The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1921-11-11
WAS NOT ENOUGH
HEL|UM FOR zR-2
Worlds Supply OF nonexp.osive
Balloon Gas Would Not
Have Filled Gas Bag.
PROFESSOR CADY GIVES FACTS
Tells of Governments Experiments
With heium and Cost ~ Produc-
ing IL in Experimental Stages
Found in Three States

Lawrence, kap.-All the helium or
nOnexpIosiye balloon gas now avail
able IN the world would have been en-
tirely Inadequate 10 lift tie ZR-2. the
dirigible that was TO have been the
nucleus of Americas air navy. accord
ing 10 u statement by Prof. II. z. Cady
OF the University of Kansas depart
ment of chemistry. Doctor Cady dis
covered that helium was a constituent
of the natural gas of Kansas, Okla
homa and Texas. and performed no
table experiments in the early days OF
the World war in developing processes
for commercial production of helium.
Before the war, he said, probably
hot more than hundred cubic feet
of this gas had been obtained in a
fairly pure state. and that was secured
at cost of 81 700 To $1,000 cubic
foot for experimental purposes. Total
production after extensive expert
ments by the United States govern
ment probably does not exceed 100000
cubic feet up TO the present, but while
the cost of production has been re-
duced greatly. still this cost, compared
To the cost of hydrogen, commonly
used for initiating balloons, is tremen-
douSly high.
Forced to, Use Hydrogen.
1T is not strange. then" said Doc
tor Cady. that England used the com
paratively inexpensive hydrogen for
the ZR-2. During the experimental
stages the gas bag had to be emptied
at times To allow changes in the Struc-
ture. Practically the only place 10 get
the helium is from the natural gas of
Kansas. Oklahoma and Texas, and
thus far processes of reduction have
not been perfected. Only per cent
ar less Of the natural gas is heium.
and this helium has TO be refined To Il
purity Of 9O per cent or better before
il has the noninflammahle quality De
handed for safety i'm balloon conSiruC-
ton.
81 ann inclined to think helium never
will come into general use for com
merciaI airShips. if such vehicles he
come common. The limited quantity
of the material its high cost and its
value in war balloons probably will
make il Imperative for the government
to reserve all hclium for its own use.
Doctor Cady explained that even the
best balloon covers did not prevent
entirely the eScape of lifting gaSrS and
il is necessary constantly to sulfhly
fresh gDS. This is mare true Of ny
drogen than of -helium, but the vast
age is there, and the, continued opera
ton of even IL small fleet of war bal
looms would demand constant supply
of fresh heIium. Experiments mt the
University of Kansas showed that the
helium must be nearly 90 per cent
pure in order to he safe. Similar cX-
perimentS i'm Canada showed compare
lively small explosions when mixtures
containing only a. per cent OF helium
were i6nit@l
Find HeliAm in U. s.
The attempts tO produce heIium in
commercial quantities in the United
States date from 1916. The year he
fore the English government had
sought samples Of gas from America
I'm its search for helium for use i'm air
ships. The United States was not thea
nj war and proceeded cautiously Or.
X. Il. Moore 81 the United States bu-
reau Of mines. who had received the
British communication. recalled that
Doctor Cady and his assistant, u. +.
Mcfarland. had discovered the gas in
unusual quantities in the mid-cOnTi-
nent natural gas. and later Doctor
Cady and {. w. Seibel also OF the Uni
verSity of Kansas, were employed In
the plans for the construction later OF
three helium plants in Texas
Two small plants We're completed in
March and May. 1918 and began the
production of helium Their output
was not great. hut 20O0O0 cubic feet
~ helium had been produced and
/ much OF il had been compressed into
cylinders for shipment TO France when
the signing Of the armiStice made that
unnecessary. A third plant at Petro-
liza Texas. near Fort Worth. was com.
pleted few days before the armistice
and experimentation was continued
there after the war until halted by
/ diminished appropriations.