Evening star., 1948-03-29
Stars, Men and Atoms
Pentogon Held Death Trup
In Event Of A-Bomb Attack
Atomic Energy Expert Pictures ,
Effect of Blast Over Potomac
By Thomas r. Henry

The Pentagon, where the Nations defense
leadership would be concentrated in war, would
be q death trap If an atom bomb were exploded
over Washington.
This enormous structure was built under the
direction of Maj. Gen. Leslie R. Groves-the
same officer who later directed for the Army
the Manhattan Project which produced the
bomb. On the first Job one Of his concerns
was to admit plenty of sunshine to the War
Department Offices. BY doing so with several
deep courts he may unwittingly have produced
setup for the warfare Of the future.
Such is the conclusion OF DR.. r. E. Lapp,
executive director of the Committee on Atomic
Energy of the joint Army. Navy and Air Force
Research and Development Board. He has
just calculated the effect Of bomb of ap-
proxmately twice the size of those already
used which might be dropped over Washing
ton in future war.
Situation Is Described.
DR.. Lapps picture is presented in the cur
rent issue of the Bulletin Of Atomic Scientists:
1.-THE selection of Point Zero (the precise
position and altitude at which the bomb would
be exploded) presents complex problem in
the case of Washington but it Is assumed that
the enemy would want to knock out the Penta-
gon Building as the target of highest priority
"Let it be assumed that the bomb is de-
tonated at an altitude of one-half mile and
that Zero is taken as the Potomac River
midway between the Highway and Memorial
bridges. Such a reference point would show
up well on the bonbers radar screen.
"One might say that such choice of Zero
Is not very prudent for within a circle one
mile in diameter around this point are prac-
ically no buildings. But within a radius of less
than one mile are the Pentagon, the Navy
and Munitions buildings, the Treasury and
the new State Department Building. In
cluded also are the headquarters of the Atomic
Energy Commission the Department of the
Interior and the Department of Agriculture.
All these would be expected to undergo al
most complete destruction and the loss of
life would be above 80 per cent. Both the
Memorial and Highway bridges would be de-
stroyed.
Other Buildings Would Be Damaged
Most Of the other Government buildings
along the Mall as well as those surrounding
the White House are within one and half
miles of Zero and all would suffer severe
damage. Even the Capitol some two miles
away would not escape. Its huge structurally
weak dome would collapse. Eight hospitals
| would be destroyed.
"As result of the detonation many con-
| gressmen, high Government officials and key
| military officers would be killed. The leader
| ship Of the Government would revert to those
who remained alive in the Nations first city.
| Only a few of the 10000 workers in the
Pentagon would be alive after the first day
for the combined effect of the blast wave
and radiation upon the building would be
Knockout blow. In fact the grid-lik design
Of the Pentagon with its many deep courts
to admit sunlight would render it more sus-
| ceptible to the effects of the atomic bomb
Some might whmsically recall that this man.
moth structure was built by the same man
who headed the Manhattan Project"