AT0 Monthly by the University Ofm California, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, Ofice of Public Relations, P

Volume 5 Number 9 September, 1968

Published“AT0 monthly by the University ofM California, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, Ofice of Public Relations, P. 0. Box 1663, Los Alamos, New Mex- ico 87544. Second Class Postage Paid at Los Alamos.

CONTENTS:

1 Mice and Lights 4 Scylla I 6 Olympic Hopefuls 8 Amchitka 25 Apartment Sale 29 Short Subjects 30 New Hires/What’s Doing 31 The Technical Side 32 20 Years Ago

COVER: A photograph of ocean waves Editor: Kenneth J. Johnson slapping at rocks on the rugged coastline of Amchitka Island dec- Photography: Bill Jack Rodgers orates The Atom’s cover this and Bill Regan month. The photo and others that accompany a story about the island, Office: D-4-12 Administration Building. Tele- are the handiwork of Pub-1’s Bill phone: 7-6102. Printed by The University of Richmond, who toured Amchitka New Mexico Printing Plant, Albuquerque. in April. Richmond’s photoslory gives some insight as to what LASL personnel can expect to find at one Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, an equal of the Atomic Energy Commission’s opportunity employer, is operated by the Uni- newest supplemental sites for un- versity of California for the United States derground nuclear tests. The story Atomic Energy Commission. begins on page 8. Some ol t~icmost colorlul rcsciirc11 it1 the I ,os Alamos Scicntific Labo- ratory tticsc days has to do with mice and lights. And by colorful, wc mcim it, in its most literal sensc. At thc hralth rcscarch labora- lory, members 01 11-4’s iiiainm a 1’Ian radiobiology scction arc conducting expcriments to sce il differcn1 color cnvironnicnts have any cffcct on miw. Leading ~liceirort arc lohn 1;. Spdriing, section leader; L. M. Ilollanrl, stall incmbcr; and It. I;. Archulc la, tcclinirian. Data analy- sis was doric by Gary ‘I’ictjen, C-5. Spalding notcd that thc cxpcri- inciits ai c “ba&-l~rirner”or “clowt” projects, so-callcd becalm thcy arc being donc with existing laboratory It1 fhc compartnlent udjoinintj die wheel of an oc- c;~pabilitics. tivity chambw, ci whit(: iriciuw keeps his eyas cpti Pub-1 FJhoiocjrapher Bill Jnc-I< Kodgers. Seicntist.5 I’h wicnl ist\ bccamc in tcrcstctl sulijccted tiiito ko several diperetit color c!nvireii- in such cxpcrimcrits during tlic mcnts to determine if color lim any der,#on the ac- ( oLirsc ol studies to dctcrrriiric the tivity of mice. Itie counting duvke at ithe top of )he cifccts ol ionihg radiation on thc chanibet shows how many revolution:; Che tnousc huinm body. ‘I’hc studics ;tic ol turns tho activity wheel. particulai V~IUCin our spacc cfl or1 aiid to lhe military ancl civil dc- lcnsc programs. Sonic ol the qucs- tions scicritists arc trying to find answci5 Eoi are: What kind ol radi-

atioii ant1 in what amounts can tlic liuinaii body withstand, so tliat ai1 astronaut in clccp spacr docs riol Ilcconic so :iRcctccl that his mission has to bc aborted? IIow rapidly can tlic body rrpair itsclf lrorn radiation-induccd injury (t ril unialic‘ injury)? ‘1’0 what rxlcnt arc such in- juries irrclmii ablc by thc body; ;ind what cht, il any, will exposures Iiiivr on Irilurr gcncratioris? lolin Nash Oti or the Lnviron- By Kora Johnson inental 1lealtli ancl Light Kcscardi Inslitutc, Sarasota, Ii’la., was stady- iiig cflrcts too, but of a tliflcrciit type. TIC was crigagcd in timc-lapse photogrnpliy olplants and aiiimal~, aiicl hilt1 obscrvcd that a( tivity in sornc 01 his subjccts varicd wlicii icarcd unclcr diflcrcnt color en- vironment s. 011’s lrctiircs and writings about

continued on page 2

1 Colorful Experiments continued from page 1 his observations did not go unno- was measured by the number of ticed by Laboratory scientists, who revolutions each mouse turned the saw a possible relationship to their wheel in its activity chamber. own studies in radiation effects. The activity of the normal mice After scientifically testing some was, indeed, affected, not so much of the observations, however, scien- between colors, but rather among tists were not always in agreement groups of colors. They were most with Ott. For example, Ott main- active in the red and dark environ- tained that different color environments; less active in the yellow; ments affected the sex ratio of off- and least active in daylight, green spring from paired mice. In an ex- and blue. periment at Los Alamos to scien- The experimenters said the effect tifically determine whether or not was due to vision, a conclusion sup- this was so, two replications with ported by the fact that the blind different mice failed, statistically, to mice failed to respond differently show any difference at all in repro- to any of the six environments. ductive characteristics. It was not surprising that the Thirteen pairs of mice had been normal mice would be more active placed in three different color en- in the red and dark environments, vironments for almost a year. The because the mouse is nocturnal, environments were lighted by ei- and thus is more active at night. ther cool white, blue or pink fluor- Red appears as darkness to noc- Different color environments had no escent lamps. turnal animals. The lack of differ- affect on the reproductive characteris- Factors observed were (1) per- ence between the red and dark en- tics of mice. A total of 13 pairs of mice centage of females born: (2) average vironments is thought to be an in- were caged separately in each of litter size; (3) number of litters dication that there are few cones in three color environments, lighted by born; (4) total number of mice the retina of the albino’s eyes. either a cool white, blue or pink fluor- born; (5) total number of mice Cones are cells that discriminate escent lamp, for nearly a year. Other weaned; (6) percentage of females colors. conditions were similar to those shown weaned. By subtraction, the num- Another reason the mouse was in this photograph. ber of males born and weaned was not able to distinguish between red also determined. and darkness may be that its eyes Other experiments were also con- are sensitive to wavelengths of the ducted, and with some striking re- visible colors rather than to red males-were selected. Half of the al- sults. In one of them the scientists specifically. This theory is based on binos and half of the black mice of investigated the influence of several the fact that the mice were signifi- each sex were six weeks old. The color environments on voluntary cantly more active in the yellow rest were six months old. Proce- activity of normal and blind mice. light than in daylight, blue or dures and conditions for this ex- Thirty-six female albinos, 12 of green. Spalding explained that if periment were the same as for the which were blind, were subjected to this is true, then while red appears one previously conducted. environments of green, blue, day- to the mouse as darkness, yellow The white mice responded to a light, yellow, red and darkness. The might appear as dusk and the third much greater degree than the black mice were confined in activity group of colors as daylight. This ef- mice, which could mean amounts chambers, consisting of a wheel and fect was not anticipated since yel- of activity are influenced by strain, adjoining compartment. In their low appears much like daylight to or by differences in the eye, because respective activity chambers, they the human eye. the eye of the black mouse is well were placed in one of the light en- The scientists also observed that pigmented, while the eye of the vironments for 18 hours, and then some mice were more or less active white mouse is not. were caged for 30 hours under stan- than others in the same color en- Age apparently made no differ- dard laboratory conditions before vironment. Consequently, activity ence to the females, but within the being placed in another color en- might also be dependent on the black males the six-week-old set was vironment at random. After each age, sex and mouse color. To test significantly more active than those mouse had experienced 18 hours in these factors 12 white females of that were six months old. Overall, each of the six environments, the the same strain, and 24 nondescript the black males were less active experiment was repeated. Activity black mice-half males and half fe- than the females of either color.

