Evening star., 1949-10-14
--..~y Nvp0n w arms
Donoro, Pa, Disaster
Could Be Repeated

A year-long investigation of
the hve-day smog that killed 20
persons and sickened nearly 5000
others at Donora, Pa. a year ago
has convinced Government ex-
perts that contamination Of air In
industrial areas can cause dis
abling diseases.
In q 200-page report released
last night, the Public Health
Service said Donora's smog was
the result Of an unusual combi-
nation of warm, stagnant air and
heavily smoke-polluted fog.
Surgeon General Leonard A.
scheele, who released the report,
warned that the same set Of cir
cumstances could occur again at
Donora or in other highly indus
trialized areas.
To prevent such recurrence, the
Surgeon General recommended
that fog-af11icted industrial CEN
ters should keep a close watch on
weather conditions and that in
dustrial plants be curtailed or
closed when smog conditions ap-
pear to be developing. to reduce
contamination Of the air.
Smog In Capital Recalled. :
Federal Security Administrator
Oscar r. Ewing, at a news con-
ference with the Surgeon General,
said:
I'VE can now say positively
what couldn't be said before with
scientific proof-that contamina-
ton of air in industrial areas can
cause serious acute disabling dis
eases.
1--WE must now determine the
extend to which the health of peo-
pie living in these communities
month after month, year after
year. is affected by air con-
taminants even though an acute
episode, such as that which
gripped Donora, may never oc-
cur"
Mr.. Ewing recalled the halliday
smog which brought discomfort to
Northwest and suburban residents
Of Washington last April.
At that time sickening fumes,
accompanied by foul odor,
ransod co11obipo a~d cov,oa oos,r
of nausea. The odor was held
close to the ground because tenn
peratures there were lower than
temperatures 100 or 200 feet above
the ground.
Is Scientists Made Survey.
A similar atmospheric condition,
causing smoke and fumes to re-
main close to the ground, occurred
here about a month later. Both
incidents brought q flood Of calls
from citizens to the Weather Bu-
reau, the police and the news
papers.
The official report on Donora's
smog, which began October n,
1948. was the first indication that
the effect of the poisoned air was
50 widely felt. Accounts at the
time said hundreds rather than
thousands were made LII by the
polluted air.
The investigation, conducted by
q team Of rs scientists, also noted
that the smog, killed 10 dogs, three
cats. $50 chickens and some pet
rabbits and canaries. The smog
did not seem to bother cattle,
sheep. horses or pigs.
Mr.. Ewing said he will ask Con-
gress for $250.000 to carry on ef-
forts to prevent air pollution.
The report recommended that
cities and heavy industries take
. steps to reduce sharply the amount
OF smoke and CRIME coming from
their chimneys and exhaust pipes.
Need for New Method Seen.
DR.. Scheele said the survey in
dicates that I'VE may need to re-
wise our whole method of home
heating and of getting waste prod
ucts out through the smoke
stacks"
He added that, since the smog
problem is most severe in noun
tain-girt valleys. city planners
should beware of bowls"
THE intensive study of the
medical and weather history of
the town." DR.. Scheele said, Gin
dicated among other things that
Donora might have gone through
another serious smog period in
April, 1945.
The vital statistics for Donora
show that there were almost twice
as many deaths in the town for
that month as in any ordinary
April or any ordinary month"
Mr.. Ewing told the newsmen:
although it is still impossible
to state with scientific finality
that any single one of the many
substances in the air around
Donora caused the illnesses last
fall, the data leads to some strong
suspicious.
Nov our job is not only to see
to it-according to the engineers
recommendations-that such con-
ditions are never allowed to come
together again, but to learn the
cumulative effects of the many
shorter smogs that occur over the
years in Donora and other SINH
lar towns and cities"
Mr.. Ewing said air pollution
surveys have been requested for
New York's Staten Island, Charles
ton, w. Va, Whiting, Ind. and
about dozen other cities. He said
the work will be pushed when
funds are available.
During Australia's gold rush the
country's population increased
from All. 900 in 1850 to more than
100000 in 1860.