Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-01-12
Plan Pushed to CurtoiI
Amateur Rocket PeriIs

The third homemade rocket
Injury Of q Washington area
youth in q single week prompt-
ed Q District school ofiicial
last night TO unveii proposals
aimed at bringing home the
danger Of unsupervised expert
lments.
In the latest incident. home
made rocket fuel yesterday
scared q University fof Mary
land sophomore when the youth
mixed chemicals in the base
ment Of his silver Spring home.
The mixture Jared and
splashed him with incendiary
liquid.
Ronald Stems. 20. of 9e23
Iorain avenue. Silver Spring.
suffered burns on the neck.
face and hands. He was de-
scribed as in good condition at
Washington Sanitarium.
Danger Widespread
Keith C. johnson, supervis-
ing director Of science for the
District public schools. said To-
lcal educators are well aware Of
the dangers Of these home ex-
periments but must walk care
fully II we don't want to drive
the experiments underground" "
| Mr.. johnson, favoring the
positive approach. disclosed
that school ofiicials are consid-
ering Q dramatic program TO
bring home the dangers Of un-
supervised experiments.
Mr.. johnson said the prob
lem OF dangerous. out-of-school
experiments Is fairly widespread
throughout the school system.
Here Is the proposal he dis
closed for coping with the
problem:
I'VE are considering the
scheduling Of a series Of demon
STATIONS at schools throughout
the area TO show students the
potency Of chemicals such as
are used in rocket fuels" he
said.
The school-supervised blasts
would be held at such places
as football stadia and would
hammer home the potential de-
structive power Of chemical
compounds.
Needs Cooperation
ITO execute our plan. we will
require the cooperation Of the
fire departments and possibly
the Army" he continued. But
no matter how many people
must be brought into this. 1t
is imperative that youngsters
respect these materials"
Mr.. johnson said that those
students who evidenced a per-
sistent interest in rocketry and
allied fields would be recon-
mended TO Armed Service spe-
"Our Science Fair movement
has been an attempt 70 chan
nelize scientific curiosity toward
safe paths" Mr.. johnson said.
"but many Of the young people
have been deeply influenced by
Sputnik / and III and the dra-
matte accounts in the public
press Of American rocket
launchings."
A week ago yesterday two
Arlington youths we're injured
when q mixture they described
as rocket fuel exploded. maim-
ipg one and injuring the other
Jack N. Donohew. jr.. is. Of
43il North Twenty fourth
street. was grinding chemicals
In the Donohew home with a
mortar and pestle with Douglas
Kielkopf. also is, Of 3l0l North
Taylor street when the APP
paratus exploded in young
Donohew's face.
Taken 10 Hospital
Both boys were taken to Ar
lington Hospital. where Douglas
was treated and released. Jack.
seriously injured. was trans
fered to Bethesda Naval Hos
pital. Jacks father is Air Force
Brig. Gen. Jack N. Donohew.
Police said the walls Of the
Donohew basement we're spat-
tered with blood and bits Of
flesh. and that Jacks face
looked as II It had been struck
with a million tiny fragments"
The three most recent rocket
accloentS come on the heels OF
similar blasts throughout the
United States, as well as the
District area.
Last month a i4-year-old
Fairfax County boy propped
a homemade rocket against a
milk can in his backward and
was burned by the blast when
It misfired.
Bill Pierceall. an eighth
grader at Groveton High
School said he planned TO
read up some more and build
a better one"
Less Fortunate
Not so fortunate was a To-
year-old Lanham Md boy