2 R. F. Archuleta ”loads” the compartment of an activity chamber with M white mouse.

R. F. Archuleta records the number of rcvolutioiis a mouse has turned its activity wht:el. Each compartment shown is lighted by a fluoresceni lamp of a different color.

3 Scylla I To Be Displayed At Smithsonian

cylla I, a Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory de- even the probability that Scylla G had produced Svice that produced the world’s first laboratory- a thermonuclear reaction was received somewhat controlled thermonuclear reaction, is to be put on coolly by other fusion laboratories of the United exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution, Washing- States. It did, however, receive considerable ac- ton, D. C. ceptance overseas. Ambitious programs, based on Scylla, as it was first known, was built for Scylla, were launched in the United Kingdom, Project Sherwood, the nation’s program to con- Germany and Italy. The General Electric Com- trol a thermonuclear reaction for peaceful pur- pany also initiated a similar, and very successful, poses. program at Schenectady, New York. It became operational in 1958 and was, in that It was not until about 1960 that it became a year, included in the selection of U.S. fusion de- proven fact; Scylla G-or Scylla I as it became vices to be exhibited at the Atoms for Peace Con- known-had produced a thermonuclear reaction. ference in Geneva. For this reason, it became In the years that followed, as technology in known as Scylla G (Geneva). fusion reactions evolved, Scylla I became obsolete The conference was to be the occasion for the insofar as Project Sherwood at LASL was con- simultaneous drawing aside of the cloak of secrecy cerned. But the apparatus was not about to be among nations engaged in controlled fusion re- cast aside. In February, 1967, it was loaned to the search, and promised to be a fascinating demon- High Altitude Observatory at Boulder, Colo. stration of what happens when many nations Officials of the observatory had requested it for undertake the same task independently. use as a light source, or “solar simulator,” in exper- There were no claims, by any nation at the con- iments concerning line identification of soft x-ray ference, to have produced a thermonuclear reac- and vacuum ultraviolet spectral regions, outside tion, but it was appreciated that LASL’s Scylla G the earth’s atmosphere. might have. In 1958 such a reaction was not easily Scylla I was used at the Boulder observatory detected. The trick was to measure the neutron for about a year and one-half. It was returned to energy distribution, but even so, neutrons, as in- the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory about a dicators of thermonuclear properties, were held in month ago. Except for a few parts, taken off for low esteem among plasma physicists as a result of use at the Laboratory, Scylla I was on its way, via experiences with neutrons produced by reactions truck, to the Smithsonian Institution the same which were not thermonuclear. Consequently, day it arrived in Los Alamos. I@

4 Six of hie wvcn iricmbeis trf the original IASL resetirck former P-15 group leader and presently associate J division team which uxd the Scyll~~I tltcrchirie io l~roducct jlie leclcleu; Warren E. Quinn, associate P-15 group leader; world’s first controlled lhct irlonuclear roaciirm werc on Edward M. little, P-15 staff member; Robert S. Dike, as50- hand to WCIICIIthc Jisnruiiilirrg of: tho historit. tlcvica for ciata? P-16 group leader; and Aldred E. Schofield, P-14 shiprncrit utiil loan to tlic I-ligll Altiiudi: Observatou y at sttriT tntmbcr. The missing member of the tcam is Professor Rouldcr, Colo., iri curly 1967. f’ointing is Jwines I.. Tuck, William e. Elmore, now at the physics department of associate P divirh lendcr WCIO Iieudcd thc pioneer Sher- Swcrrthmorc College, Pa. wood group. (3thct-5, iron, Ictt to righi, are Keith lbyer, 5 fforts to develop Los Alamos as a training site for the summer 8Olympics appear to be highly productive considering the partici- pation of aspirants from many parts of the country in the recent combined AAU Region Ten Women’s Track and Field Championships and Second Annual Los Alamos High Altitude Development Track and Field Meet. The women’s meet was a qualifying event for the AAU National Championships. Those who win at the national meet will be eligible €or the Olympic trials. The High Altitude Development contest is aimed more specifically at bringing Olympic hopefuls to Los Alamos for training. As can be seen in some of the pictures on these two pages, local spectators showed their enthusiasm for the combined event by jam- ming the bleachers and other vantage points at Sullivan Field. In the past, individual Olympic aspirants have trained in Los Ala- mos, and last year the community was a research site to help establish high altitude training standards for the country’s athletes. This month the United States Women’s Track and Field Team will be training here. Many aspirants have found that a big advantage in training at Los Alamos is that they can acclimate themselves to an altitude that is the same as that of Mexico City, where the summer games will be held Oct, 12-26.

Willy Rios of Puerto Rico, running for the Oklahoma Association (in second lane from right) set a new meet record in the menk mile run with a time of d: 18.4. A Los Alamos contestant, Rick Rojas (in second lane from left), was second with a time of 4:23.7.

