We greatly regret to record that the airship Roma,' recently
built in Jtaly :1-or the 'American War .atepartanent, came to -grief over ; Hampton .Roads, .Virginia,,,..aon :Tuesday.
Like the - 'B. ,which when -flying over .Hull: :last August - sudd.enly took -Tare and :fell, the Roma' met . with some accident . and, awhile , demanding, struck „some high...tension wires, a spark from whiOhocaused . the gas-bags to explode. Thirty-four . out of . the forty-six officers and .men -on: board were killed ; most Of the survivors were 'badly - burnt.
The disaster (+oaf= the widespread 'belief that these huge airships are too inflammable 1 to 'be trusted. The 'Rome,' it is stated, had been filled- with: helium—a. rare gas -which does not readily burn—but last week the helium was replaced by ordinary .gas. Unfortunately _there is not enough helihm- in the world ' to ,fill many airships, though _ chemists may yet find new stores of it or invent a cheap method - of making it
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