The Washington times., 1923-09-13
HEL|UM Waste
HUGE, SAYS
EXPERT
U. s. Has Monopoly Of Gas B
Should Preserve, Ayers
Noted Chemist.
BY international News Service.

MONTREAL, Sept. 13.-Helium 10
great asset to the American ma
ton in peace and war, DIR. Richard
3. Moore, Of New York, late chief
chemist of the United States Blu.
reau of Mines, declared here re-
Gently in an address before the geoi-
ogy session Of the American Instr
tlIte of Mining and Metallurgical
Engineers, outlining the govern
ment's activities in the production
Of helium for use in airships.
He asserted that more than
SOC, O00, 900 cubic feet Of helium y
annually going to waste IN the
United States in connection with
the ordinary use OF natural gas.
and predicted the organization OF
lines of dirigibles that would con-
meet the principal cities of America
with Europe and, possibly, South
America and the Far East.
Quantity ON Increase.
The quantity OF this element
available for experimental purposes
has increased within a few years
by 100000 per cent, said DR..
Moore, describing the uses to which
the gas will be put in connection
with aviation. Before the war, he
brought out, probably there was
not more than ten or fifteen cubic
feet of isolated helium in existence.
The government plans at Fort
Worth had produced 2.300,OOO cubic
feet averaging between 81 ana D.
per cent purity up to December l.
1921, when operations were sus.
pended. Now, with three units rum
ning. 1900 cubic feet q day are
being made. and II Is expected
that this production will be in
creased to between 10000 and
40, 900 cubic feet.
"As the United States has the
only large sources Of natural gas
containing helium in the world"
said DIR. Moore, ''it is of great I'M
portance from the national de-
tense standpoint, that our monop-
oily be retained; therefore the ex.
portation of helium is inadvisable.
Plan to Save Gas.
Research work has been carried
out on fundamental problems for
the Bureau of Mines at Harvard
University, at Massachusetts, Insti-
tute of Technology and at the Blu
reau of Standards. In order to CO.
ordinate all Of this work and set II
genie laboratory OF the Brueau Of
Mines was started about two and
half years ago; this laboratory now
has about fifteen research men and
competent force of mechanics and
craftsmen.
"The general plan Of the United
States Government call for the con-
struction and operation Of three re-
publication plants 1.-TWO stationary
and one mobile): the operation. for
q time at least, Of the production
plant at Fort Worth, Tex, using
the Linde process; the construction
and thorough testing Of o semi.
commercial unit for extracting he
lium from natural gas, using q
method developed by the Bureau Of
Mines and its consulting engineers,
and, II this is successful, the erec-
ton Of one or more fulI-size units
after the method has been approved;
the continuation of research both
in pure science and the applica-
ton of results obtained to the en-
cheering projects, with the object
Of continuous improvements tend
ing toward efficiency and reduc-
ton in cost.
such a-program win ultimately
put the helium problem where Il
belongs-namely, as great asset
to this nation both In time Of war
and in time Of peace"