SDectators, estimated at more than 700, iammed the bleachers to see the events of the combined track meet.

US. Army entry Doug Wiebe (54), a marathon trainee at Alamosa, Colo., finished first in the men‘s three mile run. Adrian De Windt, Jr., an unat- tached runner from Albuquerque (21), finished second. Third place went to John Peterson (50), who is also training in Alamosa for the marathon event. Intently watching one of their cow- panions race are Debbie Coletnan, Abilene, Texas, and Sharan Bell, lubbock, Texas.

Chi e‘lreny oi i cwnluw, runnitig tor the Crown Cilics Trac k Club, hzuw, Ctrlif., came within otic-teritli ol u second of the wcltnctl’s world ierotd in the 100-yard dash as she finislrc:d in ci time 01 10.4 scconds. She also look torr spots, in tht: 220-yarcI dosh arid the 80-motcr hurdles.

Shcircin Bell, lubbock, Texas, Iwk semiid place iti tlrc womrcn‘!, long iuinp cvent.

Muvii; Luing of ilie Phoenix lrcick Club, Ariz., shows winning form as she clears the bur in the WOIYI~II’S high jutnp everit to take second place.

7 CHITKA POINT

P 6 t? r' c 8' t?

IVAKIN POINT 0 t? 6 6 EAST CAPE

0 I 3 4 5 MILES 2 J SCALE POINT

8 his is the story

haiiccs arc that few people hvc hcarrl of this jr icland, located near tlic extrenie cnd 01 hlas- ka’s Alerrtim chain, ~oi~glily4,000 air miles lvom I ,os Alarnos. I‘lowcvcr, Amchiilia rnay bc dcstincd to play a major role in increasing scicntilic linowledge and ( oritributinp, to the primary mission of {lie Los Alarnos Scient iGc Labor,itory-rcscarch itnd dc- vclopmcnt work on nuclcar and thermonuclear w Cil pons. 7’1iic is because hmcliitka lras been sclccted by tlic Atomic Ilnergy Commission as one ol two propc’seed supplcmcntal siics lor underground nriclcar tcsts at yields higher than arc rlcsirablc at t4y Bill Richwrornd the Ncvada ‘Test Sitc. I Jntlcr currcnt plans, scicntists, technicians arid support pcrsonncl from LASL, will travel to Am- cliitlta in 19til) lor the first tentatively planvied tests. What a(’t Iic living, .tvorliing and rccrcaiional lacilities like? Why ~vahhmcliirlca clioscn as a le‘rt sile? Wlial is tlw history of thc island? ‘rhi5 story is ;LLI attempt to answer ilicsc quc5tions. continued on next page

9 home in the waters off islands in the central part 0.0 Amchitka of the chain from Adak to Kiska. At one time the continued from preceding page sea otter was nearly extinct because of overhunt- ing. However, strict controls have brought its n October, 1966, the AEC initiated a program numbers back to nearly 20,000. Another and I to investigate and develop possible locations much larger sea mammal, the northern sea lion, for use as supplemental sites for underground nu- is common. Harbor seals are also residents of clear testing at higher yields. The AEC an- Amchitka. nounced: “The use of supplemental test sites is Some of the islands-although not Amchitka- not expected to affect the programs now con- also have brown bear, caribou, wolves, wild rein- ducted at the Nevada Test Site.” deer, shrews, ground squirrels, weasels and foxes. Several places throughout the world were con- An interesting point in the animal history of sidered, and in January, 1967, Hot Creek Valley the Aleutians concerns the arctic foxes. During in central Nevada and Amchitka Island were se- the period of 1915-25 large families of arctic blue lected-with Amchitka expected to be the site for foxes were introduced on most of the Aleutians, testing higher yield explosives than Hot Creek converting the islands into a commercial farming Valley. It was later announced by the AEC: “No enterprise. These pelts are now valueless and com- other areas are now under active consideration.” plete removal of the foxes is necessary to restore Before discussing Amchitka’s status at the the native bird life. This has already been done on present time, a brief look into the geography, ec- Amchitka resulting in a prompt and striking in- ology and history might be appropriate. crease of wildlife on the island. There are approximately 70 named islands in The possibility of eliminating another “pest” the Aleutian chain, reaching out for a thousand on Amchitka and the other islands is expected to miles from the Alaskan Peninsula toward the So- be a great deal harder even if it is possible. These viet Union’s Kamchatka Peninsula in the North are Norway rats which were more than likely in- Pacific. troduced during World War 11. These voracious The Aleutians are composed of four main rodents have a serious effect on nesting birds and groups: The Fox Islands, nearest Alaska; the An- at times even become a problem in the base dreanof Islands: the Rat Islands (of which Am- camps. chitka is the largest); and the Near Islands which It is well to emphasize at this point that Am- are farthest west and the smallest group of all. chitka is part of the Aleutian Islands National The Aleutians are actually a continuation of Wildlife Refuge; and many federal and state the Alaskan Peninsula. Many of the islands are agencies are cooperating to minimize the impact mountainous, being the tops of an underwater of human presence on the island by minimizing mountain range. There are a number of active disturbance to wildlife and the natural environ- volcanoes in the chain with one-Shishaldin on ment. For example, island workers are not per- Unimak Island-towering more than 9,000 feet. mitted to have firearms. The larger islands have lakes and streams while Amchitka is about 42 miles long and three to the shorelines consist of boulder and sand beaches, five miles wide. It lies in a northwesterly-south- rocky cliffs and offshore islets and reefs. easterly direction and is approximately 1,400 They are virtually treeless, supporting only a miles southwest of Anchorage, 800 miles east of dwarfed flora of willow and alder and alpine Kamchatka, Siberia, 1,450 miles northeast of Hok- heaths and meadows. Some taller shrub growths kaido, Japan, and at the same lattitude as London, occur on Unimak and Attu Islands. A stand of England-about 51 ON. (This is only a few degrees beach grass marks shorelines, and offshore waters above the Seattle, Washington, latitude of 48”N.) support large kelp beds. The nearest habitation is 178 miles to the east Wildlife-especially birds-are abundant on the on Adak Island and the next closest is on Shemya island chain. In addition to the expected sea gulls, Island, 257 miles to the northwest. Both are U.S. other birds include the bald eagle, falcons, ptar- military bases. migans, ducks, sparrows, loons, and numerous The southeastern part of Amchitka is very low others. Of all the emperor geese in the world, -the highest point is 351 feet above sea level- about half winter in the Aleutians. while the northwestern area is very hilly and The sea otter, a marine mammal that bears one much higher, with peaks rising to 1,200 feet. The of the world’s most valued furs, makes its principal continued on page 12

