m NOME NUGGET
, OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
- .. — • - i ■ i
VOL. LXII No. 28 NOME, ALASKA, FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 1960 Per Copy 15*
_ - — ... --— ■ —
Atomic Energy Commission Team
Arrives In Alaska to Visit Villages
To Allay Fears of “Chariot” Blast
JUNEAU, UP!—The Atomic En
ergy Commission’s “Project Cha
riot”—a plan to make a huge ex
cavation on the Arctic coast with
an atomic blast — will be under
study for at least another year.
Representatives of the commis
sion arrived here Thursday on
their way to a tour of villages
in northwest Alaska.
The three-man team planned to
talk with village councils from
Kotzebue to Barrow. Their hope
is to allay fears, expressed by
some of the predominantly native
population, that the project might
be dangerous to life in the re
mote, sparsely populated Arctic.
The project is part of “Opera
tion Plowshare,” the AEC’s pro
gram for peaceful use of nuclear
energy.
'New Engineering Tool'
The proposed blast, near Cape
Thompson on the Chukchi Sea
north of Kotzebue, was described
by the AEC delegation as a study
to find a “new engineering tool.”
They said the object will be to
learn whether nuclear materials
can be used effectively in “crater
ing.” An original plan to blast
out a usable harbor in the area
has been abandoned as unfeasible.
R. L. Southwick said the AEC
Committee on Environmental Stu
dies for the project has deter
mined further studies are needed
of radiation and other factors
connected with the proposed
blast.
Accordingly, plans are under
way for about 50 scientists and
technicians from universities, re
search institutions and federal
agencies to participate in research
work next summer. A similar pro
gram was carried out last sum
mer.
Southwick was accompanied by
Russell H. Ball and Charles L.
Weaver. Dr. Robert Rausch of the
Arctic Health Research Center is
scheduled to join the three on
their tour of N.W. Alaska com
munities after a meeting at An
chorage.
Their itinerary includes Nome,
Kotzebue, Noatak, Kivalina, Point
Hope, Point Lay, Barrow and
Shishmaref.
Change in Plans
The AEC team announced a
change in the type of explosion
which would be detonated. The
new plans call for five simultan
eous detonations—one charge of
200-kiloton intensity and four of
20 kilotons.
Originally, the plan called for
two 200-kiloton explosions and
three of the 20-kiloton variety.
In any case, the blast would be
the largest ever conducted for the
peaceful use of atomic energy.
Southwick said the new plan
will permit a study of the pos
sible use of atomic materials to
blast long, narrow excavations
such as canals.
About 90 per cent of the radio
activity from the explosions is
“virtually guaranteed” to be con
tained in the earth. The detona
tions will occur several hundred
feet under the earth’s surface, the
visitors said. That, they added,
will assure a wide safety margin
on the dispersion of radioactive
debris.
Southwick said the project’s en
vironmental studies committee
has recommended the detonation
be made in the spring, in March
or April. The committee found
that season best because few
birds are in the area, most small
animals and plants are under
snow cover and weather and day
light conditions good. Moreover,
the committee determined radio
active debris from the blast would
be flushed from the frozen land
scape by the spring runoff if the
blast is detonated in March or
April.
Lucille and Dezi,
Married 19 Years,
File for Divorce
HOLLYWOOD, UP)—Lucille Ball
and Desi Arnaz, television’s most
popular married couple, are in
the divorce courts today.
The red - haired comedienne,
often called the greatest feminine
clown, sued her Cuban tycoon in
nearby Santa Monica yesterday.
Her charge was the usual Holly
wood complaint—mental cruelty.
Her action confirmed a fact
which had been well known in
the movie colony for months. In
her suit, she said th^ couple sep
arated Feb. 26, 1959, after 19
years and three months of mar
ried life.
During the year of separation,
the two denied any rift in the
marriage. One close friend ex
plained why:
“The Desilu television empire
is so vast that it’s taken a team
of Philadelphia lawyers a year to
work out a settlement. There was
nothing else they could do but
deny that there was a break-up.”
The two even filmed several
“I Love Lucy” shows together in
that time.
Arnaz, at 43, five ye^rs young
er than his wife, has been living
in Palm Springs. Miss Ball has
been living in the couple’s Bever
ly Hills mansion with their two
children.
New York City In
Grip of Winter’s
Most Vicious Storm
NEW YORK, (jT)—Winter’s most
vicious storm—the wort in many
years for some areas—piled up
mountainous snowdrifts and stag
gered the activities of millions in
the northeastern states today.
