Norwich bulletin., 1919-06-30
The New Ineomba..ibl. Balloon Gas.


 Helium, the new incombustible ballon gas, so called because it was discovered on the sun 90 years ago, before it was identified on earth, which promises to rvolutionize the science of ballooning, is the subject of the following communication to the National Geographic Society by pr. G. Sherburne Rogers:
 ''When the United States joined the Allies, the military value of helium was at once brought to the attention of the army and navy authorities and a vigorous campaign was begun for the production of helium in quantities.
 The two main problems were ob- vious; first to develop methods of ex- tracting helium from the natural gas; and, second, to determine the geologic occurrence of the gas, and so locate adequate supplies.
 Late in 1917 two small experiment. al plants using different methods were erected in Fort Worth, Texas, to treat the gas of the Petrolia field, and some months later a third plant, using a still different method, was erected in the field itself.
 The helium bearing area of Kan sas is far larger than any yet dis covered in Texas and contains a number of fields which in the aggre- gate yields much more gas than Pe trolia. The old Dexter field, in which the helium- bearing gas. was first dis covered, is now exhausted, though the early difficulties in the way of burning the gas were overcome, and for years it was produced in large volumes and | used as fuel.
 |
 ITO light a gas stove in Dexter, however, always was a difficult feat, and it became a matter of pride on the part of every good housewife to devel- op the dexterity necessary to this op- eration. The stove was first filled with | cumpled newspapers, which was set aire; then the gas was turned on, it's | flow being skillfully manipulated, un- til by the time the paper had burned out the gas had become hot enough to | take fire. | 'As the apparatus used in all these 1 processes of extracting heliun gas | for balloon purposes require rather 1 delicate adjustment and manipulation some time was natually consumed ir determining the most efficient working conditions; but just prior to the arm istice the first shipment of 150,00f cubic feet of helium, compressed and stored in steel tanks, had been started to Europe. This was enough to fiji of the ordinary kite balloons, thougE the large dirigiples require one or two million CT more cubic feet of gas.
 Although quantity production O. 1 helium was achieved just too late te he of value in the actual hostilities, il was in itself great accomplishment 1 for the worlds total output of heliun up to 1915 was probably less than 10t cubic feet, the market value of whict wa sabout s1,700 a cubic foot. Oul helium can be produced by the frs two methods at less than 10 cents { cubic foot, and if the third proces: fulflls expectations, this figure vii be still further reduced.
 "The details of the process of ex tracting helium are highly technical but the general scheme is easily un j derstood. All of the main constituent of natural gas, including the nitro gen, become liquefied when cooled t, tabout-32S degrees Fahrenheit; but tn
 helium remains gas at this exceed
 ingly low temperature and is thu
 easily separated.
 'The principle by which these loy
 temperatures are attained is on
 known to every motorist who is fort
 unate enough to have to pump his ow1
 tires.
 When air is compressed in a tire