Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-12-02
When Atomic Era Opened: F|ashbackt to Dec q 1912


though it had been skeptical
chain reaction was possible, was
in Chicago and had just agreed
to work on the proposed vast plu-
tonium plant at Hanford in
Washington, plans for which we're
already well under way even
though nuclear reaction was still
only theory. But a theory for
just few more minutes.
"All right, George" called
Fermi. Well moved his rod out
again. Then another foot. Then
six inches more.
"Fermis mouth kept getting
straighter and straighter," said
Sturm, who was only an arms
length from him. Not from worry,
but from concentration.
Fermi quickly iotted figures on
the back of his slide rule,
the counters clacked mistakenly
like New Years eve noisemakers.
1T was like a well-rehearsed
performance" Anderson said
later. "Fermi, in the center of the
stage, had calculated so exactly
the behavior of the pile he could
announce beforehand the re-
sponse."
At 3:25 pm. Fermi did so.
Pull it another foot, George.
This is going to do It," he turned
to Compton. Nov it will become
self sustaining. The trace
graph will climb and continue
to climb. 1t will not level off"
The Actual Evidence
That chain reaction was per-
haps the worst photographed mo-
ment of modern history on record.
Only one picture Of the pile ex-
lists. But the graph record of that
day has been preserved. At the
end it shows a thin line rising
steeply up the paper, like a noun
tain peak soaring from the ocean
bottom. Then, where We'll pushed
back his rod. the line plummets
down the other side to the level
where 1t began. 1t was a peak man
could never recroSS.
The splitting of the atom, which
when uncontrolled makes the nu-
clear bombs, and when controlled
can produce power and cure can
Ger, had been tanned for the first
time.
To Fermi the moment was not
spectacular. mo fuses burned, no
lights flashed"
One of those present, Wilcox
Overlook, said later ut was all
done so quietly and quickly I'm
sure many Of the spectators we're
not aware of what was happening
until they noted everyone had set
aside their pencils and slide rules
to watch the meters"
Hilberry, axe still in hand,
thought, MY God, have the Ger
mans done 1t yet? Let's get going"
We'll was somewhat in awe that
such a rugged piece of equip
ment, just pile of bricks, was
so sensitive a small rod could
control it." Kubitschek thought
of the power potential. Leon Say
vetz, one of the graduate stu
dents, never connected what he
had witnessed to weaponry then.
Philosophical Moment
ITO me 1t was a philosophical
moment" said Sturm. For the
first time man had obtained en-
ergy not from the SUM-" .
Greenewalt returned to his
committee with a facial express
sion that spoke louder than any
words could have done.
After the pile was shut down,
Fermi, Enthusiastically, sought
out Gus Knuth and clapped the
carpenter on the shoulder.
Gus" said the great scientist,
with all our education what
could we have done without your
eXperience?"
Wigner brought out his bottle
and those who were left toasted
the days work. Except Knuth. He
didn't drink.
AS they walked out, Mobiles
turned to We'll. well, George,
atomic energy :" We'll quickly
hushed him. After all, there was
war on.
One Of the guards outside
Maronde says 1t wasn't him -
asked as the group filed past !:
Something happen in there?" he
got no answer.
Nor did Mrs. Fermi later that
evening when she asked guests at
a party she was giving for the
lab people why they we're all con-
graduating her husband.
Finally, Leona Marshall whis-
pered in her ear: "Enrico's sunk
japanese admiral"
DismontIed Operation
CPL operated for only a. few
months. In February. l943, 1t was
dismantled and moved to another
site outside Chicago near the pres
ent Argonne lab. Some Of the
blocks from 1t are still in use
, in a pile at Argonne.
Mobiles. Sturm. Hilberry a n d
Kubitschek all work at Argonne
Leona Marshall married a scien-
fist she met during the Manhat-
tan project and is now mother OF
two sons and still doing research
. and teaching at New York Uni
versity and Brookhaven National
, Laboratory. Well is a consultant
! on nuclear matters In Washing
ton, d. c. Sayvetz teaches high
school in Kingston, N. Y. where
/, few Of his students know where
he was on December e.. 1912
I Knuth. SO now. Is still as he was
carpenter.
Fermi died in 1855 and a monu.
. ment In his honor is the $l2 mil.
o lion Fermi Institute for Nucleal
, Studies. built by Chicago Univer.
: sity after the war in part at tn,
q urging Of scientists who felt tn,
university, leader In producing
4 the atom bomb. should also be {
a leader In peaceful nuclear re,