BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — A western New York museum that feared a helium shortage would sink plans to launch a Civil War-style balloon said Monday it’s found a supplier in Macy’s.
The retailer whose Thanksgiving Day parades are famous for their giant helium balloons will donate 50,000 cubic feet of the gas to get the Intrepid off the ground in time for its July 4 debut, officials at the Genesee Country Village & Museum said.
“We’re simply ecstatic,” museum President and Chief Executive Peter Arnold said. “We were within days of having to suspend our opening.”
The Intrepid is the centerpiece of the museum’s commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. It replicates one of the manned gas balloons used by Union troops to telegraph intelligence that allowed ground forces to train guns on Confederate enemies they couldn’t see.
But with the launch date fast approaching, it appeared the $400,000 project would fall flat because there was no helium to be had. It’s been in short supply because of the 1996 Helium Privatization Act, which called on the federal government to sell most of its helium reserves by 2015.
“The museum was seemingly out of options to secure helium after having placed innumerable calls to dealers, government officials and even decommissioned research laboratories across the U.S.,” Arnold said.
It turned to Macy’s for advice.
The retailer came through, saying it seemed fitting since Macy’s was founded during the Civil War era.
“With our unique connection to helium ballooning, we had the opportunity to help (the museum) fulfill its dream to open this one-of-a-kind, interactive exhibit,” Russell Schutte, senior vice president at Macy’s Midwest, said.
The museum plans to offer tethered rides, taking passengers 300 feet in the air. Unlike hot-air balloons, the Intrepid will remain inflated so one fill-up is all that’s needed.
The hydrogen-powered Civil War balloon corps was begun in 1861 and went into action on Sept. 24 that year when its commander, Thaddeus Lowe, ascended to more than 1,000 feet near Arlington, Va., and telegraphed intelligence on Confederate troops at Falls Church, Va., more than three miles away. In all, seven balloons were built.
The varnished silk Intrepid was emblazoned with a 25-foot-wide picture of an eagle holding a portrait of Gen. George McClellan on one side and the balloon’s name in 5-foot-high letters on the other. The five-passenger basket was painted bright blue with white stars.
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Online:
Genesee Country Museum: http://www.gcv.org