10 This i:, not ''ex(XCtly'' how the Aleutians were formed, but it is me of the inore hurnorou:, concepts. ...Amc hitka continued from page 10 land levels out toward the middle of the island arid consists of rolling tundra and flat tableland. This area is dotted with an abundance of shallow ponds and small lakes which vary from a few to more than 60 acres in size, generally from one to five feet deep. Most of the coast is fringed with reefs and conceals extensive kelp beds. The shores are generally steep with many off-lying, covered rocks, especially on the north shore and the east- ern part of the south shore. The Botany Department of the University of Tennessee, under a sub-contract with Battelle Memorial Institute, is presently conducting a study into the plant ecology of Amchitka, of which very little is known. The vegetation on the island is usually de- scribed as Maritime or Oceanic Tundra. Al- though the tundra on Amchitka is in some ways similar to Arctic Tundra, the island is far from arctic and the Aleutian Tundra is more like the moorlands of the British Isles. A good portion of Amchitka is overlain by sedge-grass peat, in some areas up to 15 feet thick. The peat acts like a blotter and is often 70 per cent water by weight. The very wet peat prevents the successful growth of many types of plants, and there are not many varieties of higher plants on the island. Bob Brownlee, J-DO, visits the ”Am- In addition to the peat lands on the island, chitka National Forest” in front of the there are two other major vegetation types-the old OfFicers’ Club. beach vegetation, usually grasses on a very sandy soil, and the upland vegetation of grasses and crowberry on mineral soil. There are no trees on Amchitka except for three very underdeveloped fir tiees which were planted during World War I1 at the old Officers’ Club and have grown only a couple of feet high. These trees are known as “The Amchitka Na- tional Forest.” The geology of the island is characterized by Certain parts of the island can be volcanic materials of various types. Among these reached only by using track-type vehicles. are ash, tuff, breccia and lava flows of generally andesitic composition, apparently emplaced under the ocean after volcanic eruptions. These rocks were deformed, split and subjected to erosion during and after deposition. Bedrock is exposed at or near the surface over much of the island with the soil mantle consisting chiefly of clay and organic material. This surface mantle varies from a foot or less to an estimated 20-foot thickness. Once the

12 erne Amchitka continued from preceding page Bering’s party sighted the Alaskan mainland in the summer of 1741, and was enroute west along the Aleutian chain when his ship encountered rough weather, and he and his crew were ship- wrecked on Bering Island. In December, 1741, Bering died. The survivors of his crew managed to construct a small vessel and sail home to the World War II quonset huts, which Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia in the summer of housed up to 25,000 men, are scat- 1742. tered throughout the island. Unfortunately, these survivors returned with some excellent sea-otter skins and started a rush of fur traders (called the “promyshlenniki”) to the Aleutian Islands. These were rough, resourceful men who obtained large fortunes in the fur trade -at the expense of the Aleuts who inhabited the islands. Because of their skill in hunting sea mam- mals, the Aleuts were used by the fur traders who treated them with extreme cruelty. cluding Amchitka, Dutch Harbor and Adak. On The Aleuts are of the same stock as the Eskimo June 3, 1942 the Japanese bombed Dutch Harbor. and have become, through long contact with In- During the following two weeks the Japanese oc- dians and whites, chiefly a mixed breed. And al- cupied Attu and Kiska Islands and the US. though their language is a member of the Eskimo- launched counterattacks from bases located on Aleut family, they more closely resemble their Amchitka and Adak. North American Indian neighbors than they do On May 11, 1943, U.S. forces landed at Holtz the Eskimos. Bay and Massacre Bay on Attu and in three weeks In 1741, when they were first noted by Bering, of bloody fighting retook the island and estab- their population was estimated as being between lished an air base. Kiska’s supply routes were cut 20,000 and 25,000. However, due to the ruthless off by the recapture of Attu and the Japanese policies of the fur traders, disease, and tribal wars evacuated the island without a fight in August, with natives on the Alaskan mainland, only about 1943. 2,000 were accounted for at the end of the 18th After the Japanese surrender in 1945, the U.S. century. Currently the Aleut population is re- forces on Amchitka withdrew and abandoned the ported to be less than 1,000. (There are only two base. They left behind hundreds of deserted Aleut villages now, Atka on Atka Island and buildings-primarily quonset huts-and several False Pass on Unimak Island. miles of excellent runways, taxiways and hard- The Aleutian Islands National Wildlife Refuge stands for parking aircraft. was established by President Taft in 1913 and the A local legend has it that one day the troops on sea-otter-as well as numerous other species of the island-reportedly as many as 25,000-were wildlife and native birds-are now protected by told to pack their gear and climb aboard ships law. anchored in the harbor. All types of equipment The first permanent white settlement was es- and supplies were supposedly left behind in the tablished in Alaska in 1784 on Kodiak Island by mass exodus from “The Rock.” There are tales of the Russians. Russia controlled Alaska and the buried cases of liquor somewhere on the island in Aleutian Islands until 1867 when they were pur- the vicinity of the Officers Club (which is still chased by the United States for $7.2 million. standing), buried cases of M-1 rifles which were Alaska-including the Aleutians-was admitted to packed in cosmoline and should be as good as the the Union in 1958 as the 49th state. day they were manufactured, and buried cartons The Aleutian Islands played a very important of jeep parts which were shipped to the island and role in World War 11. United States’ military air then reassembled for local transportation. The bases were located on a number of islands-in- continued on page 16

