The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1922-12-13
NON-|NFLAMABLE
Gas DISCOVERED

Tho recurrence Of Disasters 10 hydro |
oh.inflated air ships has turned
public attention 10 The possible dc.
vciopnent OF teiium--a non-inflhni.
able gas first discovered during the
world war and regarded by many CT.
poncnts OF air navigation ag the one
solution Of the ilghtor.than air craft
problem. iif
Government and other experts l,a-
iieys that the use of hellum would
have prevented the terrible disas-
trrs of late years. such as that OF
the Roma and the CO. While only
one ship. an army blimp. thus far
has been filled with hellum. guam.
tiiy production OF this rare gas now
is forcseeD.
Satisfactory operation. on n labor.
atory scale. OF a sImpllflcd and much
cheaper method Of recovering hel.
ium from natural gas is reported
through the American chemical So
cloty by II. Foster Balm. director OF
the United States bureau OF mines.
In tests mado within the last month
at the cryogenIc laboratory In the
interior department building. heilum
was recovered In 0nc operation in
sufficient purity 10 Use IN balloons
and dirigibles.
This development says Director
Balm. Indicates that very soon the
cost OF the commercial production OF
hellum for lighter-than-air craft Will
be greatly reduced"
Chemists OF the bureau say the
cost Of producing holIum has been
too great TO permit Of widespread
use. However. with the new meth.
ods found. they look forward with
confidence to its general use in the
near future.
Holium has % percent the lifting
capacity OF hydrogen. can be easily
stored. does not rapidly deteriorate.
does not readily leak from a gas bag
and has all the advantages OF hydro.
gon without the great danger draw.
back. In fact. helium makes a more
satisfactory filler. navy dirigible pill
/ OTIS have told the bureau chemists.
/ because a helium-filled bag is stead
/ Ter In the air.
& The government now has stored
I approximately 1000. 900 public feet
/ OF hclium. aud Is producing at the
rate Of 1900 cubic feet daily at It's
| commercial production plant at Fort
/ Worth. Texas, the only heiium plant
/ Ia the world. As soon as this plant
has started running at full capacity.
II is expected the government will be
able to produce helium at the low
cost Of ten cents n cubic foot.
The Fort Worth plant was run
last year for only few months and
that only on experimental bases. The
plant was started running eontlnu-
ousiy. however. on October first.
Heiium generally occurs only In
certain natural gases. much OF which
in this country. were used for Hum
mating and power generating. refin-
Ing out and discardihg heiium among
other impurities" Such gases oc.
cur also In Italy and Canada. but no
helium Is being recovered In those
countries. Representative Julius
Kahn. OF California. has introduced
a bill In congress TO support a defin-
tie program for helium recovery, ac-
tion upon which Is expected from the
next session OF that body.
Meanwhile" says DR.. Moore OF
the bureau OF mines, every effort Is
being made to encourage the produc-
tion OF helium by commercial COM
panies. and every assistance will be
given by the government in such de-
velopment."
Under the present system OF he'll
ium extraction, followed in Fort
Worth. a ca percent return OF he'll
ium Is obtained from the natural
gas. This a per cent must be put
through a purifying process before
Il can be used. BY the new method,
only one process OF extraction is
necessary. after which the gas Is
supplied directly TO the aircraft.
The Fort Worth plan employs 200
men under the direction OF Comman'
der Olson. Funds are available for
the operation OF the plant until Jan,
1, at least and then 1t is expected
that enough will be forthcoming for
the commercial production tests.