Evening star., 1955-11-20

schools spent the DAY touring
American Museum of Natura
History. For most of them it wa;
a first visit to New York City.
In company with 80 teachers
the group took on In . special
|B&O train Of IL cars from Union
Station at 7:45 am. this morn
ing In the thick Of Washington's
first snowstorm Of the year.
The train Travelled along snow
covered rails to Jersey City,
where amid continuing snow the
group took q ferry for Manhat-
tan. Buses picked them up there
and carried them to the scien-
tific institutions, then downtown,
where the youngsters took over
five entire Times Square restau-
rants, and then back by ferry
to their waiting train for the
ride in darkness back to WASH
ington, where they were to arrive
Just before midnight.
Cameras and Cards
Science may have been the OBJ
ject Of the mass excursion but
it provided only a fraction Of
the activity.
Settling down In their seats
to begin the four-hour train
ride. the children whipped out
books. cameras. magazines
checker boards and a hundred
decks Of playing cards. Before
the train had passed Riverdale
Md, several hundred players
were engaged In games Of 500
rummy. war. tonk, gin rummy
and something called "two-pack
war"
Flashbulbs went of In every
car as boys and girls shot most
of their film taking pictures oi
one another. Several groups
struck UP songs. The only sci
enlist in evidence was the fg-
ure Of Jim Higgenbotham. IA. OF
4506 Amherst road. College Park,
Nd. who sweated over a problem
in trigonometry.
Jim said he was trying to
prove "just for kicks" that il
two bisectors are equal, then q
triangle is isoceles.
Wide Range in Books
The reading matter covered q
terrific range. As Baltimore and
HavTe de- Grace slipped by out
side. the boys and girls were
deep In volumes called "One Of
Our II Bombs Is Missing" /" From
Calico to Cosmic Rays" ]" "A
Biography of BENJAMIN Frank
lin, y "Euperman." Bugs Bunny"
Ghosts" and The Webb Of
Evil"
But the card games and studies
didn't last. After the train passed
Wilmington. DEL, the children
began to get restless. Groups
started charging UP and down
the corridors of the II rocking
coaches in giggling groups,
throwing paper airplanes around
and trying to drop paper cups
on the platforms. BY Philadel-
phia, several dozens slept in their
seats.
Everyone revived for the ferry
ride. but they crowded 50 to-
gether 50 on the bow Of the
vessel that 1t nearly nosed under
into the Hudson.
Are you q scientist?" went a
fayorite question.
Yeah. I'm a scientist" came
the reply.
well, 60 blow up yourself"
Impressed By Planetarium
The hillarity subsidized abruptly,
however, inside the big dome Of
the planetarium In the city. The
silence was almost breathless as
$50 pairs Of eyes looked up to see
the lighted planets whirling by
In the darkness overhead.
In the big star-studded cham
Der. students saw q special 20th
anniversary show. They took 9
flying trip to the Noon. Venus
and one Of Saturn's satellites and
listened in awe to an actual
radio recording Of the sound Of a
shower Of meteors piercing the
|earth's outer atmosphere.
They saw a demonstration Of an
earth satellite and stood In line
Ito weigh themselves In a series
Of scales showing their weights