14 Hcirdstcinds, nil which aircraft were pai kcrl cluriixl World War I!, tire ideal for warcliousc, lacn{ions.

The wrcckwge of CI gallant aircraft is n bleak retninder of tho war yesrs on Atnchiika. vent the killing of eagles for various Indian reli- 0.0 Amchitka gious ceremonies in which the skull, talons and continued from poge 14 feathers are used, the Interior Department col- lects these parts, from eagles that are found dead, island’s climate preserves wood well arid the and distributes them among the tribes. buried material should be as good as new . . . if Equipped with this background material, let’s it exists. take a trip to Amchitka. One relative “old-timer” on the island says he After the normal arrangements are made thinks he knows where some of the rifles may be through the travel office and J-1, LASL personnel buried. However, he has never attempted to dig are issued foul-weather gear. This consists of a them up because, in his words, “What are you parka, rain pants, boots, and a rain jacket. Then going to do with them? You can’t own a rifle on the Amchitka bound traveller goes via commer- the island, you can’t ship them off, and besides, cial aircraft to Seattle. Depending on the day he they are still government property.” arrives in Seattle, the traveller may be able to Another war-connected story is the “water- catch a twice-weekly charter flight, which makes tower-that-isn’t” on St. Makarius Point, not far a stop at Anchorage, Alaska, before flying on to from the main camp. At first glance this pile of Amchitka. Otherwise, he can take another com- wood appears to be the remains of an old water mercial flight to Anchorage, and from there, tower. It was erected in World War 11. The Jap- board a Reeve Aleutian Airways, Inc., plane to anese frequently strafed the tower-thinking they the island. Reeve flies regularly scheduled flights had pulled a sneaky trick on the Americans and to Amchitka via Cold Harbor and Adak. It has deprived them of water. However, what was really been using DC-6B aircraft for this flight, but rein the tower was not water . . . but the island’s cently obtained an Electra which will also be used radar equipment. in the future. Since radar was one of our secret weapons, it There are two runways on Amchitka, although was camoflauged to prevent the enemy from dis- only one-Baker runway-is normally used. Baker covering we were plotting ship and plane move- is 9,150 feet long and has been rebuilt to accom- ments. If the Japanese had known what was ac- modate modern aircraft. Additions include lights tually located in the tower, they would have un- for night landings and a sequenced-flashing-lights doubtedly launched a full-scale attack to destroy landing system. The second runway, Charlie, is it. Much of the original radar equipment re- used only in case of a severe emergency, such as mained in the tower up until a few years ago. high winds, because only 8,000 feet of the 6,000- The first group in the present contingent ar- foot total is usable. Charlie was used only a rived on Amchitka late in the fall of 1966. Its couple of times last year. A third runway, Fox- members had their offices in their rooms until the like the other two initially built in World War I1 summer of 1967, when there was a large building -is completely unusable because it was deliber- program for offices, camps and support structures. ately torn up after the war and is now partially A contract for a drilling program-to include under water. both exploratory and event emplacement holes- The Amchitka airport is also equipped with was awarded in March, 1967. Today, there are ground controlled approach radar which is certi- more than 500 men (no women) assigned to the fied and accepted by the Federal Aviation Agency. island. In fact, the FAA recently appraised Amchitka as There are two federal laws which are extremely having “the most modern civilian airfield in important to the residents and visitors of Amchit- Alaska today.” ka-the Antiquities Act and the Bald Eagle Act. The facilities on the island-coupled with the The Antiquities Act prohibits tampering with high degree of skill of the Reeve pilots-results in original native artifacts which may be uncovered, a flight seldom, if ever, being aborted. Frequent or removing them from their natural resting travellers on Reeve Aleutian Airways are high in place. In the event they are found, the representa- their praise of the ability of Reeve pilots who fly tive from the U.S. Interior Department or the in some of the worst weather in the world. Reeve AEC’s staff archaeologist, assigned to Amchitka, was founded by Bob Reeve, one of the original should be notified. “Alaskan Bush Pilots,” who is still an active flyer The Bald Eagle Act outlaws the possession of today. any eagle, dead or alive, or any part of it. To pre- continued on page 18

16 Recve Alcuticin Ail wuys prsviilc:, rtqulni ly c,clicdulct! rrit scrvire WJ the island iroiri Attclrorcrge. e.. Amchitka

continued from page 16 By the time the traveller reaches Amchitka from Los Alamos, he has crossed four time-zone boundaries, so the time on the island is four hours earlier than in Los Alamos. Amchitka is actually west of the International Date Line, but an artificial jog in the line keeps all the Aleutian Islands on the same time-one hour earlier than the Alaska mainland. All passengers terminating their trip on Am- chitka report to a desk in the terminal building where they are “checked in” and assigned a room. Only official visitors who have made advance arrangements are permitted to deplane. The casual tourist or visitor is not allowed. Most of the cargo for Amchitka is delivered periodically by barges from Seattle and occasion- ally by aircraft. The trip by barge takes two to three weeks in the summer and up to five weeks in the winter. The barges follow the coastline on their journey. There are a number of organizations-both The terminal building on Amchitka is where a person governmental and private-that the Amchitka checks in and is assigned a room. traveller will come in contact with while working on the island. (The main administrative office building is located adjacent to the main camp and is known as the “White House.” Whether it was given this name because it is painted white-but so are most of the other buildings in the main camp- or because it is on a small rise; or because it is the place from whence the orders are issued; no one appears to know). The Atomic Energy Commission, as overall manager of the supplemental test site, oversees both drilling and support operations. Ted Toren is the AEC site manager and Joe Brown is his alternate. The two men switch duty assignments between Amchitka and Las Vegas, spending four weeks on the island and four weeks in Nevada. Nearly all the groups on the island have some type of rotation plan, with the length varying from group to group. In addition to the AEC, other governmental agencies with representatives on Amchitka include the Corps of Engineers, the Interior Depart- ment, Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey. The state of Alaska is also rep- resented by Alaska State Troopers. Holmes &: Narver, Inc., is the site management to group and a prime contractor the AEC for Most cargo for Amchitka is delivered by barge from architectural, engineering and management serv- Seattle.

18 19 Improvement of the docking facilities is included in the overall rehabilitation of Amchitka.

Covered walkways, photographed while still under construction, connect the housing units with the cafeteria, Rec Hall, and the "Rat Island Roost."

