Evening star., 1922-02-22
100000 to Operate
Helium Gas Plant
Turned Down.
EVERYTHING READY
TOOBTAIN PRODUCT
Engineer Urges Step to
Store Quan,i,y1Going
to Waste.

Directly on the shoulders of Con-
gress is to be placed much of the
blame II further inquiry demonstrates
that the great loss of life following
the accident aboard the Army air
ship Roma was due to the burning Of
the gas in its big bag. according to
those who have made a close study
OF air craft. Failure to provide the
small sum Of 100000 additional to
operate at full time and capacity the
$7,OOo,Ooo helium plants at Fort
Worth and Petrolia, Tex. places this
responsibility on Congress. according
to officers of both the Army and
Navy.
Lieut.. c. S. Tinker. United States
naval reserve force, consulting
engineer of this city, and who was
the official representative of the Navy
Department i'll connection with the
tests and transfer of the ill-fated
ZR-2 from the British to the Ameri-
can governments. said today that the
and the Roma would not have
occurred if Congress haul provided
enough money to run the helium
plants.
Escaped Death ON ZR-:.
= Lieut.. Tinker was to make the trip
to America on the ZR-2, but at the
time she was making her final trip
was detained at the office of the Brit
ish air ministry on business, and thus
escaped this terrible accident. He
said that at the investigation made
! there at that time it was decided that
had the big envelope been filled with
helium the accident would not have
been as serious. The collapse would
have occurred, but the airship would
LAS soon as landed here l started
a yell, which would prevent any
lighter-than-a -air machine from going
aloft until it had been filled with
hel:um. Soon afterward the CT was
put in shape. filled with helium and
tested. However, Congress would not
appropriate the money to run the hne
81 200. 900 plants at Fort Worth and
Petrolia. Tex.
Pipe Lines Laid. =
There is everything there in readi-
ness for the development OF large
helium gas supply. Pipe lines have
even been laid between the two sta
gas from Petrolia to Fort Worth. AT
the latter place are enough TASKS or
tanks to store all of the gas developed,
and enough could be developed there
to fill twenty ships as large as the
Roma. These TASKS will accommodate
2O.ooo,ooo feet OF the gas: Millions OF Of
cubic feet of this gas are going to
waste every day. 1t cannot be recov-
cred. and in a few years there will be
no more there. Congress is RESPONSE
BILE for allowing this valuable gas to
go by unused. and is responsible for
it's loss. and for any loss of life that
occurs through the burning of hydro
filled airShin enVe1ODeS.
Gas Can he Stored.
would permit the working of these
plants to their full capacity and per-
init the storage of the gas, which
will last forever once recovered. There
Is no loss and it does not evaporate.
It is an inert gas. 1t will not burn.
There is no known chemical with
which 1t can be mixed which would
make 1t burn. 1t can be mixed with
other gases. but then it will not burn.
to a month ago it had made from
twenty-five to thirty trips in the air.
total of fifty hours. l do not know
how many trips it has made since
that time. But during that period
not one single bit of the helium in
the envelope was lost.
"Helium." Lieut.. Tinker explained.
'fs taken from natural gas. The gas
as it comes from the wells is piped
into refrigerator. The other gases
the other gases are run of and used.
Some immediate action should be
forced on Congress to have it pro-
vide for the operation Of this plant,
which. while valuable now. will be q
loss in a few years unless it is moved
somewhere else. In a few years the
pressure of natural gas will be so
low there that no more helium can
be made at that point.
Costs 4 1-2 Cents Cubic Foot.
Helium gas costs approximately AZ
cents cubic foot to produce. While
this is higher than the cost of pro-
ducing hydrogen gas, it is absolutely
silly to talk of the higher cost as, an
argument for hydrogen. Hydrogen is
loss; it is unsafe and is easily wasted,
necessitating continuous production.
Once the helium is produced it is
there forever. 1t will not explode
even."
The only ship of the United States
air forces inflated with helium at the
present time is under the Navy De-
partment. 1t recently made a sue
cessful trip from Norfolk to this city.
which went ddwn in history as the
first successful fight with helium as
the initiating gas to be accomplished,
or attempted. Experts point out that
inasmuch as the very first attempt in
a flight with helium as a lifting
power proved a success. the develop
ments to be expected along this lin,
!~are sure in the future to remedy
many of the difficulties now expert
enced with helium. Sufficient con-
gressional appropriation to enable the
Army 20 provide helium for one or
more lighter-than-a air craft Is expect
ed to be requested by War Depart
uent officials in the tabulation of rho
next estimates for the maintenance
of the service.
Texan to Resume Fight.
Representative F. G. Lanham OF
Texas. who has made lone fight for
the full time operation of the helium
plant in Texas, said today that he
would make d strong fight in rhe
present Congress to have an appro-
priation of 100000 made, which, il
is estimated. will be required tor a
twelve month operation.
lump sum for the Navy of s400. 900,
out of which it could expend money
on the development Of helium. For
the Army 1t appropriated $3.50, 900,
after a long fight. The House first
appropriated 100000 for the helium
development, but Representative Lam
ham attempted to have it increased
but in conference the amount was cut
to $250.000. 4. 4
Ran ON Half.and-Half Pian.
The plants at Fort Worth and Pc
trolia are operated jointly for the
Continued op Pare ). colunn g