Evening star., 1951-10-22
Smallest Blast
|0fAtom Set Off
|At Nevada Site
Reduced Flash
Indicates Control
Over Weapons
ey the Associoted Press

LAS VEGAS. New. Oct. o.
The smallest United States atomic
explosion on record was set off at
sunrise today by Atomic Energy
Commission scientists.
Signaling perhaps the start of
a new atomic weapon era, the
infant A-bomb-if bomb it was
flashed sharply for about one
tenth of a second. 1t was seen
by observers on a mountain about
so miles away.
But to eager onlookers in Las
Vegas, the flash was obliterated
by the bright early morning sun.
To spectators it was a letdown
in contrast to the five brilliant
flashes which Lit up the desert sky
in tests here last winter.
To scientists. however, it prob
ably was a bigger thrill than
many of the previous larger blasts.
Control Indicated.
To control the atom and its
fissioning so that it goes "poof"-
without much more force than a
large artillery burst-that would
stand as a milestone in nuclear
science.
One of the few men outside the
Acc test site to see the tiny
weapon perform was Joe McClain.
telegraph editor of the Las Vegas
Review-Journal.
1T was hardly larger than the
INT blast set off an hour earlier
to test instruments" Mr.. McClain
said. There was a short, bright
flash and then a column of white
smoke rose from it, narrow at the
base and mushrooming finally into
"a small cloud. The cloud driftedi
upward for about 10 minutes be-
fore disintegrating."
Today's detonation took place
about 9 am. EST.
Statement by Acc.
The Acc made only this state
iment:
"One of the nuclear detonations
announced by the Atomic Energy
Commission on August % was
held this morning at the Nevada
test site"
| An Acc spokesman confirmed
that the shot was made from the
top of a 100-foot steel tower, sim
liar to the structures used in the
original A-bomb blast at Ala
magordo. N. Mex, in 1945 and
also later at Eniwetok.
| The absence of any major fash
would seem to confirm speculation
that the Acc has developed a
smaller nuclear weapon. Specula-
ton on such weapons has in
cluded artillery-type shells and
guided missiles with atomic war
heads.
This, however, was a stationary
or fixed-point detonation and
would indicate that the atomic
scientists have developed what
might be termed a baby A-bomh.
A press observer at Cactus
Springs. about IS air miles from
the test site, said that. q brief
flash was barely noticeable in the
bright sunlight.
But to the observers on Las
Vegas streets there was not even
flicker on the sunlit trees.
To newsmen. waiting eight days
for the blast - speculation on
which had even mentioned the
H-bomb-it was a decided let
down. At least a dozen newsmen
and photographers were sta
toned on Mt. Charleston. 40
miles from the test site. They
rushed to this vantage point be-
fore 3 am. today and spent sew
eral cold hours waiting for what
they hoped would be huge des-
Iert-lghting explosion.
Animals Used in Test.
AS far as is known no troops
were involved in the detonation
today. Approximately 5000 troops,
including a 1,000-man combat
team, are at Camp Desert Rock,
awaiting participation in atomic
warfare maneuvers.
Presumably the Acc used to-
days explosion for further re-
search into radioactivity and per-
haps it's effect on animals and
structures. 1t was disclosed last
week that a number of goats,
rats and dogs were placed within
range of the blast, some of them
inside Army vehicles.
Unofficially. today's was the
worlds twentieth atomic explo-
sion. In war and peace the
United States has acknowledged
setting off Is of them before mid
Pacific tests at Eniwetok last
summer. The Acc never an
nounced the number at that time,
but unofficial sources put it at
four.
Russia has exploded the other
two, the second announced only
two weeks ago.