Evening star., 1953-03-16

He reached forth an inquisitive
hand, lifting the covers to see
how she was clothed.
Cut it out" said an elder COL
league, next in line. Cut it out.
Leave her alone"
And once again, you couldn't
help wondering how alone the
bomb would leave her, in that
brief, soaring second that would
come while she slept.
Draw Lots for Places.
Earlier, no blows were struck
as the newsmen battled for 20
places in the fox holes and slit
trenches in which forward troops
will be station u during the big
show. Never before have CORE
spondents been allowed to go
with the troops in tests such as
this. This time, moreover, front
row seats will be only two miles
from Ground Zero" the nearest
any man has been to an explod-
ing A-bomb other than the Jap
anese at Hiroshima and Naga-
Saki.
The newsmen knew this was a
good story, and most of them
hastened to volunteer; undaunt-
ed by jokes to the effect that
those who did were seeking to
become men of extinction. But
when the lucky names had been
drawn out of a hat, the majority
of reporters including The Stars
representatives. had to content
themselves with the prospect of
watching the proceedings in a
relative comfort 7 miles away.
= They could draw some conso-
lation from the fact that this
was 3 miles closer than report
ers were placed in the previous
observed test here. 1t helped,
too. to realize that they at least
would be able actually to see
the bomb go off, whereas their
colleagues with the troops would
have to keep their heads down.
Advice Flows Freely.
Meanwhile, the Atomic Ener-
gy Commission is seeing to it
that correspondents who will re-
port the event do not lack for
advice. The reporters are being
offered helpful hints on every
conceivable subject, from how
to deal with radiation to how
to protect themselves against
snakes which may be found on
the desert proving ground.
Experts in Nevada reptiles ad-
wise that this early in the year
it is quite unlikely that you will
encounter a rattlesnake who has
emerged from his winter siesta.
However. if you see a snake
and believe him to be a real one,
treat him with consideration and
respect and go away from there
rapidly" a Waggish handout
writer advises.
The weather is a matter of
special concern to officials in
charge of the test. If adverse,
it can affect the safety of nearby
communities during the test, but
also because observers may get
cold during their pre-dawn vigil
Tuesday. The newsmen are ad-
viSed to wear several layers of
medium-weight clothing, which
can be peeled or added to as the
occasion demands.
How much you put on or take
off should be controlled by your
own comfort and modesty, the
Acc says.
The commission also is wor-
ried about what the shock wave
from the bomb may do to the
hats of observers. If your head
gear is not we'll pushed down on
your ears it may go flying off.
says an announcement which
summarizes its shock wave ad-
vice this way: Be we'll braced
or sitting down. hold onto your
hat and enjoy the sensations.
At worst, most of you would
likely lose only a cap or hat,
the announcement says COM
fortingly. But then it adds, on
more menacing note, if your
headgear has ventilation outlets
or just an old worn hole, it is
best to put some adhesive over
the vents. Otherwise it may Le