LOS ANLLESJ CALEfMESSbe VATE by ERDA officials, who argue that considerably greater Insn expected, despite the unpredicted long-term and an unpredicted shift In winds in health effects, the medical program the upper atmosphere caused une rawas the best that could be provided, dicaclive cloud to drift over ana ue- Continued from 26th Page ik, about 22 hours later, but in contrast to the heavy, snow-like fallout al Rongelap, the fallout at Utirik was de- scribed as ‘'mistlike.” There were 157 persons on the atoll considering budget limitations and posit fallout on several inhabitea al thal time. the isolation of the islands, atolls to the east,” Brookhaven’s 20The servicemop were evacuated from Rongerik within “The treatment we have given year review of the incident reported. - 36 hours, but it i two lo three days to completely eva-: these people is so far above what is The report of the Micronesian Leg- cuate (he Micron4sians from the other islands, according to “given on the other outer islands of islature said fireballs from the device the committee report, Micronesia, I feel proud of what we shot upward at a rate of about 300° The exposed people were taken by planes and Navy have done for them,” Conard said. “T “miles ner hour, rising in one minute to ships to Kwajalein for decontamination and medical evalhave a great deal of love and respect five miles. It was the biggest blast yet --uation. The people from Rongelap had skin burns, gasfor these people.” atlempled, carrying millions of toms treintestinal disturbances, hair loss and blood changes. The AEC later estimated that the Rongelapese hed reThe people of Utirik became skep- of Bikini recf into the air. Bravo's’ fission-fusion-fission ecived 175 rads of gamma radiation and the Utirikese 14 tical of the medical program when disease broke oul after Conard and a process also released an enormous _tads, The Utirik residents showed no signs of radiation innumber of olher Brookhaven special- quanlily of gamma and bela radiation, jury. (A rad is a measure of absorbed dosage, According to ists told thern they had nothing to which then began to fall downwind in one ERDA official, at 14 rads there would be no immediate worry about. “The people.of Utirik a cloud of white, gritty ash, The fallout landed on the flect of observable effects, but at 175 radg some biological changes should be able to choose their own doctor,” the chiefs and the people ships and the Lucky Dragon, which could be measured, such as a change in blood count. ne had strayed into the area in search of wrote Lo ERDA., (The lethal threshold 18 considered to be about 400 , However the compensation ques- fish. Within four to six hours, the failtion is resolved, there has been no out began to rain on Rongelap, where Tads, a point al which about half of the people exposed dispute that Lhe United States was al there were 64 people, and nearby Ail- would probably die in 30 days.) The island residents were not aware of the danger from ° fault and that a series of mistakes by ingnae with another 18. It also deposiled lesser amounts on ‘the fallout before being evacuated, so they absorbed radiaAEC and military personnel after the test compounded the islanders’ radia- Rongerix, where 28 servicemen had -tion internally by inhaling the fallout and ingesting taken up station with _moniloring - contaminated food and water. Uon exposure, Children, in particular, were found lo have recelved high During the predawn hours on equipment, ‘The men took cover ina metal hut, the Micronesian report dosages. The principal isotope at the early stage of the March 1, 1954, a fleet of ships, Joint said. , fallout was iodine 131, which accumulated in the islanders’ Task Force 7, was positioned 30 miles The cloud eventually reached Utir- thyroid glands. ’ of east of Bikini and 70 miles west Again, children were affected the most, some receiving Please Turn to Page 27, Col. £ Reongelap. thyroid doses of 700 to 1,400 rads, compared with 220 lo Despite what was apparently in490 for the adults, according to government reports. complete and conflicting weather -. The Utirik people were returned to their atoll in June of dala, the decision was made to detothat year, bulit Look lhree years before the people of Ronnate a hydrogen bomb, “Bravo,” on a gelap could return. tower on Bikini at 6:45 a.m. ét “The yield was about 17 megatons, bal? , . ’ ’ afte eet 1 wo “ +t es Wr intiirlt peel, * 3 * Lee