cee. aT <r ah en = - — = . Os,INTRODUCTION fete Sopetime in the early morning hours of 1 March 1954, an atomic weapon of unimown composition was detonated on Bikini Island, According to unofficial versions, the bomb was of immense power, Some 80 to 110 miles east of Bikini, a Japanese fishing vessel had put out its lines.Upon seeing the flash the ship's captain immediately steered the ship towards the East away from the island, Approximately two hours later, whi’ the crew was feverishly bringing the lines and catch aboard, the sky darkened and there was a shower of fine ash-like material lasting four and a half hours, The crew stated the "ash shower" came towards them propelled by and Bast wind. Vhen members of the ship's complement began showing evidence of eye irritaticn, malaise and nausea, to be followed later by skin pigmentation and vesiculation, the vessel sailed for its home port of Yaizu, Japan, On this return trip the crew members washed the decks, bulkheads, clothing, and thenselves in an effort to rid themselves of some unknown factor, Upon landing in Yaizu, the ship's captain ordered his entire crew to the local hospital for checkups, before going to sea again, The signs and symptoms of these men were highly suspicious of radiation sickness, to the lccal physicians, The two sickest crew:.en were sent to Tokyo which started a chain of everts leading to the realization that the crew, vessel, and catch hed been contaminated with radioactive materials. Steps were immediately taken to confiscate the cargo of fish (mainly tuna and shark), though the crew had partaken of smaller fish caught during the fall out. The significance of this unfortunate incident cannot be over estin.ated because of the following facts: US DOE ARCHIVES