The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-30

The idea of using helium in balloons,
dirigibles &C., Is that 1t has practi-
cally the same lifting power as hydro
gen, but unlike hydrogen cannot be
set afire. 1t makes the balloon and
dirigible safe against explosive bullets.
1t is the airships defence against the
incendlary bullet Just as armor was
the defence of the old wooden ships
against cannon.
The military authorities dread TO
think what would have happened X
the Germans had had hellum instead
of hydrogen in their Zeppolins during
the London and Paris raids.
It was during one Of the Zeppelin
raids over London that the first move
toward developing helium started. An
old British scientist fell TO thinking
what would happen il tho zeppelin
could not be set afire. He remembered
having nut away an old report made
so,:c ten years ago by n Prof. Cay
OF the University OF Kansas which
, claimed that helum could he found In
the ground in Oklahoma and Texas.
He got the report out and sent it TO
| the Admiralty.
The British experts decided that IL
there WAS Vic tDoiiNV Az b
to get anything of that sort 1t was
worth taking. so they communicated
with the Government OF the United
States and sent experts over. The
experts were referred to the Bureau
of Mines and Director Manning OF the
bureau in turn referred them to DR..
Cottrell. Then things began to happen.
DR.. CottrcII Gets Busy.
DR.. Cottrell brushed aside all scep-
teal suggestions as to why tho plan
would not work. I'VE are not here 10
find out WHY it won't work, but TO
make 1t work." he said. and forthwith
he started setting the wheels in
| motion.
1t is not easy to cut red tape and
get action out of the executive depart
ments in Washington. In this case
the War Department and the Navy
Department, as we'll as the Bureau OF
Mines, were concerned. 1t was neces'
sary to keep these three branches
working and it was necessary to get
money from Congress without telling
Congress what the funds were needed
for, as II was a deep war secret.
The theory advanced for the quantity
production OF helium seemed to DR..
Cottrell sound. In a general way it
consisted of a process similar to lique-
faction Of air. everything except
helium was to be liquefied out. which
was possible because 1t required 26S
degrees centigrade below zero to
liquefy helium, and other gases went
out before that was reached. To DR..
Cottrell there seemed no difficulty in
the practical application which could
not be surmounted. excepting the dam
ger Of not getting red tape cut and
delay and inactivity done away with.
He set out to force action and
haunted the offices in question until no
became the "helium bug" which re-
minded him OF his former "smoke bug"
) title. But he kept after results and
managed to cut enough red tape to get
things started.
: AS for getting money from Congress
. the Bureau of Mines began to plead
for an appropriation for important ex-
peTiments in "argon," this being the
camoufiage name for helium. Congress
, did not know what was going to be
} done with Rrgon, but DR.. Cottrell saw
! some of the Congressman and the
money was forthcoming, Now helium
: is being produced in quantity at two
big plants in Texas.