Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1926-01-08
CONDEMN CHANGE
MADE IN AIRSHIP
Reduction In Number Of Shenan-
doah Gas Valves Is Held to
Have Been Error.
PERSONNEL is PRAISED
Report Declares Against Such Trips
In Future Except for Essential Pur
poses-Lansdowns Is Cleared
He Was Fully Consulted.

Washington.-That the changes in
the gas-cell system OF the dirigible
Shenandoah may have been an lmpor.
tant contributing factor to the dlsas-
ter in which that airship was lost over
Ohio last September is strongly lnti-
mated in the report made public OF
the Naval Court OF Inquiry. headed by
Rear Admiral Hilary p. Jones, which
has spent three months investigating
the accident.
Final destruction Of the ship Is de-
elared by the court to have been due
primarily to large, unbalanced, extern
'sive aerodynamio forces arising from
great velocity currents" but gas pres
sure, due to altitude and rate Of rise,
may well have reached values sufl-
ciently high to produce some damage"
to the Shenandoah's structure, in the
opinion OF the court. The exact ma
ture and extent of this damage we're
not ascertainable. the court asserts.
but was probably not sufficient to
have endangered the ship under NOR.
NAL" operating conditions.
The change in the Shenandoah that
resulted from the reduction in the
number of her gas valves is declared
by the court to have been "inadvis-
able" The urging of this change by
the late Commander Lansdowne Of
the Shenandoah, the recommendation
for its approval by the commanding
officer at Lakehurst. and the final ap-
proval of it as an experimental install
latlon by direction OF the Chief of the
Bureau Of Naval Aeronautlcs, Rear
Admiral Moffett. are regarded by the
court of lnquiry-when viewed in the
light of subsequent events-as errors
of judgment"
But the recommendations for this
change are declared by the court to
have been made after full considera-
ton by the most expert" officers of
the navy in matters OF design and op-
Grafton of rigid airships and did not,
in any way, involve negligence or cul-
pability, in the opinion OF the court.
"The disaster" the court asserts. is
part of the price which must inevita-
bly, be paid in the development OF any
new and hazardous art"
Whether the Shenandoah, II entire
ly intact and undamaged, would have
broken under the forces existing at
the time OF the disaster, or whether
prior minor damage due to gas pres
sure was a determining factor in the
final breakup of the airship, the re-
port says, ARE matters this court is
unable to definitely determine"
The court also went on record in
opposition to flights such as the Shen-
andoah made, which was only partly a
military" mission, and largely in re-
sponse to requests to have the airshIp
visit State fairs.
Such movements" the court recon-
mended, should be limited to essen
TALLY naval and mIlitar. operations,
In so far as possible. especially in case
of new and experimental types"
No blame Is attached to any one by
the court for the incident. Officers
and men who lost their lives are de-
clared to have done so In line of duty
and not as the result OF misconduct.
The measures taken by the late Com
mander Lansdowne are declared by
the court to have accorded with the
best established practice and the CON
duct Of every one aboard was "deserv.
ing of the highest praise
Commander Lansdowne was entire.
ly Justified In starting from Lake
hurst at the time chosen, the report
says. and weather reports Indicated
nothing that would render the voyage
unsafe. But more extensive meteor.
ologieal service which would REQUIRE
more weather stations and more fre.
quent broadcasting OF reports, the
court asserts, probably would greatly
have contributed to safe navigation Of
/ the Shenandoah on this trim"