The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-07-26
REPORT GIVEN L J OUT
lon INVESTIGATION WE
|OF ROMA DISASTER.
italian and American Experts
Disagree on Cause OF
Big Catastrophe.

lt5
WARRINGTON, July 26.-Amer-
lean and Italian technical experts
are in disagreement as to the most
probable cause of the wreck of the
semi-rigid Italian-built army dfrigi.
BILE Roma February Fl last near
Norfolk, Va, with the loss OF th1r.
ty-four lives. The final report OF
the board. embodying the Italian
as well as the American conclu-
sions, was made public today, with
an accompanying statement from
Secretary Weeks declaring there
was no controversy between Amer.
lean and Italian authorities In
yolved. The report stated that all
the facts of the disaster can never
be known. Those who might have
known what sent the ship plunging
to earth in a swift nose dive to be
destroyed by fire on the ground
persisted in the wreckage. Physi.
cal evidence that might have told
the story was consumed in the
flames.
cat the very best" says the re-
port Of the board headed by Mai.
Davenport johnson. air service,
which gathered and sifted the evi
=
determine which OF the possible
causes were the most probable"
Briefly stated, the American e1.
perts reached the conclusion that
flattening of the upper surface Of
the metal nose cap on the bow Of
the great gas bag caused a down.
ward pressure as the ship drove
along at probably sixty miles an
hour, the down thrust was resisted
by the stern stabilizers. and stress.
es developed which the evidence
of one witness indicates caused a
buckling of the keel frames, putting
the rudder controls out of commits
sion and leaving the huge airship
to plunge downward with her crew
helpless to check the dive.
The Italian experts disagree
with this view. They believe that
the recalling rudders,'' counter.
poising the movement of the up
down rudder control, probably
and broke, and this
was followed by the rupture of the
rudder control cables. This. they
contend. left the "up-down" rud-
ders free to assume the natural po.
sition giving "a positive angle Of
attack of not less than s degrees
to the elevators, as has been recent.
~ proved by tests in italy"
'.ThiS caused an immediate up
ward motion Of the rear part of the
Roma" the Italian conclusion con-
tinues. land her consequent dive to
the ground"
The air. service report draws
from the disaster certain definite
lessons. It holds that in future such
airships as the Roma should be in
flated only with non-exp1osive
heIium gas. that provision should
be made SO that the ships comman-
der could drop all or any part Of
the ships ballast instantly SO that
he also could drop all gasoline fuel
tanks in the same way and so that
he could cut off all motors instant
ly with a central master switch
The board found that no ballast
had been dropped before the Roma
struck earth: that two of her six
motors were still running,
pulling her earthward, and that the
gasoline fuel as well as the hydro.
gen in the great bag was RESPONSE
BILE for the terrific fire that follow.
ed the crash.
"Undoubted1y." the report says,
1.-The loss of life in this accident
would not have been so great if tht
medium in this envelope
had been a non-inflammable, non.
explosive gas such as helium.
I'm addition to the safety meas
ures indicated above this accident
shows clearly that in all such large
airships at least, whenever possible.
helium should be used in place Of
hydrogen"