Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-02
CLEAR LANSD0WNE
FOR A|RSH|P LOSS
Members of Shenandoah In
quiry Board Decide Storm
Alone Was to Blame.

EsxculDH1lnS Lieut. 'OTnuTs /sdtndiH
I.ansdowne and the 10 officers and
men who plunged to their deoth when
the u. s. s. Shena ndoah broke in two
and crashed over Ava. Ohio. Septem-
Der 3, from any responsibility for the
wreck. the naval court of inquiry into
the disaster last night declared the
dirgible's loss lis part Of the price
that must inevitably be paid in the
development of any new and hazard
Gus art.
The court. which completed com
prehensive investigation into the CA use
of the disaster less than two weeks
ago, reported to the Navy Department
its findings, with the recommen tion
that the department give most con.
Sideration" to recommendations that
the development of lishter-tha n air
craft go forward.
The big airship was wrecked by the
storm which encompassed her, said
the report. whether prior minor dam
age to the hull structure caused by ex-
cessive pressure in the heium gas
cells was determining factor in the
final eakup the court was unable
definitely to determine.
Valve Cut 'InadvisabIe."
1t described as .inadvisa BILE how
ever the reduction in the number Of
automatic gas valves from Is TO 5,
4, hance which some critics have held
was responsible for the collapse Of the
ship.
The court declared that during the
period of danger the conduct Of all
the officers and men was deserving of
the highest praise" Consequently, II
recome nded that no further proceed
incS in connection with the wreck be
prosecuted.
The report Of the court was eX-
haustive reviewing the history of the
ship from her beginning in 1919 to
her destruction last September. and
taking up one by one the major points
raised by capt. Anton Heinen. former
Germsn dirigihle pilot: Col. William
Mitchell Mrs. Margaret Ross Ians-
downe her comma nders widow. and
other critics.
Secretary Wilbur does not plan to
pass upon the findings until they
have been submitted To various ON.
GERS and bureaus of the department
for comment and recommendations
Report Unanimous.
The report Of the court was unani-
NOUS and was signed by Rear Admiral
Hilary p. Jones, president: capt.
Lewis r. Mcbride Of the Construction
Air Service. and Msj Henry Leonard.
a retired Marine Corps officer who
was Judge advocate in the later stages
Of the inquiry after Capt. Paul Foley
had retired at his own request.
While taking direct issue with Mrs.
I.ansdowne that her husba nd had pro
tested against making the Midwestern
flight on account OF weather condi.
tons. the court agreed with her In
measure against the aovisabilitS
OF exhibition fights. on that point. il
said:
While recognizing that the pra ctics
of ordering movements of naval YES
sells for the purpose of complying wit h
public requests Is in accord with long
established custom. ID is considered
that such movements should be limited
10 essential naval and military oper-
atoms in so far as possible, especia ly
in the case OF new and experimental
types.
As. to comdr. I-ansdowne' attitude
toward making the flight, the court
found
The comma nding officer of the
Shena ndoah was fully consulted and
given every opportunity 10 state his
views in regard to the Midwest Night.
The comma nding officer of the
Shena ndoah did not a any time ex.
press opposition TO, or reluctance in.
undertaking the flight. beginning Sep
TENDER ,. on the ground Of possible
adverse weather conditions"
The object Of the fight was held
to have been threefold: To test the
Ford mooring mast at Detroit. to con.
tinue training Of personnel and to
comply with many requests received
from citizens Of that section Of the
country that such flight he made.
The court declared that Comdr.
Lansdowne was entirely justified in
starting the flight AT the time chosen
as the weather maps and reports in
dictated nothing which would have
rendered it unsafe or inadvisa BILE
As to the failure Of Comdr. Lans-
/ downe to change the course of his
ship when advised 10 do 40 by the
! aerologist on board some time be-
fore the breakup. the court said
subsequent events showed that such
! change of course would have been
advisa BILE. but added:
THE commanding officers decision
i to maintain his course was a matter
for his decision only. was made on
his best judgment after discussion
/ and considera ton. and was based on
| the facts and conditions as then
| known or observed Any error of
! Judgment involved in this decision
| was entirely without negligence or
bla me-.
Praises I.ansdOwne.
After describing in detail how the
| Shenandoah broke mp. the court as
! serted that during all Of this period
/ Comdr.. I.snsdown showed skill
! courage and fine qualities OF leader
| ship"
"All other officers and men showed
| an intimate knowledge OF their
! duties fine discipline and morale and
! great courage" it continued. The
/ handling OF the forward section OF
| the ship as free balloon by Lieut.
! Comdr. Rosendahl and Lieut.. Mayer
was particularly deserving Of com
| meuda ton.
Taking all Of the testimony Of ex-
perts and survivors together, the
! court said it justified the opinion
! that gas pressure due TO altitude and
! rate Of rise may we'll have reached
values sufficiently high to produce
| some damage to structure While
! the exact nature or extent of this
| damage was not ascertainable, 1t
was described as "proba bly, not suffi
cient to have endangered the ship
under normal operating conditions.
The Anal destruction Of the ship y
the opinion continued. was due pri-
marily to large, unbalanced external
| q erodynamic forces arising from high
velocity air currents
As to the moot question of para
chutes for the crew, the court held