Evening star., 1946-09-05

Pig 311" and other surviving test
animals from Bikini are scheduled
to dock at the Washington Navy
Yard September %, it was learned
today, in an attack transport re-
fitted as sea-going laboratory.
At the same time, it was revealed
that two submarines may be added
to the list of ships sunk by the
atomic blast, lifting to II the toll for
Bikini's two bombs.
Late reports from the test site,
said an announcement by the Gross
Roads" joint task force, revealed
that all but nine of the original tar
get ships were either sunk, damaged
or contaminated in some degree by
radio activity Slightly more than
80 target craft we're used in the two
tests.
The task force had tried for weeks
to bring to the surface three subma-
rines which settled on the bottom
with the second test. meanwhile re-
fusing to list any of them as sunk.
1t announced yesterday, however,
the Apogon and Pilotfish are still on
the bottom of the lagoon, with sew
eral compartments flooded and the
Pilotfish showing depresSions in its
hull.
The third sub, the Skipjack, was
brought to the surface only yester-
day.
The U. S. S. Burleson, called the
atomic ark" in the Pacific, has been
proceeding by easy stages from the
Marshall Islands after the last ami
mails were removed from four ships
by boarding teams delayed as long
as fortnight by dangerous radio
activity on the vessels and In Bikini
Lagoon.
Immediate and continuing re-,
actions to atomic blasts OF 200
goats, as many pigs and some $500
rats and mice, of which only about
10 per cent are still living, form
the basis Of medical and biological
studies considered Of vital impor-
taace to our plans for national se-s
curity. ,,
Animals on target ships drenched
or rolled in poisonous water from
the worlds biggest man-made
fountain on July Is were shielded
to a certain extent, but remained
longer in exposed positions than
those placed on a. vessels prior to
the air drop on the fleet July l.
A few selected animals were flown
back to the United States after the
first test, while the remainder Of the
survivors, including about 100 goats,
100 pigs and an undetermined num-
Der of rats and mice, are en- route
in the Burleson to the Naval
Medical Research Institute at
Bethesda, Md.
At the institute they will be kept
under observation for an indefinite
time, or as long as the possibility
remains that significant mutations
may crop up in succeeding genera
tions, according to Capt. r. Harold
Draeger, Navy Medical Corps, who
has charge of the biological phase
Of the atomic tests.
Reactions Of the larger animals,
which substituted for men aboard
the target feet, are of special i'm
portance since their chest walls
have roughly the same resistance
to blast as those OF human beings,
and delayed effects Of radio-activity
are believed to be somewhat similar.
watch for Human Mutations.
Neither Capt. Draeger, who is
executive of1cer of the institute
here, nor his colleagues has
sufficient data to determine If muta-
tions will occur in human beings
from overexposure to atomic rays,
but many scientists believe this pos
sible or even likely in view OF here
ditary changes noted in fruit flies
\ under X-ray treatment. Birth rec
ords among survivors of the Hiro-
shima and Nagasaki blasts are being
watched with interest by scientists
here.
A few births, all normal as far as
can be determined, have occurred
among test rats and mice since the
explosions. DR.. Draeger pointed out
that changes are expected in sue
ceeding rather than first genera
tions.
As to necessity for exposing
animals to the new weapon, Vice
Admiral w. H. p. Blandy, COM
mander of the task force at Bikini
has emphasized that this aspect
OF the test will save mems lives in
the next war-should there be one.
The primary concern Is to protect
the lives Of Americans in this and
future generations.
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