Evening star., 1945-09-12

ger from surface rays. More i'm
portant, it said any deaths from
radiation were due to immediate
exposure and not to exposure days
after the explosion.
1t narrowed down those who died
from radiation to relief workers who
were in the area at the time of the
explosion instead of workers who
came in week later, as earlier re-
ports had said.
1t said the primary cause of death
was the blast and collapsing build
ings and the secondary cause the
radiant heat aand subsequent fires.
1t said deaths still were continu-
ing, but did not state the cause or
number, and that at small hoSpi-
tai about half the patients show
symptoms of radiation illness.
Gen. Groves said we believe a
relatively small number of persons"
died from radiation, since the rays
Travelled only as far as the area of
devastation. but the scientists agreed
exposure to sufficient amount of gam
ma rays would bring instant death
Believes Effect Is Brief.
DR.. j. R. Oppenheimer, University
OF California theoretical physicist
whose research was a leading factor
in the bomb development, said he
believed it would have been possible
to walk over the blasted area of
Hiroshima an hour after the eX-
plosion without harmful results.
From Manhattan-code name Of
the atom bomb project-to this
stepping-off place in civilization is
long jump. Little more than
prarie dogs and rattlesnakes find
this section of South Central New
Mexico an ideal residential spot.
The atomic bomb range is a
chunk of land 18 by "a miles carved
out of the Alamogordo Air Base
bombing range which occupies a
stretch of mountainous and fiat
land so miles long and 80 miles wide
Over the mountains about 10 miles
west runs the Rio Grande River.
The nearest sizable town is Albu-
querque, 130 miles to the northwest.
The town of Alamogordo is IL miles
from the air base and some 80
twisting miles by road and trail to
the bomb site.
Previously Was Grazing Range.
Before the Army took over, this
was known as Grazing Range No.
IA. where the Government meted
out slim rations to cattle, and be-
fore that it was called McDonald's S
Ranch. The soldiers who have
patrolled this region against prying
eyes remember the old song about
old Mcdonald who had a farm with
chick-chick here and a chick
chick there Since the atom bomb
went off they sing it odd Mcdonald
Had Farm E. Period"
The story of the explosion has
been told, but nothing has been
said of the atom bomb camp 10
miles from the blast, where the
final phases of the experiment were
plotted.
Here last January the Army con-
structed a camp of some 20 build
ings and here the Army and the
scientists lived side by side.
Two years before there had been
organized at Camp Riley, Kans.
the first and only mounted police
battalion in the Army. Capt
Howard C. Bush of Brooklyn, N. Y.
then sergeant major, was selected
to command the atom bomb camp
then only dream locked in the
minds of handful of men.
Men Carefully Selected.
One hundred enlisted men were
carefully singled out and screened
for the assignment ahead, and not
even after they trained and took
charge of the military aspects OF
the Los Alamos experimental sta
ton, 200 miles away, did they know
their ultimate purpose.
When they moved to the bomb
camp last January they knew for
the first time the part they were
playing in history. From that day
until few weeks ago not one of
the soldiers was permitted to leave
the post. And they loved it," said
Col. Franklin Tyler, commandant
of the Los Alamos station and their
ranking officer
Capt. Bush had a vital assign
ment in the bomb test. From mid
night to sos am. the morning of
the test he stood guard at the
bomb tower while streaks of light
ming played overhead.
Then, as time for the fateful
moment neared, he raced for the
reinforced concrete control station