New-York tribune., 1922-02-23
Two More Nav Die


While the bodies OF victims OF the
disaster were being identified to-day
the eight injured survivors we're
cared for in near BY hospitals. Two
Of these. Sergeant Harry Chapman.
OF st. Joseph, Mo, and Charles V.
Dvoracl,, Of Dayton Ohio. are in
serious condition, aud may not re-
cover.
Major General Mason II. Patrick
head Of the army air service. who ar
riTed here last night by airplane from
Washington, said the wreck Of the
Roma vas due to an accident 80 the
rudder control regulating the altitude
down OF her own accord, and that there
was no way OF stopping her from fall
ing and 10 way of regulating the speed
at which she was falling.
General Patrick said the hre WAS
caused By the Roma coming in contact
with the electric wirc or which she
fell. He said from examination o. sur
vivoIs he was satisfied the ship was not
on fire until after she struck the live
Wire
Steering Apparatus Blamed
The army board of investigators i.
composed Of Majors Davenport John
son, president; J. II. Jouett and JOSEPH
J. McNarney Their proceedings are
secret and no word Of the inquiry has
been allowed to become public, bur
before the sessions began members Of
the board made it plain to-day tna1
the investigation was to be thorough
one. There appeared 10 be feeling
dition before She lett Langley FIELD.
and the Investigators seemed to be
heve there must have been something
wrong with the steering apparatus o?
the ship before she hoped Off on the
fatal trip.
They were asked If the steering gcsr
lad been thoroughly inspected and
tested before the snip left Langley
feld. They reDlied that they would
obtain that information from the com
manding officer Of LANGLEY Field The
also we're asked if the newlr installed
Liberty motors We're tested before the
snip went aloft. They replied that this
information also would be obtained !,
due course.
Asked if the aviation corps Of the
army had not learned lesson from
the loss OF the ZR-2. they replied that
due precautions always were taken be
lore starting Oh fight, adding tha.
the investigation would be thorough
and II there was carelessness or ncgli-
gcnce anywhere it would be shown.
Descended at Terrific Speed
Colonel A. L. Fisher, commandant OF
Langley Field, tonight took issue With
General Patrick as to the cause OF the
Roma's destruction. Colonel Fisher
says the four gasoline tanks on the
Roma would have exploded and set fire
to the Ship il it had fallen in an opsn
field.
The jolt of ship like the Roma
falling while not under control would
cause these tanks to explode.p said
Colonel Fisher. The heat from, he~
engines would be suficien, TO cause
sparks, and these would explode the
OIL"
Colonel Fisher also declared that
Corporal Flores was stationed in the
nose OF the ship and It was his duty to
look out for fire. He was the look
out said Colonel Fisher. "thc same
as the lookout on duty on a ship at
sea.
There was no fire on the Roma be.
fore She struck the wire. She was de
scending at terrific speed She was not
under control. Her rudder and eleva-
ton levers had failed The crew could
do nothing to bring her down safely.
An airship not under control is like a
train or a ship running amuck without
any means Of helping itself"
Field Officers to Make Report
Failure to debate the airship's bal
loon bag Of hydrogen gas and refill it
with helium mixed with hydrogen and
the haste to establish g speed record
for the big dirigible are blamed for the
crash by army and navy aviators.
Langley Field officers to-day we're
preparing report to be sent to Wash
ington explaining this phase of the
question. They also will tell why
hydrogen gas was used for what was
Intended to be a speed voyage. Army
officers say the only hclium in Amer.
lea or in any other country. so far sa
they know, is in the bag of CT, navJ
blimp, which recently made Il success
full flight from Narfolk to Washington
and has flown several times over
Uampton Roads. Orders 60 debate tho