THE SHENANDOAH

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18480, 7 September 1925, Page 9

THE SHENANDOAH

CAUSE OF DISASTER. CHARGES AGAINST DEPARTMENT. STATEMENT BY COMMANDER'S WIDOW. .St cabli—rsesa association— corrsiSHT.) (AUSTRALIA?; AXD K.Z. CASLE ASSOCIATION.) (Received September Gth, 5.0 p.m.) NEW YORK, September Captain En ton Heinen. chief builder of the Shenandoah, said that the death of the heroic fourteen was murder. Against his advice, eight of the eighteen safety valves in tho gas cell were removed recently. This was done for purposo of saving helium and pos--0 leakage.

lhe flight ovor Ohio was made, against the wishes of Commander Lansdowne, on Washington's orders to gratify politicians as a spectacle for a string of country fairs. This chargo is openly made by tho widow of the commander, who declares that ho had sought for Becks the cancellation of the order, knowing, as a native of Ohio, the danger of electrical storms at this period, but Secretary Wilbur insisted. Mr Curtis Wilbur, however, gives this a denial, saying that Commander Lansdwwne was allowed to choose his own time.

Tho Nr.vy Department will investigate tho chargo of Captain Enton Heinen that the removal of eight of the eighteen safety valves in the gas cells of tho Shenandoah was tho direct cause of the disaster.

Ho said that in an attempt to save the precious helium the men gave their lives foolishly and he declared that the number of valves was insufficient to allow the escape of ■when the storm suddenly forced the ship upward, causing rapid expansion of tho gas cells which broke the shell of tho ship in the middle. He pointed out that twenty valves were installed on tho Los Angeles for safety. Captain Heinen crossed tho Atlantic on the Los Angeles and was construction export for tho Shenandoah.

The Navy Department information indicates that Commander Lansdowne authorised tho valve changes recently as a result of previous cross-country flying with the Shenandoah.

SOUVENIR HUNTERS.

THOUSANDS SWARM OVER DEBRIS.

MILITIA SENT TO PROTECT WRECKAGE. (BEOTIE'S TELEOBAKS,) NEW YORK, September 4. Thousands of souvenir hunters swooped cn the Shenandoah wreckage with saws and hatchete, pilfering and wrecking. Two companies of miJitia sent to guard the remains found nothing to guard except the gigantic motors. The cabin furniture had been choppedl out. The silvery fabric had been cut up and lengths of the superstructure hacked away.

Various theories are advanced to explain the accident, but there is nothing to support the idea that lightning struck her or that she broke by striking a tree.

Tho leading opinion is that the disaster occurred over 100 feet up, violent wind ourrents breaking her as a man breaks a stick across his knee.

James Collier, chief aviator officer, on€ of the survivors, believes that the helium expanded when the ainship waa sent aloft too quickly after the squall struck hor and that tho coiiipquent strain cracked the girders.

FAITH IN AIRSHIPS.

CONFIDENCE UNSHAKEN. {ittSTH ALIAS AICD N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) LONDON, September 4. Commander Burnoy asserts that the Shenandoah disaster has not shaken his faith in airships. The Shenandoah was ten years old, and tho design was almost tiie same as the R33. Ho did not think that such long ships were sufficiently strong to enable them Jo weather abnormal conditions. Ho was most confident that scientists, before long, would succeed in designing a largo and perfectly safe airship. It was realised that the present ships were not strong enough and car© was being taken that tho Empire. Airwavs Service ships should be twice the present Btrength. It must be remembered that like all things airships must have birth-pangs. All aeroplanes once crashed owing to their wings breaking In mid-air. Tho first naval destroyers broke their backs in the North Sea.

AIR VERSUS SEA.

CONTROVERSY REVIVED.

(ACST3ALU.V ASD K.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) (Received September 6th, 5.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, September 5. The destruction of the Shenandoah has heightened the conflict "Battleship versus Aircraft" over President Coolidge s economy programme. The President desires a new dirigible. Mr Curtis Wilbur considers that the maintenance of the surface fleet at* 7 , the present standard is more important, while the Navy chiefs favour dirigible development, tat unless Congress grants the three hundred million annually needed for other purposes, the spending of two million on a dirigible is thought foolish; also, while both the Army and the Navy lack service

(Contlao*d at foot of naxt column.)

'planes, the expense on the more hazardous dirigible operations is considered folly. Mr Wilbur is anxious to retaift the dirigible Los Angeles for training and experimental purposes, instead of leasing it to a private corporation for commercial service, as suggested. The Los Angeles was bought from Germany on condition that it was employed only for peaceful purposes.

NEW ZEALAND EXPERT.

NOT ABOARD AIRSHIP. (srECIAL TO "tee fbess.") GISBOJINE, September 6. Cabled advice has been received in Auckland that Humphrey Parker, the young New Zealand expert in aeronautics, was on the Shenandoah on her last trip before toe disaster, but was not on the ship on the final voyage.