Phillips County herald., 1921-12-09
Was NOT ENOUGH
AEL|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 Helium and Cost pf Produc-
ing II In Experimental Stages
Found In Three States.

Lawrence, KaD.--All the helium or
nOnexplOslve balloon gas now avail
able In the world would have been en-
tirely inadequate to lift the ZR-2, the
dirigible that was to have been the
nucleus Of Americas air navy, accord
ing to II statement by Prof. ii. Z. Cndy
of the University OF Kansas depart.
ment of chemistry. Doctor Cady dis
covered that helium was 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
not more than hundred cubic feet
Of this gas had been obtained In n
fairly pure state. and that was secured
at cost of S1,700 to $1,000 II cubic
foot TO. 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.
ut is not strange. then" said Doe
tor Cady that England used the coin
parativcly inexpensive hydrogen FOR
the ZR-2. During the experimental
stages the gas bag had to be emptied
nj times to allow changes In the struc.
turc. Practically the only place to get
the helium Is from the natural gns of
Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. and
thus far processes of reduction have
not been perfected. Only per cent
IN less Of The natural gas is helium.
and this helium has 10 he refined to u
purity of 90 per cent or better before
II has the noninilnmnable quality de
manded for safety in balloon construc-
tion.
81 am inclined to think helium never
will come into general Use for com
mercinl airships. II such vehicles he.
come common. The limited quantity
Of the material. Its high cost and It's
value In war balloons probably win
make II Imperative for the government
i to reserve all helium for its own use"
Doctor Cady explained that even the
best balloon covers did not prevent
! entirely the escope of lifting gases. AMI
] II IL necessary constantly to supply
| fresh gas. This is more true OF hy-
drOgen than of helium. hut the vast
3 age is there. and the continued opera
Z tion Of even II small fleet Of war bal.
looms would demand constant supply
OF fresh helium. isxneriments at the
I University OF Kansas showed that the
helIum must be nearly , per cent
I pure In order to he safe Similar ex.
I periments In Canada shOr red compara-
Z lively small explosions when mixtures
containing only ~ per cent Of helIum
were ignlted
Find Heiium In U. S.
The attempts to produce helium In
commercial quantities In the United
States date from 1915. The year be-
fore the English government had
sought samples Of gus from America
In Its search for helium for use In air-
ships The United States was not then
at war md proceeded cautiously. DR..
r. B. Moore Of the United States bu.
reau OF mines. who had received the
British communication. recalled that
Doctor Cady and his assistant. ID. +.
Mcfarland. had discovered the gas In
unusual quantities In the mid-conti.
nent natural gus. and later Doctor
I Cady and G. W. Selbel. 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 were completed In
March and May. 1918. and began the
production of hclium. Their output
was not great. but 100000 cubic feet
OF helium hnd been produced and
much OF II 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, wns com.
pleted n few days before the armIstlce,
and experimentation was continued
there after the war until halted by