service
ships Of the size and kind. partic-
ularly for employment in coast de-
Tense operations.
Ship GliGcs EarthwarI
The dipping blunt nose Of the big
bag did not respond. On the ship
came, unchecked in her glide earth
ward, head first. Her commander
could not force her the few hum
dred feet that would have dropped
her into the waters of the bay and
comparative safety for her people.
| Below ran the high double wires
of the high power electric line. 1t
carried a 1900 volt current. The
Roma's nose. shod with its alumni
mum guard. sank into the wires.
broke them as the ship flattened
| to earth and rolled over, and the
next moment came the noise of an
explosion. Flames burst out along
the hull space.
There was a rush Of men to the
rescue from the army post and the
navy base beyond. Just as the
| Roma neared the wires two men
We're seen to leap from high up in
her slanting hull. AS the stricken,
| flaming monster writhed in her
first death agony, ten more drop
ped from doors or ports or through
holes they tore in the fabric sides
that enclosed them. Some leaped
from the platform where the en-
glnes stood, far out from the hull.
Rcscuers Driven Back.
So fierce was the flame OF the
gas flame that rescuers were
driven back before its terrific heat.
They watched helplessly as the
great SO-foot bag shriveled in the
blaze of the liberated gas. The
Roma was a wall of flame a city
block long and until the thousands
of gallons Of chemicals and water
had checked the holocaust, it was
Impossible to reach the men man
gled and dead in that fiery furnace.
The ship left no passenger list
behind her when she set out for a
brief trial run from Langley. She