| Show Newsmen Argue j I Bomb A-Bomb Results While They Wait I By WALTER A. A SHEAD Correspondent I TOllS EDITORS I NOTE us 7 dispatch d was teas filed l from the die atomic bomb testing area only shortly before the tIle first test ted bomb ans scheduled to be bb dropped Cropped I ABOARD APPALACHIAN- APPALACHIAN BIKINI ATOLL Via Navy Radio Radio- I This reporter does not Intend t to delve into the scientific aspects o othis of I this atomic bomb tent test leaving that tha thatto to the scientific writers and the II enlists themselves This test Is i marily a military experiment to de do- termine how the United States nav navy Ii and other armed services can figu- figu figuratively I keep Its powder dry ii In inthe I II the face of 01 any future atomic war war- I fare tare war war-I. i I The experiments however by their very nature and the various tests I which are lire to be made of atomic en en- energy enI energy 1 I ergy will produce products by-products o of I I knowledge In the fields of biochemIstry biochemistry biology and medicine I Further knowledge will be gained also in the fields of radio photography phy geology fish life and all the sciences which apply to ocean life Many Conjectures A tour of this ship and a visit to tc the staterooms where tho newspaper per men are are housed conjectures on or orthe the outcome of this bomb test meas meas- measured measured measured only by the number of news news- newspaper newspaper paper men aboard This is almost almos' true of the scientific writers themselves them them- themselves selves for most all nil have different viewpoints on the possible develop develop- developments developments ments These conjectures run the gamut gamul of total destruction by tidal Udal wave or 01 orI I earthquake of the entire task force In the vicinity of the bomb down to tc the theory that the bomb might even prove a dud forecasts of the destruction destruction tion of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki made by the scientists connected with Uncle Sams Sam's military establishments establish establish- establishments ments were fairly accurate and this reporter is willing to discard themore the themore themore more fantastic conjectures and string along with some of these more conservative forecasts Earthquake or Tidal Wave In the first place Bikini lagoon where the bomb will be dropped Is roughly 25 miles long and 10 miles Wide and the water averages f feet t in depth and one I en ened Id I'd the dropping of the bomb Into I such an expanse of ot water and air to toa toa a spark from a welders welder's torch dropped Into a acre 30 lake Scientists Scientists Scientists admit that the bomb may cause a slight earthquake and tidal wave but that in comparison with natures nature's earthquakes it will have no destructive violence and will only be recorded upon s 8 In- In USA JAPAN HAWAII GUM V CHUNG EQuATOR AUSTRALIA LONEL KEEF Fur Far out In ht Inthe Inthe the e. e Bikini atoll at holds the 97 01 ships of the suicide fleet The release of atomic energy at the given point of the bomb burst will In to the opinion of these scientists release heat hlat and en en- energy Ener energy er ergy y at al It that spot of ot a nature never before experienced upon the surface of the earth but Its effects will be confined to a n relatively very small urea area One scientist declared that the radio activity released from the bomb if absorbed by living tissues would result In chemical changes in inthe Inthe Inthe the proteins of nf the tissues In to some cases case of sufficient Intensity to kill the tissues and In other cases like like- likely likely ly to produce a new kind of living tissue or a new variety of organ It ItIs ItIs Itis Is a well known rat fart that X-rays X have created this phenomenon In living tissues and the the- radio active radio radio-n clive rays from the bomb are arl practically the same as X X s Thus a man who comes in to contact with these radioactive radio radio radio-a clive particles may well be be- become become come sterile and be chemically changed as to other characteristics On the other oth r hand some scientists predict n a tremendous tidal wave as result of dislodging a huge huge- landslide along the slope of Bikini atoll which rises some feet from the floo Moo of the th ocean Another predicts the thi bomb will w crack Irack open the ocean floor and let the water wa ter into the molten matter beneath the floor re resulting suIting in B a 1 tremendous volcanic ex These predictions however er are arf discounted d Are Sworn to Secrecy This reporter anticipate plenty of action and plenty plent to write about when this bomb Is dropped by the I 29 B over ever the target t array of naval ships The The- most dramatic will be bethe bethe bethe the second test when a bomb Is detonated below the surface of the water in the midst of what is left of the target ships The Th handicap under which the lay members of the press work is Is however that we e will not know nor will we be told whether or not these bombs exploded ed at full efficiency or whether or orDot not Dot In fact they were duds |
