AMERICAN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 February 1922, Page 3

AMERICAN ITEMS.

itraTna,tam .x, „ . AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.

THE DIRIGIBLE ACCIDENT. (Received This Day at 8.30 a.m.) NEW YORK, Feb. 21

The accident to the dirigible Roma, 1 occurred when the vertical controls carried away, and the airship crashing downward struck a network of highly charged jelectric wires, causing a deafening roar as the ship exploded, when it collapsed and fell nos© first. The spectators saw two men jump from the airship about two hundred feet in the air. It is announced the flight was the first trial since the installation of Liberty motors in place of the Italian engines, with which the ship was originally equipped. The Italian motors caused trouble, and Liberty motors replaced them.

TWENTY FOUR KILLED. WASHINGTON, February 21. The latest advices to the War Department front Norfolk are that 35 per sons were aboard the Roma-, only 11 of whom survived. FURTHER PARTICULARS. (Received This Dav at 9.40 a.m.) NEW YORK, Eeb. 21. The airship Roma was commanded by Captain Dale Mabry who perished with the others. The Roma had a capacity of eleveil huitdred cubic licet, anil flames from the ignition prevented the persons beneath the wreckage escaping and also made it difficult to identify the bodies of those later rescued. Survivors told how the craft refused to keep her noise iit the air and kept heading downward. When she struck a cable charged with twenty-three bundled volts of electricity she collapsed arid burned. The death list included men prominently identified with flrmy aviation, including two majors, four captains, and seven lieutenants of aviation

AN ENQUIRY. .'Received This Day at 9.40 a.m.) OTTAWA, Feb. 22 Detectives at Montreal are investigating reports that one of the alleged murdered wives of Lanilru, who awaits the guillotine at Paris, was buried at Montreal CONGRESS ACTION. (Received This Day at 1.0.15 a.m.) WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 While the army court of inquiry was investigating Roma disaster at Norfolk numerous Senators are making a strong demand that all appropriations for Army and Navy dirigibles be stopped immediately.

' | BRITAIN’S DEBTS, j WASHINGTON, Fob. 22 ) It is learned Mr Harding told members of the House Ways and Means Committee that he has high hopes by ’ July Ist that Britain will band over to United States more than a billion dollars of bonds to refund part of the , war debt, the sale of these securities providing the necessary fund to pay the soldiers bonus. TENNIS CHAMPION. , NBV YORK February 22. K --W. lll - Tildren, Tennis Champion, has announced his decision to relinquish the English title, because he will not go abroad to defend the title. ATHLETICS. i NEW YORK, February 22. The University of Pennsylvania will send a four mile relay team to England to compete at the Oxford-Cam-bridge meeting in April, j NAVAL RESERVE TO DISBAND, j OTTAWA February 22. St John’s Newfoundland naval reserve which furnished two thousand seamen for the British Navy during the war has Wen ordered to disband as part of the naval reducton policy of Britishn Admiralty. Kjmmwmmmmmmkjmrnmmmtm