Evening star., 1921-02-13

be necessary to start where the other
work left off, owing to the fact that
the gas to be treated would contain
not more than l per cent heliunl-
The undertaking. therefore. was an
extremely difficult one.
etEOR this reason it was decided to
use three processes. hoping that
one, at least. would solve the prob
lem quickly and efficiently. At the
time there were two commercial
companies in this country making
oxygen from liquid air-namely. the
Air Reduction Company of New York,
using tie Claude process, and the
Linde Air Products Company of New
York. using the Linde process. In
addition, the bureau of mines had
been in touch with F. E. Norton. who
had a process which could be applied
to this work. called the Jeferies-
Norton process.
Funds We're appropriated to the
bureau of mines for the erection OF
three experimental plant: represent
ing the three processes described
reduction and the Linde) were placed
at Fort Worth and the third (Jet-
ferries -Norton) was located at. Pc
trolia, Tex. The reason for this To-
cation was that the bureau of mines.
making a quick survey. had found
that the natural gas in the Petrolia,
Tex, field contained .93 per cent
helium In addition, the volume OF
the gas was reasonably large, since
it was possible at the time in ques-
ton 10 pump as much as fifteen mil
lion cubic feet of gas per day from
the wells. This gas was piped to
Fort Worth. Dallas and other towns
and an arrangement was made with
the Lone Star Gas Company of Fort
Worth and Dallas to use this gas from
the main pipe line and allow the re-
turn of the processed gas after the
helium had been extracted to the pipe
lines of the company going to Fort
Worth and Dallas. This meant that
the government would only have to
paw for the actual loss of gas during
the processing.
'At the time of the armistice 49,
900 cubic feet of helium. averaging
90 per cent. was on the dock ready
to be loaded for Europe. This gas
had been obtained during the expert
mental work. Altogether about 200,-
by plants 1 and g.
owing to the better results obtain
ed by plant /. it was decided by the
Army and Navy that a large produc-
tion plant should be built based upon
the equipment and operation of plant
1. With this in mind, it was thought
advisable to stop the experimental
work in connection with plants l and
2. and, therefore, on January 23.
1919. the two plants were shut down.
A large production plant has since
that time been slowly but steadily
going up, and on January l. 1920. was
hearty ready to start regular opera
tons. This plant involves an ex>
penditure of about two million DOL
lars for both buildings and equip
ment. It was constructed under di
rection of the bureau of yards and
docks and will be operated under su-
pervision of the bureau or steam en-
rineerine of the Navy. 1t consists OF
Civ units. five of which are operative,
and one is to be retained as a spare.
Each INIT is designed to handle ap-
nroximately $4,000 cubic feet of nat
ural gas per hour. which gives an
annroximate total per Day OF ave mill
lion cubic feet"
"How do you propose storing your
helium until such time as 1t Is needed
for war or commercial purposes?"
was the next question asked.
"From the financial standpoint the
storage of helium is important. At
the present time the government has
at Fort Worth about one hundred
thousand cylinders. holding approx
mately two hundred cubic feet each.
The value of these cylinders is over
two million dollars. and the upkeep
is considerable. Serious considera
ton of other methods of storage is.
therefore. important.
X x X
CIT has been suggested by J. o.
Lewis and G. S. Rice Of the bu-
neall -nfsnfnea1 that. laeliuSA 8afght. AA