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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 5, 1950)
Path Open Bombs, etc. Tor lithium, Boron FBlChief lo TellSolons Story of Britirh A -Spy WASHINGTON, Feb. 4-(ff-Grave-faced lawmakers-anxious to plug any further leaks in atomic security today called J. Edgar Hoover to testify Monday after bearing first-hand that a trusted ' British scientist now an atomic spy suspect was free to , obtain "most vital weapons in f ormationJ The senate-house atomic com mittee asked the top G-man to .testify In closed session! as it .sought to learn from Lt Gen. Leslie R. Groves the size of the hole in America's atomic treas ure chest . Chairman McMahon (D-Conn) related to reporters that Groves, wartime head of the atomic pro ject, had told the congress mem iers that Scientist Klaus Fuchs had "access to a wide area of the most vital weapons information." .Groves indicated this included data on theprosposed hydrogen bomb.:-' : " "','"-;- ': Hoover already hast told a sen ate" appropriations group, ac cording to senators, that Fuchs became a paid Moscow agent in 1939. He was filtered into the English atomic setup after the war broke out. The physicist then worked his -way up to become a member of 'the British atomic mission to this country. Fuchs. was also present even at the assembly of an atomic bomb, according to this account The state board of higher edu cation last week granted the re quest of Oregon State college to offer a major in physical educa tion, previously assigned exclus ively to the state university. The board's decision was contrary to the recommendation of the chancellor,- Paul C. Packer who urged that the request be deferred until June, alnr .'-..'.tner proposca chaneee" aiso urgea a tighter po-w v- expansion of higher. education in anticipation of some drop in enrollments and difficulties as to.finance. - Th tat board accompanied Its decision with a long statement in which it noted the growin oi w state and defended certain dupli oatinn nf f nurses. It declared its policy would be to avoid "un necessary duplication but said it would "make its decisions on new rmirses and n6w curricula, re gardless of duplication, on the ba sis of facts, definitely proven npwi. and only after careful ' studv" As to the wisdom .of adding a major course In PE to OSC I have no oninion. Y.7 it does concern me is the role of, the chancellor in Oregon's higher institutional set up.. He is employed primarily as an educator with the specific duty of advising the board on educa tional policies, to a certain degree combining the role of policeman to maintain discipline among the institutions an6 diplomat to lu bricate the machinery of higher education. But when " the state board rejects the counsel of its chancellor, which is quite within its authority, where does that leave the chancellor? I am not concerned with Dr. Packer, but with the office. It is recalled that Chancellor Hunter " was likewise overridden by the (Continued on editorial page, 4) Paul Revere Fails to Ride , HENNIKER,f N.H., Feb. 4 -VPh Dobbin said "Nay," so Paul Re vere did not ride today. " , Paul, in the person of William Brisson of Salem,' Mass., - was scheduled to rouse the town for New England college' winter car nival. However, when the student, authentically garbed, attempted to mount, the horse would have none of the masquerade. - After repeated futile attempts, Brisson uit. " " v Maybe that's why the British, in the carnival's mock battle, cap tured Henniker. ?- Batliless Saturday In Rainier Due to Low Water Supply m RAINIER: Feb. 4-(P)-Mayor L. E. Odle of Rainier appealed today for a bathless Saturday because of the city's water shortage. At one time the city's reservoir was emptied, but today it got back to 25 per cent of the normal - amount and Odle said this as sured fire protection. ' Freezing of . the reservoir's in take brought about the situation, which the mayor said still was critical. He urged residents to use no more water than necessary. EGG PRICES TO RISE - PORTLAND, iFeb. 4 The major Portland dealers said today that they would increase the price of eggs 1 cent a dozen Monday: the first upswing in long declining egg prices. :j . - 933100 TOP HO I i v ' y . 