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Show WHY SHY DID THE HINDENBURG CRASH ? . M MCause Cause Is Still Uncertain , Though Use of Helium Would Have HavePrevented HavePrevented HavePrevented Prevented It . But Uncle Sam Owns Ovns , All the Helium ! By WILLIAM 'VILLIAlU VILLIAlU ' C . UTLEY < " tT HERE must be no moreflymg moreflying more moreA "THERE THERE THERE A- A Aflying - flying flymg with hydrogen hydrogen.We hydrogenWe . We must make an about face face.We faceWe . We must use helium . " Thus spoke Dr . Hugo Eckener , he hewho hewho hewho who is known as the world's worlds ' great great- greatest greatest greatest - est authority on lighter hghter than a aircraft I r rcraft rcraft craft , after being bemg informed mformed that thatGermany's thatGermany's thatGermany's thatGermanys Germany's Germanys ' proud Hmdenburg Hindenburg had hadcrashed hadcrashed hadcrashed crashed spectacularly upon com com- completmg c completing o m- m mpleting - pleting pletmg her maiden 1937 AtlantIc AtlantIccrossmg Atlanticcrossing Atlanticcrossing crossmg crossing at Lakehurst , N JThere JThere J JThere There have been several theorIes theorIesadvanced theoriesadvanced theoriesadvanced advanced as possible causes of the thedIsaster thedisaster thedisaster dIsaster , but no one is yet sure surewhIch surewhich surewhich whIch is the correct one , and it IS ISdoubtful isdoubtful isdoubtful doubtful if anyone ever \ will dill \ 111 beSabotage beSabotage be beSabotage Sabotage was suggested , merely merelythat merelythat merelythat that no possibility posslblhty be overlookedand overlooked , and immediately rejected rejectedIt It might have been ; static etatle electric electrIc- electrIc1tJ electricity electricity - ity 1tJ which set oft off the highly ex exploslve explosive explosive ploslve plosive hydrogen gas All mrcraft aircraft mrcraftare aircraftare aircraftare are apt to accumulate it , especlaIly especially especlaIlywhen especiallywhen especiallywhen I when flying fli 11) 11 ) ing mg through or near a thun thunderstorm thunderstorm thunderstorm I derstorm But this seems unlikely unllkely m in mthe inthe mthe the case of the Hindcnburg Hmdenburg Hindenburg , for her herground herground herground ground lines hnes had been down three threemmutes threeminutes threeminutes I mmutes minutes before the crash , and pre pre- presumably pre- pre presumably presumably - - sumably all charges of static electricity elec elec- electncIty electricity - tricity tncIty would ha\ ha ha ba\e ba e hae , \ e a passed into mto the theearth theearth theearth theearthSpontaneous earth earthSponhncous earthSpont'incous Spontaneous Sponhncous Spont'incous Spontincous ' Combustion Combushon ? Another theory , more comphcated complicated complicatedthan complicatedthan than the others , was that of Prof ProfOtto ProfOtto ProfOtto Otto Stern , of Carnegie Institute of ofTechnology ofTechnology ofTechnology Technology , and formerly connect connect- connected connected connected - ed with the Zeppelmlorks Zeppelin Zeppelm \ works \lorks lorks in ill Ger Ger- Germany Ger- Ger Germany Germany - - many . , Professor Stern expressed expressed'Voonderment expressedwonderment expressedwonderment 'Voonderment Voonderment wonderment ' that the accident had hadnot hadnot hadnot not happened sooner , due to p pecu- pecu peculiar pecu peculiar cu- cu cuhar - - liar har action of the proton of the hy- hy hydrogen hydrogen hy hydrogen - - drogen atomThe atomThe atom atomThe The hydrogen proton , he ex- ex explamed explained ex explained - plained plamed , is charged with posltlve positive posltlveelectrlc1ty positiveelectricity positiveelectricity electrlc1ty electricity , . which is offset by a acharge acharge acharge charge of negative negahve electricity in the theelectron theelectron theelectron electron , which covers the proton protonlike protonlike protonlike like a shell When the gas is IeaklOg leaking IeaklOgunder leakingunder leakingunder under pressure , many of the pro pro- protons protons protons - - tons lose their electrons , and race racemadly racemadly racemadly madly about seeking seeklOg npw new ones ThIs ThIscauses Thiscauses Thiscauses causes spontaneous combustion combushon combustionSo combushonSo So rapidly rap1dly did the flames engulf engulfthe engulfthe engulfthe the ship , the versions of wItnesses witnessesas as to the ciuse C"luse Cluse cause " \ were \ ere varied ( fire fireswept fireswept fireswept swept from one end of the Hmden- Hmden Hinden- Hinden Hmdenburg Hindenburg Hmden-burg Hmden burg - - burg to the other in 10 32 seconds seconds.Sevcial secondsSevcial ) . Sevelal Seveial insisted however , the rear rearport rearport rearport port engmelas engine engme was \las las gas \ throwing throwrng sparks sparksfrom sparksfrom sparksfrom from its e exhaust .haust haust > . as the ship came cameto cameto cameto to the mooring moormg mast The theoryconsidered theory theoryconsIdered theoryconsidered consIdered most probable at the thetIme thetime thetime tIme of this tlus writing is that these thesesparhs thesesparks thesesparks sparhs sparks , whipped by the wind wmd , per- per perhap perh per-h per h - ' " * hap h a p ps s , ignited igmted hydrogen bemg being bemgvalved beingvalved bemgvalved valved out as the ship came dO\'ffi dO 'ffi ffi down dO'ffiIt downIt downIt \ ' It is customary to valve gas m in mlandlOg inlanding inlanding inlandingWhether landlOg landing landlOgWhether landingWhether Whether one of the conditions condlhons Clt cit Clted cited cited ed m in this brief bncf review was the thecause thecause , . cause of the explosion e'CploslOn eCploslOn ' , or whether whetherthe whetherthe the true cause has not y Jet et even evenbeen evenbeen evenbeen been suggested , one thing thlOg is cer cer- certam certain certain - tain tam An explosion of the hIghly hIghlymflammable highlyinflammable highlyinflammable mflammable inflammable hydrogen gas wrecked wreckedthe wreckedthe wreckedthe the airship And no such exploslOn explosion exploslOncould explosioncould explosioncould could have occurred had the Hm Hm- Hin- Hin HmI Hmdenburg Hindenburg Hmdenburg - I denburg been filled with mert inert . , non- non nonmflammable noninflammable non-inflammable non inflammable - mflammable inflammable helium hehum gas Thereby Therebyhangs Therebyhangs Therebyhangs hangs a taleThe taleThe tale taleThe The Germans are the only nahon nation nahonwhIch nationwhich nationv/hich nationv hich whIch / has continued contmued to make prog prog- progress prog- prog progress progress - - ress with lighter llghter than air craft The TheUmtcd TheUnited TheUnited Umtcd United States abandoned it when n a nsenes aseries aseries senes series of dirigible crashes culminat culmmat- culmmat culminat- culmmated culminated culminated - - ed in ill the loss of the Macon oft off offPoint oftPoint ' Pomt Point Sur , . California CaWorma , February 12 12,1934 121934 , 1934 Great Britain BrItam said , "No No " more moredmglbles moredirigibles moredirigibles dmglbles dirigibles " ' " . when v.hen vhen the R 101 clashed ciashed clashedOctober ciashedOctober clashedOctober October 4 , 1930 , with 46 on boardincluding board , mcludmg including prominent promment ministers mimsters , at atBeauvlus atBeauvais atBeauvais Beauvlus Beauvais , France France forsook f : f t1r fJl fJlo I 8 a at fJlsl , 9 t ; 'J/ 'J J 'J.d"a ' ' o sl f r jt jt'J / . .d"a .da da .d"aiikAj " iikAj , ; _ u ' " .11 11 : i/ i iEmployees M & L . - - . . . . . ' _ / Employees Emplo } ees of the Umted United States burc burc'1u burc1u ' iu of mmes mines at work in the thecryogeIDc thecryogenic cryogeIDc cryogenic JaboratorJ laborator3 JaboratorJhere , \\here here Where \ " research data necessary for hehum helium produc- produc productIOn production - tIOn and punfic\tlon punfic tlon purificltion ' \ are devcloped developed . On the present basis our govern govern- government government government - ment is not permittmg