As it swept through the north
east with the same fury previous
ly unleashed on much of the
country, it left a trail of at least
94 deaths across the country.
Thousands of schools were
closed. Hundreds of businesses
were forced to shut down. Auto,
bus, rail and air travel was hit
hard. Stalled cars, many buried
under mounting drifts, dotted
roads and highways and made
snowplow work difficult.
The storm began to let up
around dawn today after a 24
hour siege in the New York City
area, one of the hardest hit. But
millions of New Yorkers, who
went through a grim struggle to
get home from work late yester
day, faced almost equal troubles
trying to get back on the job
today.
Crowds far greater than could
be handled sought to board buses
and subways. To add to the diffi
culties, parts of all three New
York subways were out of oper
ation during the morning rush
hours.
Senate Continues
Consideration Of
Egan’s ESC Bill
JUNEAU, IIf\—A renewed drive
to levy unemployment compensa
tion taxes on total wages was
foreseen today as the Alaska Sen
ate continued consideration of
jobless pay.
The Senate was expected to re
sume consideration of amend
ments to Gov. Egan’s Employ
ment Security bill. Various pro
poses changes were hashed over
in an open caucus yesterday.
The caucus was called after
the upper house voted yesterday
to accept the Egan bill as a start
ing point toward curing the state’s
ailing jobless insurance fund.
Put aside by the Senate was a
proposed committee substitute for
the Egan bill. The Egan bill puts
a $7,200 ceiling on taxable wages,
while the substitute called for
taxation of total wages.
Henry Hedberg of Anchorage, a
spokesman for the State Federa
tion of Labor, released a letter to
eight senators yesterday renew
ing the Federation’s support of
the total-wage provision.
Sentiment in the caucus ap
peared generally opposed to the
governor’s proposal that the max
imum payment to out-of-state
claimants be reduced to $15 from
the $25 limit now applying to all
claimants.
Suggest Nome As
Port of Entry For
Russian Planes
An invitation to the people of
Russia to enter North America
the easiest and shortest way, has
been suggested by City Clerk Bob
Scott, and is now under consider
ation by civic bodies in the com
munity.
Although Americans are not al
lowed to cross the Iron Curtain
into Siberia or Russia via Alaska,
there is not believed to be any re
striction that could stop Russian
planes from landing at Nome to
discharge passengers who then
could leave here daily by Wien or
Alaska Airlines for any place in
the world.
It is planned to send the invita
tion directly to Nikita S. Khrush
chev, premier of the Supreme
Soviet Republic, suggesting that
he be among the first to inaugu- .
rate the new route from Russia
and see for himself the economic
value of the plan.
Decision to Deactivate
Whittier Base Not Final
WASHINGTON, (/PI — No final
decision on deactivation of the
Army-owned and operated Whit
tier, Alaska, port facilities has
been made, Sen. Bartlett said yes
terday.
Bartlett said he was informed
by Gen. Lemnitzer, Army Chief
of Staff, that the two top mili
tary commanders in Alaska have
endorsed an Army shutdown at
Whittier.
“There have been proposals from
the Alaska Railroad, the state and
private interests who might wish
to take over the ice-free, deep
water port,” Bartlett said.
Lemnitzer told Bartlett the pro
posals are under study.
WEATHER FORECAST
Continued cloudy and colder
with fog and light snow. Lowest
temperature expected tonight 0,
the high tomorrow 20.
Legislative Session At
Two-Thirds Mark Today
JUNEAU, (J’l—The Alaska Leg
islature reached the two - thirds i
mark today in its scheduled 60- i
day session.
While there is no constitutional
limit on how long the session can
last leaders are still hoping for
adjournment March 24.
Gov. Egan signed four more
bills yesterday, bringing to 18 the
number which have cleared both
houses and won his approval.
One of the bills repeals a $10,000
bonus for the discovery of ura
nium, authorized in 1951 but
never collected.
Another authorizes the Legisla
tive Council to revise statutes and
act as the Alaska agency for co
operation with the Council of
State Governments.
A third sets procedures for the
service of process in civil actions
involving non-resident motorists.
The fourth provides for the is
suance of substitute 'birth certifi
cates to legitimize births.