20 21 Cast under cloudy skies and stormy weather most of the time, the Amchitka coastline while scenic, is also rugged. During leisure hours, many of the workers on the island Amchitka walk the beaches looking for souvenirs that are occasion- ... ally washed in by the Japanese current. continued from preceding page In addition to the food, another great morale More than 100 calls are handled each week, at an booster on Amchitka is the Ham Radio Club average of five minutes per call. whereby the residents can keep in touch with An unusual occurrence happened recently their families. when one of the ham operators on Amchitka con- There is a radio-telephone patch for official tacted the Howard Hughes Employes Ham Club calls only. It is possible to call LASL this way by in Fullerton, Calif. This club handled more than calling Mercury, Nevada, and having the call 15 of these personal calls at no charge! The Cali- placed on the tie-line. However, this is for official fornia club told the Amchitka operator that Mr. calls only and cannot be used for the “Happy Hughes would pick up the tab for the telephone Birthday” type of message. charges. It was later discovered that the California Employes on the island are not allowed to club provides this service mainly for military per- bring their personal ham radio equipment, so the sonnel stationed in out-of-the-way places, but ex- AEC furnishes a sufficient amount of equipment tended it to Amchitka on this occasion. to outfit a radio shack-call letters KL76FN. A situation that seems strange to the security- There are five licensed hams on the island who oriented LASL-types is the lack of classification or have volunteered to handle personal calls outside security guards. of normal working hours. The usual method is to There is, at the present time, no classification contact another ham in the “lower 48” who has a problem, and none of the employes are required to radio with strong power, and is willing to spend an be AEC “Q”cleared to work on Amchitka. A few hour or so handling these calls. A station-to-station of the people are Q-cleared by virtue of working collect call is then made from this ham outlet to for the AEC or its contractors. However, in the

the employe’s home. continued on page 24

22 'rhc Rcii Island Roost does a good deal of husincss be- twceti thc end of: woi kitiy hours atid chow call.

The tmcss liall fcaturc:~sclf-scrvicc arid good food.

23 The runway can be crossed at one point only. It is here that the island’s only stop signs are located.

AI Rothwell, Holmes 8t Narver, is one of a small group of enthusiastic ham radio operators who places personal calls for island workers on the radio phone-patch network.

Personal calls are handled via a radio phone-patch to the “lower 48.’‘

...Amchitka continued from page 22 future all employes will be cleared-either “Q”or most important one probably concerns vehicles “L.” Current employes on the island are in the crossing the runway. There is only one authorized process of completing their Personnel Security crossing and it is equipped with the island’s only Questionnaires and having background checks stop signs. This crossing is blocked by vehicles made. Officials estimated that all will be cleared shortly before the scheduled arrival of any aircraft by this Fall. and remains blocked until the plane takes off At the present time, personal cameras are al- again. lowed; there is no restriction on photography. This Speed limits on tlie island are 15 mpli in the could change when security measures go into effect. camp area, and, for all other areas, 35 mph (day) Hand-in-hand with security is law enforcement and 30 mph (night). which is handled by Alaska State Troopers. They Well, there it is . . . a “brief” story on Am- conduct patrols and issue warnings and citations chitka and what can be expected. for infractions. It’s probably more about elephants than you Traffic laws on Ainchitka are relatively few. The wanted to know. @

24 estate appr;ti:+cd ;it apixoximatcly $I million. Vour or tlmc arc undcr (oiitr;ict or salc; 13 arc scliedri led to bc sold to tlie higlicct bitldcr Scpt. l(i, and six have not yct bccn oflcrcd ior salc. ‘1’111. othcr I .30 nrc apart niciit propertics ap praised at inow tlian $1 inillion, ol whicli five Iiavc lwen sold. N iriciy four of tlic apartmcnt ~)ro~~cr~iesare c~i~irlruplcxe5located in ilic north cwmnuiiities. ‘Ilicir ;i~)piaisedvalue.; range Irorn $20,000 LO 6, !NO. $2r/ 1 lie othcrs arc inulti-lamily propcrtics-so c.allcd 1)ecausc tlicy consi5t ol eight or more units. Voui arc in tlic north corrirriiinitics arid 2’7 otliers itre located in tlir c;istcrn ci~~as. loiirtecm ol tlic SI multi-larnily sites arc eight- plcxcs that 1-angc in valuc Irom $21,000 to $40,000. continued on page 28

25 Ninety-nine of the 130 apartment properties being sold are quadruplexes.

26 Six YO-unit. Gold Street opur.inlctii cotmplcxr~swre up ior salc. roeh coniplcx is tnudr up of a 12-unit building (left) and twu four-utiii slrwturcs like the one *sltowt~rit I iglii.