permlttmg permitting other na- na nat10ns nations na nations - - tions t10ns to buy its helium , despite the thefact thefact thefact fact that our navy is without air mr- mr air- mrshIps airships airships - ships to use it The only airship we wehave wehave wehave have left , the Los Angeles AngeIes , whIch whIchGermany whichGermany whichGermany Germany turned over to us as part partof partof partof of the spoils of war , is over age agedecommissioned , decommIssIoned and in 10 hangar at atLakehurst atLakehurst atLakehurst atLakehurstHydrogen Lakehurst LakehurstHydrogen Hydrogen , the lightest gas known knownis , IS the most practical for a1rshlps airships airshipsexcept , e'Ccept eCcept except ' for the fact that it is also alsoone alsoone alsoone one of the most explosive things thmgs onY on onB onC Y ! a alr lr . C Sa . . A f , B ' > \ z fs ' s na . , . A I ' / " M KSSS y < , ] 4 11'j 11j " : ' i VEI zVEI ? A w f- f f3U - . ' 3U 3UU 11 11iy iy _ , w i n nyA yA % 4 J 4J 6 6r 6e 6Y 6y r U S e y Z Y 4 4Z 4Dr Dr . Hugo Dugo Yugo Eckener , . Zeppelin Zeppclm e ex- ex expert ex expert - I Ipert . pert , . who says all airships alrslups must mustnow mustnow now be inflated mflatcd with hcuum helJUm hehum . , mustI I earth when mixed mlXed with wllh air in the theright theright ' ' nght right proportion proporhon Helium Hellum has not notquite notquite qUIte the lift Wt of hydrogen , but it IS ISsafe issafe issafe issafe"He safe safe"He "He He " 4 , " as helium hellum is known by Its ItschemIcal itschemical itschemical chemIcal formula , is described as as"an as"an as"an asan "an an " inert mert , , non oxidizable , colorless colorlessgaseous , gaseous element of density denslly 198 1 98 " SIr SIrNorman SirNorman SirNorman Norman Lockyer was the first to todIscover todiscover todiscover dIscover it During Durmg the eclipse ecllpse of of1868 1868 he detected its existence e-Istence e Istence ' - m In the thesun thesun thesun sun , it was a bright yellow yello\ yello yelloIme \ ! hue Ime line inthe 10 in 10the inthe the solar spectrum which could not notbe notbe notbe be associated with the spectrum of y w w 9 h tf f eq t tI I , 4 E1 : ; ' i i ' bt I It t ii I ti tix a abt x h - : t a aM fLj44iJ ' M $ _ j 1'tJLLd 1tJLLd : Interior of the tbe compression building buildmg of Uncle Sam's Sams ' helium hehum plant at atAmarillo atAmarillo atAmarillo Amarillo , . Texas . Each Eaeh of the cylinders cylmders in the foreground holds about 1cubic 1 } cubic feet . The capacity of the Hmdenburff Dmdcnburg Hindenburg was 3,700,000 3700000 , , cubic fLet feet feet.Imagine feetImagine . . Imagmc Imagine the number of cylinders cyhnders it would have taken to fill the airship airshipto to capacity ! airships iursh1ps when the Dixmude disap disap- disappeared disappeared disappeared - - peared December 21 , . 1923 , presum presumably presumably presumably ably having been destroyed by light light- lightnmg lightning lightning - ning nmg over the Mediterranean MediterraneanU U . S . Owns All AU Helium.But HeliumBut Belium helium . _ But the Hmdenburg Hindenburg accident has hasconvinced hasconvinced hasconvinced convinced the Germans that they theycan theycan theycan can no longer Ionger operate their ships shipswIth shipswith shipswith wIth hydrogen hydrogLll . . . And where are they theyto theyto theyto to obtain obtam helium9 hellum helium ? " The United States Stateshas Stateshas Stateshas has a monopoly on all the world's worlds world'shelIum world'shelium world'shelium worldshelium ' helIum ' Only in American natural naturalgas naturalgas naturalgas gas does helium bellum exist CXISt in sufficient sufficientquantity sufficientquantity sufficientquantity quantity to extract Lxtract and fill airships any element then known He sug sug- suggested suggestcd suggested - gested gestcd the name for the element elementhlCh element.which elementwhich . , \/hlCh hlCh tiahich \ / is taken from ' helios hellos , " the theGreck theGreek theGreek Greck Greek word