Bronson Suggests
Guns Keep Reds
Out of Bering Sea
JUNEAU, W)—A resolution ask
ing that the United States patrol
its continental shelf with armed
vessels to keep Russian fishing
ships away was introduced in the
Alaska Legislature yesterday.
The memorial by Sen. Lester
Bronson would declare the shelf
of limits to all nations.
“Were American fishermen to
fish as close to Russian territory
as Soviet fishermen do to Alaskan
territory,” said Bronson, “they
would be summarily interred by
the Soviet Union without further
ado.”
The memorial said American
fisheries “are in danger of serious
depletion through uncontrolled
exploitation by Soviet high seas
fishing fleets.”
Senate Votes to Tax Illegal
Slot Machines $250 A Year
JUNEAU, —The Alaska Sen
ate voted yesterday to slap a $250
annual license fee on slot ma
chines, which are illegal under
state law.
The bill, which provides fees
of $50 to $125 for other kinds of
coin-operated amusement devices,
now goes to the House. A fee for
penny gum machines was stricken
out.
The Senate debated a bill to
continue the veterans’ loan pro
gram, but did not reach a vote.
The House passed the bill earlier.
The $1,200,000 veterans’ loan fund
was created in 1949.
Sen. R. J. McNealy told the
Senate he felt the act “had pretty
well served its purpose.” Sen.
Seaborn J. Buckalew said there
was “no rhyme nor reason why
veterans shouldn’t be readjusted
by now.”
Sen. Irene Ryan said she felt the
program fills a need. She called
attention to another House bill
which would extend loan privil
eges to veterans who entered the
service from other states but have
lived in Alaska for 10 years.
A proposal that funds be ap
propriated to publish the full pro
ceedings of Alaska’s 1955-56 Con
stitutional Convention met objec
tions from the Senate Finance
Committee. The committee recom
mended that the bill, introduced
earlier this week, be scrapped.
Estimates of the cost ran around
$50,000.
Psychiatrist Says
Alaska Program
‘Going Backward’
ANCHORAGE, UR — Alaska’s
state government is more con
cerned with the spoils system
than with care of its mental pa
tients, Dr. J. Ray Langdon, state
psyhiatrist in Anchorage, charged
in a letter of resignation to Paul
Winsor, Commissioner of Health
and Welfare.
“I have attempted since I have
been in Alaska to point out and
discuss these difficulties on nu
merous occasions within the de
partment but have met with re
peated rebuffs so that it is evi
dent that I can be of little further
assistance in the mental health
program,” wrote Langdon yester
day.
He worked with Alaska's men
tal patients at Morningside Hos
pital in Portland, Ore., for nearly
two years before coming to An
chorage two years ago.
“When I left Morningside Hos
pital to come to Alaska it was
with the hope and anticipation
that a forward - looking mental
health program was under way
. . . unfortunately instead of pro
gress there seems little evidence
that the mental health situation
in Alaska is doing anything but
going backward.”
Mistakes “seem to be taking
place not through sheer lack of
knowledge but from cynical dis
regard for the needs of the pa
tients in favor of a spoils system
type of operation,” he declared.
He also censured the division of
mental health for “refusing to
keep the general public in
formed.”
An example of this, said Lang
don, “is the failure to notify the
public of our inability to activate
the contract for use of the psy
chiatric unit in the Anchorage
ANS Hospital.”
“It is my feeling that the lead
ership in the state government
and within the division of mental
health is largely unconcerned
with the needs of Alaska’s men
tally ill and that within a few
years if the present policies con
tinue Alaska will be notorious for
its mishandling of its mental
health program,” he declared.
Fire Destroys Big
Fish Cannery
Near Seldovia
SELDOVIA, UP) — A fire that
raged unchecked throughout the
afternoon and into the night de
stroyed the big Seldovia - Port
Graham Consolidated Fish Can
nery, one of Alaska’s oldest can
neries, today.
Vance Sutter, president of the
Fidalgo Island Packing Co. said
in Seattle that from reports he re
ceived from the scene he esti
mated damage would run be
tween $500,000 and $750,000.
Sutter said the entire cannery,
including warehouses and out
buildings, was valued at about
a million dollars. He said a “sub
stantial” amount of the loss would
be covered by insurance.
It was not known how the fire
started.
The cannery was built in 1912
and operated every year since.
Port Graham, an Indian village
of some 250 persons during the
off - season but a bustling com
munity during the fishing season,
lies at the tip of the Kenai Pen
insula, 150 miles southwest of An
chorage.