1 ing to the AEC, an individual or an entity of sev- ***Almost Gone eral individuals, representing the required num- continued from page 25 ber of units, then became known as the priority Another one is a 16-unit complex on Gold holder. Street made up of two eightplexes. At present, most of the priority holders have Six 20-unit Gold Street apartment complexes either made or are making arrangements for have been appraised at $70,000 each. Each one is financing. One of two choices is through com- made up of a 12-unit building and two four-unit mercial loan institutions. The other one is to re- structures. quest HUD to finance the property. An additional 20-unit complex, consisting of To priority holders the purchase price is 25 per two 10-unit Chapel apartment buildings north of cent less than the appraised values. These values the Recreation Hall, is valued at $81,150. vary however, even among properties with a like There are also two 24-unit efficiency apart- number of apartment units. The reason, Daryl ments up for sale. One is appraised at $48,450 Mabee, HUD field director in Los Alamos said, and the other $53,000. is that there are differences in size and construc- Another five are 48-unit properties valued from tion. A more detailed look at these factors shows $75,000 to $110,000. Four of them consist of two that the apartments in one quadruplex may have 24-unit buildings, and tlie other is a single 48-unit four bedrooms, while tlie units in another may structure. All of them contain efficiency type have three or two; one building may contain 24- apartments. units, but so may a complex of buildings; there The largest appraisal on any ol the properties are various types of efficiency apartments; and is a 72-unit complex of Chapel apartments. The some apartments have more floor area than others. units are contained in seven buildings valued at Priority holders have until Oct. 16 to apply for $296,000. purchase. As of Aug. 20 there were still no priority The largest number of units assembled in one holders for 13 of the 125 saleable properties. package are three concrete buildings near the These were six quadruplexes and seven multi- Community Center containing 84 efficiency family properties. Mabee said that priority holder apartments. Two of the buildings have 24 units status was not granted on them, during the period each and the third has 36 units. This lot has been when applications were made, because no one appraised at $188,000. applied. The reason that some properties are made up He noted that 75 priority holders have indi- of complexes of two or more buildings is because cated their intentions to purchase and another 10 they have facilities in common which cannot be are expected to do so soon. The majority of them, functionally divided, such as sidewalks, utilities, at this point in the big selling program, are en- parking lots and lawn areas. tities of persons with priority interests. Evidently, Not everyone can buy an apartment property. tor its size, Los Alamos is destined to have an Those who are eligible were assigned a priority above average number of condominiums. by the Atomic Energy Commission before the The apartments that are not sold on a first pri- sale began. More specifically, if a person was con- ority basis will be offered to second priority hold- nected with the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory ers “after the workload of the current sale is out by occupation or was living in a saleable apart- of the way,” Mabee said. When the second offer- ment on April 25 of this year, he was said to have ing is made, however, the individual will not be a priority interest in that unit. able to buy an apartment property by acquiring Under the rules of the sale, however, having a the interests of others. It will have to be purchased priority interest is not the key to owning an by an entity, of which one member must be an apartment, for HUD cannot sell them individual- occupant. ly, but rather, must sell whole properties. If any of the properties are left over after the Consequently, a person with a priority interest second sale, they will be sold to the general public had to either join with others or acquire the in- on a competitive bid basis. terests of those who did not want to exercise their When the apartments, Community Center and priorities. other miscellaneous sites are sold, Mabee said, all By either method, 60 per cent of the interests of that type of real estate normally owned by the of any property had to be obtained before it was people of any typical American community, will recognized as one that could be sold. By apply- be in the hands of the people of Los Alamos. 4%

28 macle si!;nific nnt contribut ions iri many lrclds oi scicncc #+ ktcmcr E. SchrciXxr, t cchn ical associate dircc- toi- of the I,os Alamos Scicntihc 1,alm-;itory, has acccj)tc.tl nn invitation ol the I\iitish Nuclear 1k crgy Society t (I speak on “Nrrclrar Propalsion in S1)acc” at Westminster, I ,ondon, Vhgland, Oct. 2. ‘1’11~spccinl IC( tiire is slaicd for 6 p.m. ai the fnst ituf ion of Civil Engineering. Admission is by licltct only, free on application to the 1Sritish So- ciety. Schrt>ihcr was one 01 tlic leaders in America’s eflvrt to develop a niiclciir roclict reactor-Project Ibvcr - 1 rom 195%to 1962, ;inti is iirirncdiat c past - prcsiiclcnc ol the Amcrican Nuclear Society. 8% ’1111-cc. morc I ,os Alarms Scientific 1,aboratory pc~soriricl Iiavc 1)ecn grnntcd p~oicssional research .ind tcacliing leave. Walton P. lllis, CMB 8, will be doing rcscarch in tlic held of clct tron dclractions at the Malerials Sciciic c Ikp~irtnicntor the University of Virginia, C~harlotccsvill(~,lo1 one yex, cflcctivc last month. William M. Olson, CMF 5, will Iic doing IC- scarch in liigli tcmpcraturc chemistry at the Euro- pean Institute lor Tranaui ariium I~~lcnicntsin 1

OUTDOOR ASSOCIATION: No Charge; through Oct. 1-Miniatures by Poralee open to the public. Contact leader for in- Lester. formation about specific hikes. NEWCOMERS CLUB: Meeting Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 7 and 8, Sept. 25, 7:30 pm, Aspen School. Skit hike from Midnight Mining Area Night. For further information call Mrs. through Cabresto Canyon, Dibbon Harold Faire, 672-3733. Hagar, leader, 2-6209. LOS ALAMOS CHORAL SOCIETY: Every I Thursday, Sept. 5, Evening hike, Ken Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m. beginning ,. Ewing, leader, 8-4488. Sept. 3, lodge Main Dining Room. All in- Wednesday, Sept. 11, Picnic meeting at terested persons are invited to beginning What's Bandelier at 6 p.m. rehearsals. I- Thursday, Sept. 19, Evening hike, Ed LITTLE THEATER: First production of the Kmetko, lea'der, 2-3173. - season, "The Owl and the Pussycat," by Sunday, Sept. 22, Lake Peak, Dorothy Bill Manhoff, Friday and Saturday, October doing- Hoard, leader, 672-3356. 4 and pm., Los Aamos Civic Audi- 5, 830 Thursday, Sept. 26, Evening hike, Herb torium. Cast includes Micki Dick and Hans Vogel, leader, 672-9832. Ruppel. Brandy Steger, director; Duane Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 28 and 29, Drake, assistant to the director. Season Pecos/Santa Barbara Campground, tickets ($5) and single admission ($2) avail- contact Bob Skaggs, 836 Truman N.E., able at the box ofice of the auditorium. Albuquerque. Season tickets also available from Audrey I MESA PUBLIC LIBRARY EXHIBITS: Sept. 5 Goldblatt, 2-21 10.