for sun . . In 1895 Sir S11 " William Ramsayfound Ramsay Ramsayfound Ramsayfound found that when the mineral mincral uramte uranite uramtewas uranitewas uranitewas was decomposed by acid it gave gaveoff gaveoff gaveoil off a g gas 1S < which would not combme combine combmewIth combinewith combinewith wIth oxygen to ' * burn " Further Furtherwhen , when cX examined 1rnmed < spectroscopically by bymeans bymeans bymeans means of an electric discharge , it itshowed itshowed itshowed showed a bright J sellow ellow spectral spectralline spectralline spectralline line which Sir William Wllham Identified IdentifiedwIth identifiedwith identifiedwith wIth that which Lockyer had found in 10 the solar spectrum He assignedto assIgned to the new element the name which whichLockyer whichLockyer whichLockyer Lockyer had suggested for it it itGermans . . Germans Lucky in m Past Past.The PastThe . The United Umted States , with her plenteous plen plen- plenteous plenteous - teous supply of helium , . has use used usedit usedit It in ill operating operatmg her airships alrslups , but butthe butthe butthe the Germans have ha'e hae ' always bee b beenslightly e e n nsl1ghtly nshghtly sl1ghtly shghtly skeptical about the Ameri Amen- Amen Ameri- Amencan American American - can enthusiasm for the gas It IS isnext , next to hydrogen , the lightest Ifghtest gas gasknown gasknown gasknown known , yet its pay load efficiency is 20 per cent less Despite this fact facthydrogen , hydrogen costs about $2 2 $ 50 per 1,000 1000 1,000cubIc 1,000cubic 1,000cubic 1000cubic , cubIc feet as against agamst many timesthat times timesthat timesthat that amount for helium hellum At that thatrate thatrate thatrate rate it can't cant ' be wasted cheerfullym cheerfullyin cheerfully m in maneuvering a ship slup slupUp shipUp shipUp Up to the time tlmf : of the Hmdenburg Hindenburg Hindenburgcrash Hmdenburgcrash Hmdenburgcrash crash , the Germans had been very veryexpertand veryexpertand veryexpert expert-and expert and - and not a little lltUe lucky-m lucky m lucky-in in luckymhandlmg luckyinhandling lucky - inhandling handlmg handling their many airships with WIth- WIthout without without - out losses due to fire and exploslOn explosion exploslOnThe explosionThe explosionThe The Hindenburg Hmdenburg was the 129th 129thof 129thof 129thof of a noble line Ime ( < the officml official officmlnumber officialnumber officialnumber number of the ship was LZ 129) 129 129).Of 129.Of 129Of ) . Of her predecessors , 10 were never nevercompleted nevercompleted nevercompleted completed , 25 were lost by storm stormand stormand stormand and accident , 6 by causes unknown , 21 were dismantled 46 were wrecked wreckedby wreckedby wreckedby by the war , 11 were turned over to tothe tothe tothe the Allies after the war and 7 were weresabotaged weresabotaged weresabotaged sabotaged that they need not be besurrendered besurrendered besurrendered surrendered The Grat Graf Zeppelin Zeppel1n and andthe andthe andthe the Los Angeles are the only ones onesleft onesleft onesleft left The old Grat Graf carries on 11h.e 11he like 11h.ethe likethe likethe . the veteran she is , her comings commgs and andgomgs andgoings andgoings gomgs goings between Germany and South SouthAmerIca SouthAmerica SouthAmerica AmerIca hardly occasionmg occaslonmg occasioning com com- comment comment comment - ment any more She landed a t tFrankfort tFrankfort tFrankfort Frankfort from Rio de Jamero the theday theday theday day after the disaster , . with 23 pas pas- passengers pas- pas passengers passengers - - sengers , and was Immediately Immediatelygrounded immediatelygrounded immediatelygrounded grounded indefinitely mdefimtely . . She will not nottake nottake nottake take off of ! again agam without hellumBefore heliumBefore helium hellum heliumBefore Before the World war tvar helium hellum was wasworth wasworth wasworth worth hundreds of dollars per cubIc cubIcfoot cubicfoot cubicfoot foot It was obtained from mmerals |