The Holly chieftain., 1923-11-22

mas been us explosive as dynamite. and many OF
them have burned in air. But the ZIt-1 will not
take fire. 1t is filled with noninfnmmable heum.
In 1868 the astronomer anssen was lc"king
at an eclipse of the w.ien he saw shining
cloud Of different color from any fire ever seen
before 1t was cloud of red hot helium gas,
f1oating In the suns air.
Sir William Ramsey. chemist set himself to
find II there any helium on earth After
analyzing many minerals he detected minute
quantities OF helium In the air and In the rocks.
1t was clear. transparent gas much lighter than
air, and was remarkable because 1t nbstnately
refused to combine with any other substance.
Fifteen years ago helIum was SO rare. even In
laboratories. that tubes of 1t were kept in safes.
But the World along. and the old.
fashioned hydrogen balloons were shot down in
flames as fast MS they could he launched One
flaming magnesium bullet could often destroy
whole gas hng. The United States government
set out to find wny TO prevent balloons from
being fired.
In Kansas and Oklahoma there were gas wells
that produced gns that wouldn't burn. The
owners Of the wells thought themselves out of
luck and generally let their property blow ofr
into the air when they found. they thought.
that 1t had no value. Government chemists an.
alyzed the gns and found that 1t contained some
4 per cent Of helium Reinerles were at once
built in Texas and the gns lIquefed with
liquid air As II condensed the heum separated
and could he stored In drums. During the war
heliNm Tor balloons was 0ne or great secrets
The sight Of Shenandoah surrounded ny air
planes suggests to the thoughtful observer that
the giant dIrigihe would he at the mercy Of a
fleet of hostile little flyers in time Of war Obvi.
ously lighter-than-alr craft of her type are for
purposes Of peace. How great will be their use
fulnpss can only he cOnectured.
Admiral Moffatt has said that a two-dny mall
service between Nev' York and London will he
innugurated when the IRA is in operation Eddie
Rickenhacker. American ace. predicts that in ten
years transatlantic passenger liners vii, he obso.
lete. These are two of the many predictions by
men who should know whereof they spenk
money talks" says the old saying. Apparently
American money Is now talking in terms of diri.
gihIes All rights to the manufacture nnd sale Of
Zeppelin drigbIes have been purchased by the
Goodyear Tire and Rubber company of Akron q
The contract includes the rights to manufacture
all engines and other machinery controlled nv
the German company The purchase price was
not announced hut is said to he large. The giant
air liners Will he manufactured at the Wincfoot
Lake aviation field near Akron. and at the Good.
yenr factories.
Plans contemplate the establishment Of 2h.
day Transatlantic air service. Surveys also have
been made for the establishment of a tweIveh
New York to Chicago mir service. Under the
pence treaty the German plants must be razed
after the IRA Is completed
The German engineers have evolved five types
of Zeppelns, capable of carrying freight and fuel
for long-dstance flights and from thirty to one
hundred passengers at the rute of GO to S75 miles
an hour.