William Stanley May 12, 1978 Page Three It will be difficult in the future for the survey leader to recruit the same calibre of physicians if we are unable to give them some reasonable assurance of reliable transportation. (B) Health hazards - The C.I. is in essence a floating box (for dry cargo) with a completely separate mechanical/living space aft. There is no communication between these two areas - except by the open deck. The only access to the hold is by vertical descent via inspection ladders. roaches and rats. The holds themselves are overrun with Two days before we were due to sail - analysis of the ship's potable water supply revealed heavy contamination with coliform bacteria. The tanks were drained and superchlorinated, then drained, and the maximum amount of chlorine was added to allow human consumption. Even with these measures, we had an epidemic of gastrointestinal problems throughout the voyage. The G.I. problems with diarrhea were further complicated by the fact that there were no flush toilets available in the hold, where the vast majority of the medical survey team lived in trailers. Porta~Poties (chemical toilets) proved to be totally inadequate. They were set in an open area aft, were frequently sitting in several inches of dirty bilge water, and were a real health hazard - especially when we found that some of the inspection openings for the fresh water tanks were in areas that could be covered by bilge water. One physician, Dr. Nelson, the pediatrician from National Institutes of Health, was sick for nine days with fever and shaking chills - yet he continued to perform his duties. I doubt if he will volunteer for a future trip. His stories of the trip to N.I.H. physicians will probably not enhance our recruitment in an institution where we have frequently been able to find volunteers. Another area of health hazard lay in the crowded conditions in the hold. The heavy trailers were secured with large cables and turn-buckles that made passage fore-aft on the starboard side an obstacle course. Even though there was a cooking trailer, there was no available dining area. buffet style. Meals were consumed, wherever possible, (C) Functional inadequacies - Even though this ship was designed to be beached with bow loading, we were only able to utilize this feature for about two hours a day - around mean low tide on one of the three island stops. On Bikini, we set up a rubber raft that was pulled back and forth from the beach with the patients. On one occasion a small child fell into the water and was landed back on the raft by his mother. This operation is hazardous for all hands - especially the very young or old. The ship's radar and navigation dials were inoperative, making navigation essentially a dead-reckoning proposition. Because of this, we frequently missed the shortest approach to our specified island - adding many hours to our time at sea. The ship's radios were marginal and we were repeatedly unable to establish adequate communication with Kwajalein or Majuro,. In summary, the Caroline Islands and her sister ships are inadequate for their mission. The entire medical team would like to express their thanks to the Captain and crew of the ship. They did everything within their power to assist the team under marginal conditions. 30132494 They did the best they could with what the ship provided.