The Mena weekly star., 1922-02-23
\ GIANT A|RSH|P
 DOWN, THIRTY DIE
On Trial Flight the Roma Plunged Thousand Feet to Earth, Gas Ex- pIodes and Barely a Dozen of
 Crew of 10 Escape.

Norfolk, Va, Feb. 21.-Flung safihward, presumably by broken < raider, the giant airship, Roma, plunged a thousand feet or more to- day to strike ground at the Hamp- ton Roads army base, capsized across a high tension electric line and burst ainto roaring furnace of blazing hy- 2 drogen gas in which at least thirty of \ her army crew and passengers per ished
 Long after dark tonight, many hours after her fall, the ship was ! sfzI| mass of flames from end to end of her 40 foot mass. The fire was feeding on the million cubic feet of xaa that distended the great bag for khe light.
 Barely dozen of the two score or Store men aboard had been picked up alive One died en route to a hospi- <al. All of those who survived the iire escaped by jumping as the ship struck The others, penned in the hull beneath the fallen bag, were burned fo death. Heat of the fire fought back the rescuers for h.soc::;;rs.
 Three fire departments fought the flames with chemicals and by o'clock tonight the fire was out. Derricks bsezn picking up the wreckage as the flames were driven back. There was Ac4fcely more than the aluminium framework and the six Liberty motors 70 move. Within the wreckage lay ! tl1e bodies, many of them charred be- Xond direct recognition.
 Thirty had been taken out tonight Three or four more were thought to te stilI in the charred mass that alone remained of what had been the largest ship of her type in the world Accouuts of surviving officers as tc Wh9t happened were not available fouI81t Every man who escaped aliye WRs burned or bruised or both EyeWituesses who saw the smash agreed. however, that the huge kite like strueture of the stern rudder, It. 4eif, as large as a bombing plane had dipped to one side as the Roma drove along 8 thousand feet above the army base.
 She was making a trial flight with battery of Liberty motors. They Were Installed to replace Italian en- 81nes bought with her in Italy but which have not proved satisfactory Int &ilation was completed at Lang ley Field two weeks ago.
 It was just before 2 D. m, when below at the Hampton Boards base their Attention caught by the ap- preaching thunder of the six motors < looked up to see the Roma dip dowr from her straight flight.
 Bloom Over Washington.
 Washington, Feb 21.-Disaster to. day at the Hampton Roads army base to the arrny's Italian built airship Roma, largest craft of her type ir the world, cast gloom over the wal and E4vy departments as the long lis, of cheers and men who were burned < to de6th in the ship came in.
 Pending full official reports, how ever; Secretary Weeks and air serv ica 0fIIcials had no comment to make Immediately on receipt of the news Wajor General Patrick, chief of ths air service, left for the scene by air
 With several officers of the shir and some of her skilled mechanic! among the survivors, it was hoped that some information would bs atailable. When the navy rigid British built airship ZR-2 came to tfafie end thru explosion in the ail during trial trip in England, evi denoe of the cause of the smash hat to be sought in the wreckage, fol there were no survivors who coult toll what happened. In that case, i has been ascertained, the buckling o1 ' portion of the framework resulted n aestruction of the ship by explo 4l6a in the air.