30 I'resoritcrtioii ai. Second Internation- of Ideal Gus, Nitiotnoihatic and ul Symposiurri on Nuclear Magnetic I iquid IN1 Detonations" by C L. IZe:;oi-ici~~ccs,!ha Paulo, Brazil, July Madei, r 5 il-1 1: "Theoiy ol Detonation Stabilijy" "N~~clcc-rl-Mugnetic Reluxtriioii in by J J. Erpcnbeck, GMX-10 Aqucous 1-1-1icrc:yt.rnatt: Cohw It C:om- Piesentation at American Astronau- ~~lexcs"by A. 1-1. Zcltmann and I.. tical Sot iety Symposium, Denver, 0.Morgan, boili CMF-2 Colo., July 15-16: F'rssctttntion crf C:olloquiunr, Sandia "Vola Satellite Purticle Observa- Corporation, Albuqucrque, July 10: tioris a1 18 Carih Radii'' by M D "'rlic 10s Ahtnos Physics Division Motitgomoiy, P-4 l'rogrcirri'' by I?. I:. Tuschek Presentation at Gordon Conference Presentation Meeting of New cit tho on Fluorine Chemistty, Tiltoti, N.H., Mexico Socieiy 0.f Hospital Pharma- July 15-19: cists, Weriialillu County Indian l-los- t'rc!sentutioti at hinerican Physical "Molar Rcfiuctivily ab a Diagnos- pitcrl, I\lbuquf:rque, July 10: Society Meeting, Los Alamos, June tic Tool foi Composition of d- anti "Biochcrriic:c:i Propa rations for I f-1 ransition Lleinent Fluoride Corn IO: Mitosi:i" by C). f'. Pciorsen, tL4 (in- '~~~~vo~~~9itiiciisii)IiaI Nurnerical Sirn- plc'xcs'' by R A I'enneman, CMF-4 vited talk) ultrtion of C:olli:;ionless Shocks" by Presentation to the Fission Product 1'resenl.a tio n at Ainerica n Nuclear C. I?.Shoiik, J-IC! inhalation Study Group at lovelace Socic?ty Antiwul Meeting, l'oronto, I'rescntcitiorr ai Iiiternntionul Sym- Foundation, Albuqucrquo, July 17: t;::Lllltrda,July posiuiii on Nucltmr Structure, Infer- 1043: "Morphoyeriesis of Mirrolcsions "kxctnt IJrogross in tho Kover natioiinl Uiiioii of Pure and Applied in Rai Lungs from Inttaveriously In- f'rogratn" by G. A. Ckave!;, N-2, F. Physics and In-terriationcrl Atoinic Iecicd 2:18P~OLMicrosphcies" by C P. I~urhatn, N-I9O, arid W. }-I. Atn- Enorgy Agency, Dubna, USSR, July I!. Richmond, 1-14 (invited talk) 1 1: olcl, Wcsiinglrousc 4.- Presentation at Pion Comniittce Re- "htima'tes of itic Spontaneous- F'reseiitcrtion 0.i 12th International view Meeting, AEC, Washington, f'issiori I luli Livofi 0.1 := 114 Nu- Sympctsiutri on Combustion, The Z D.C., July 23: chi" by S. (;. Nils:ion (Ihiversiiy (:orilkustion Institute, t'oitiers, of "A Design Study OF a dieam for klifotnia tit r\c:rk&y) and .J. R. FKI~IX, .July 'I 4-20: 13ioinedicul Applicaiions at LAMPT" INix, '1.4 "[bin hatrcl-iing arid Initiation by I I. A I hicsson, MP-4 "Sicitc? Mixing in i661io" by M. E. t2aies Meusurod kry !ipatitrlly Iriic- Dunkor, G. Berziiis, crnrl J. W. Siur- graicd Ligtii Erriissioii During ke- Presentation at Biology Seminar, tlCY, UII P-2 .Iluciecl Shock Wtrve Igniiion" by C. Buttelle Northwest, Richland, Wash., "12ccent -1 Iicrriicil Neuttori Cap- I..Sch(jit, GMX-7 July 23: lure Work at LASL" by 1-1. -1.. Moiz, "Onc trnd 'Two [)in-icnsiontwl Flow "Polynvdeotidc Synthesis" by D. I'.-DO (':(~Ic~~Ic~tiorisof the I

31 one had purloined a sports coat, trousers and a shirt from his car on San Francisco street Wednes- day night. Thursday evening he was driving on the highway to Albuquerque when a hitch-hiker thumbed a ride. The man was wearing a coat that looked quite familiar so Slavik raced to the nearest telephone and called police. The cops arrested the hitch-hiker and Justice of the Peace, J. V. Or- tiz said, “One hundred dollars or 90 days.” The man is planning to spend the next three months 20years ago in the local lock-up. As of this writing, he does not have $100, a sports coat, slacks or shirt. e 1 1 Fermi Returns for Hill Stay m [os alamos Enrico Fermi, University of Chicago Institute for Nuclear Studies, has returned to Los Alamos for a visit of unannounced length. Fermi, who did files Culled from the 1948 of the Santa Fe New Mexican research here during the war, said he had nothing by Robert Porton to say about his visit because of security reasons. Other than that, he said, he is pleased to be back on the Hill. “I am very much interested in the Court Voids Los Alamos Primary Vote work here,” he said. The New Mexico Supreme Court today dis- qualified all votes cast in Los Alamos in the recent primary election. The court held that some residents of the AEC installation are illegal voters. The disqualification came on the court’s ruling that all polling places for the election were on lands acquired by condemnation. Such lands, it said, are not a part of the state for voting pur- poses. Probably as high as 85% of this community’s voters have been disfranchised by the court’s decision. Army and Aircraft Personnel Visit Hill Nationally prominent aircraft manufacturer representatives and US. Army officers are visiting here this week to meet with Norris E. Bradbury and his staff. The group is discussing the relationship between aircraft design problems and the research and development program at LASL. Ex-Hill School Head Visits The former head master at the Los Alamos Ranch for Boys, L. D. Hitchcock, paid a visit to Los Alamos today. Hitchcock, now in government service, was in charge of the school until January, 1942, when he was called to military duty. As he drove about the Project, he commented, “I don’t In 1948 the Los Alamos Veteran‘s Club won the District recognize anything but the scenery.” Softball Championship title. Present day LASL employes Hill Worker Becomes Detective who were members of the squad included, standing left, Gus Nagy, manager; front row, kneeling at extreme right, Raymond Slavik, Los Alamos, is happy to give Lee Riedel; middle row at extreme left, Bill Cramer; top the police any help he can, especially if it is a mat- row, second from left, Art Beaumont; and extreme right, ter of a stolen sports coat, slacks, and shirt. Slavik D. C. ”Hank” Winburn; bat boy was Steve Russo, nephew told the Santa Fe Police Department that some- of Ted Russo.

Swooosh! A motorbikt? operator plows throL igh water. on Dia- mond Drive, evidence of the unusual amour it of rain I*eceived in Los Alamos in late July and August.