Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-11-23
Chemists Believe
Helium Would Have
Prevented Disaster
Helium Extraction Plant Operated
at Fort Worth, Texas.

Washington-The recurrence of dis
asters to hydrogcn-inflatcd air ships
has turned public attention to the
possible development Of Helium-a
non-inflamable gas first discovered
during the world war and regarded by
many opponents OF air navigation rs
the n solution Of the lighter-than-
air craft problem.
Government and other experts be-
l.eve that the use OF helium Would
have prevented the terrible disasters
of late years, such as that Of the Roma
and the CO. While only one ship, an
army blimp, thus far has been 7illed
with helium, quantity production OF
this rare gas now Is foreseen.
Satisfactory operation, on a labora-
tory scale, or a simplitied and much
cheaper method Of recovering helium
from natural gas Is reported through
the American Chemical society by H.
Foster Balm, director of the United
States Bureau of Mines. In test run
made within the last month at the
cryogenlc laboratory In the Interior
Department building. hellum was re-
purity to use In balloons and diri-
gibles.
Reduce Production Cost.
| This development" says Director
Rain, Indicates hat very soon the
cost Of the commercial production Of
helium for lighter-than-air craft will
be greatly reduced"
Chemists Of the bureau say-the cost
OF producing heliurn has been too
great to permit of widespread use.
However. with the new methods
found, they look forward with con-
fdence to Its general use in the near
future.
Helium has 90 per cent the lifting
capacity Of hydrogen. can be easily
stored, does not rapidly deteriorate.
docs not readily leak from "a gas bag
and has all the advantages of hydro
gen without the great danger draw
back: In fact: helium makes a more
satisfactory filler, navy dirlgible pilots
have told the bureau chemists, be-
cause n~hele!um-hlled bag is stcadier
in the air.
Plant In Texas.
The government now has stored
approximately 1000, 900 cubic feet of
-heliun1. and is producing at the rate
Of $4,000 cubic feet daily at It's COM
mercial production plant at Fort
Worth, Texas, the only helium plant
in the world. AS soon as this plant
it Is expected the government will be
able to produce helium At the low
cost of ten cents 4 cubic foot.
The Fort Worth plant was run last
year for only O few months and that
only on experimental bases. The
plant was started running continuous
~. however. on October l..
Helium occurs on earth only in GER
tain natural gases, much of which, in
this country. were used for illuminat-
ing and power generating, refining out
and discardiny helium smong other
impurities" Such gases occur also
in italy and Canada, but no helium is
being recovered in those countries.
Representative Julius Kahn Of Cali
fornia, has introduced a bill In con
Eress to support a definite program,
which is expected from the next SEES
sion OF that body.
Encourage Production.
MEANWHILE says DIR. Moore of the
Bureau of Mines. every effort is be-
ing made to encourage the production
OF helium by commercial companies,
and every assistance~will be given by
the government III such development"
Under the present system of helium
extraction. followed in Forth Worth,
a 81 per cent return of helium Is OBJ
tanned from the natural gas. This 81
per cent must be put through a.puri-
, flying process before 1t can be used
BY the new method, only one process
of extraction is necessary, after which
tho gas is supplied directly to the air.
craft
The Fort Worth plant employs zoe
men under the direction of Com