Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-10-04
NOT ENOUGH
n HELlUM TO
, II LIFT zR-2
Reason Of Not Using Non
explosive Gas is Given by
Professor Cady.

lawrence. Kan, Oct. All the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ba1loon-gas
now available in the world would
nave Deem entirely Inadequate to lift
me AR-2. h dirigible that was to
nave been the nucleus Of Americas
alrsnnavy, according to q statement to-
daySsby Prof. n. P. Cady OF. the Uni
veTsty OF Kansas department Of
chemistry. Doctor Cady discovered
mat hehum was a constituent Of the
natur1a gaa Of Kansas, Oklahoma and
iexAs, n performed notable ex-
perfments in the early days Of the
world warNn developing processes for
the.com1nercial production Of heuum.
Before the war, che said, probably
Of this gas had been obtained in a
1airiy. pure state. and that was for
expermentAl purposes, secured at a
cost of%S1.7oo to 5 1000 a cubic foot.
Total production after extensive ex-
pertmcnts by the United States gov
ernfaent probably does not exceed
100000 cubic feet up to the present,
put while the cost Of production has
oeen greatly, still this cost.
compared to the cost of hydrogen,
commonly used for Initiating balloons,
is Tremendously high. Z
Used Inexpensive Gas.
1T ts not strange, then" said DR..
Cady,. that England used the COM
~paradveay inexpensive hydrogen for
the zR-2. During the experimental
staees. the gas bags had to be emptied
al times. to allow changes in struc-
ture. Practically the only place to
get the helum IL. from the natural
a Of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas,
and, thus far processes Of reduction
have not been perfected. Only one
per cent or less Of the natural gas ie
helium. and this helium has to be re-
fined to a purity Of 30 per cent or
better befor it has the n%on-in1am-
mable quality demanded for the
safety in balloon construction.
lam inclined to think helium will
come.Sthto general Use for commercial
airshtps. If such vehicles become COM
mon. The limited quantity Of the
material. its high cost and its value
II war balloons will probably make 1t
imperative for the government to re-
serve all helium for It's own use"
Or. Cady explained that even the
best balloon covers did not prevent
entirely the escape Of the .liftine
gases, and 1t Is necessary constantly
to supply fresh gas, This is more
true OF hydrogen than Of helium, but
the wastAge is there, and the con-
tnued operation Of even a small feet
Of balloons would demand a con-
ooOAS 0oPpAy VI lISoAt HcltuHl. GXpoT1-
ments at the University Of Kansas
showed that the helium must be
nearly 30 per cent pure in order to be
safe. Similar. experiments In Canada
showed comparatively small ex-
plosions whom mixtures containing
only Is per cent OF helium were ig-
nited. 49, ~
Tried for Years.
The attempts to produce helium in
commercial quantities In the United
States date from 1916. The year be.
fore the English government had
sought samples Of a from America
in its search for helium for use in
airships. The United States was not
then at war. and proceeded cautiously
DR.. =. B.. Moore Of the United States
bureau Of mines, who had received
the British communication. recalled
thatts.Dr. yCady and his assistant. D
F:&aMcFarlandshad discovered the ga.
in Unusual Quantities In the mid.
continent natural gas. and later DR.
Cady and c., w. seibel, also OF. the
University Of Kansas, were embodied