“5from the berthing area (hold #2) was through one heavy water-tight hatch lealing forward through a high hazard area, it.c., x-ray and laboratory arcas
(containing

flamable chemicals and high voltage),

onto the well deck.

then up a ladder and aft

A second hatch leading aft went through a clutkered

machine shop, into a battery roam with no ogress.

There was no outside

ventilation into the berthing area that I could find.

The water-tight hatch

controlling access to the medical berthing area had no latch.

When trying

to pass through the hatch in hign seas, the heavy hatch would swing violently.
A piece of cord was

£inally tied to the hatch to keep it open.

The outbourd

passageways, both port and starboard:’on the main dack level required climbing

over a tetally exposed fore and aft Ladder with no safety lines.
passage was

jn heavy weather with severe rolling and pitching,

Since our

we could casily

have lost one of our party over the side and never have missed hiw (see
pictures).

From the health standpoint, the berthing area was inadequate.

One

bunk was under an airconditioning unit and thronghout the first night at sea
that bunk was drenched about every 30 minutes by 2-4 ounces of ice cold water.
“In addition, Dr. Nicoloff£ complained repeatedly about the "stagnant air in the
berthing compartusaent."

The large air conditioning unit which was integral and

recirculating for the compartment rendered the area either too hot or too cold.
In ouc preliminary correspondence and in phone conversations with
Mc. Brown in Honolulu I stressed the importance of having an outer island pilot
for the survey and recommended Mr. Paul LaPoint who has had extensive expericnce
with previous medical surveys.

While in Honolulu, I was informed that a

Mr. deBrum was to serve as outer island pilot.

While we were in Kwajalein

we wore informed that Mr. deBrun would not be available and Mr. Brown attempted to obtain the services of Nx. LaPoinl, unsuccessfully.

Therefore,

the ship sailed for the outer islands without an outer islands pilot.

The

Select target paragraph3