'if ' " i J. EDGAR HOOV7 K Summoned by Solons McMahon said Groves told the atomic committee today that: (1) "He had no doubt as to Fuchs opportunity for knowing" vital information"; and (2) the British scientist was never sub jected to an American security check, having already been clear ed by his own government Scientists Ask Restriction on Use of H-Bomb NEW YORK. Feb. 4-WVTwelve top American scientists called to day for a solemn promise that the United States never will use the hydrogen bomb unless it is first employed against us or our allies. . The scientists, mostly 4-bomb menf said this country should de velop the bomb for one Reason only to prevent Its, being used. i ney, sounded two warnings: 1 Russia probably will have the . H-bomb ; in less than four years. - 2 The bomb ours or the Rus sians'will be much more pow erful than most estimates' have in-' dicated. A single H-bomb could wipe out New York or any other great city. Betrayal f Standards "It's use would be a . betrayal of all standards of morality and of Christian civilization itself." said the grovp, headed by the real father of the H-bomb, Dr. Hans A. Bethe of Cornell uni versity, who discovered how the sun makes its heat with hydrops. Despite the H-bomb's vast r X'- er, their statement said, this coun try could survive an H-bomb at tack and effectively strike, back. They said it will be difficult to stockpile the bombs because they probably must be liquid hydrogen at about 450 degrees fahrenheit below zero. The scientists said, "Even If the power were limited to 1,000 times that of a present atomic bomb. the step from an A-bomb to an H-bomb would be as great as that from an ordinary TNT bomb (blockbuster) to the atom bomb, they said. - , "No Nation Hit Right ; "We believej that no nation has the right to use such a i bomb, no matter how righteous its cause. This bomb is ho longer a weapon of war but a means of extermina tion of whole! populations." The statement said also that new efforts to outljaw all weapons of mass destruction should be made "in all sincerity from both sides Snow ISluie Flattens Janitor at Detroit School Statesman Society Editor IDANHA.; Feb. 4 John Wig gins, Detroit grade school Janitor, Is recovering from leg injuries suffered when .he was knocked down by a snow slide, from the school roof Thursday. ' A twd-f cot drift from the roof melted loose under the rays of a warm sun and swept Wiggins in its path. He was badly shaken and suffered leg bruises. ft ' Phone Strike Threats Doubling Up in Oregon; CIO Workers to Vote Soon Five thousand Oregon CIO tele phone girls, including those in the Salem area, will take a strike vote this week, but another strike, set for Wednesday may cripple the state's major telephone ex changes before the balloting is completed. . ( i The strike vote was ordered by the CIO Communications Work ers of America's Oregon division. It will be completed Saturday, four days after the deadline set for a strike by other telephone workers over the country. The union and the; company have not been -able to agree on an Oregon contract - " The strike scheduled for Wed nesday "jmay tie up telephones in Oregon, even though most work ers do riot walk out at that time. Installers and sales workers in the state members of a different union will strike at 6 a. m. Wed By Howard W. Blakeslee Associated Press Science Editor NEW YORK, Feb. 4 -A- The hydrogen bomb within a year, and what next? Will there be more, how soon, how much worse? What can we expect and what will be the limit?. 1 If the hydrogen bomb succeeds, the answer is there will be more. Because the hydrogen bomb taps a source that was supposed to exist only in the stars. . Once open that door, and the possibilities are endless. How fast will they comer lne nyarogen bomb is arriving ahead of the schedule which cautious scient ists set in their testimony before the U.S. senate four years ago. Scientists Cautions Five to ten years,, they said, without specifying what bomb. Can they be worse? The H bomb is said to be, at worst a thousand times more powerful than- the A-bomb. But a few com petent scientists said there was a possibility of bombs thousands of times more powerful. . They said this was remote. But now that one seems about to come true, there is new weight in their speculations. Ahead are the lithium bomb, the boron bomb and the annihilation bomb to name only those which are in the published records. All these belong to the light-weight chemical elements, in which scien tists expect to find most of their early bombs. You can add carbon bombs arid nitrogen bombs, and maybe beryllium, to amplify the light-weight possibilities. Match Gives Answer Why can these things be con sidered possible? The phosphor match, the kind you strike on your shoe, gives the answer. Coal and wood must be heated to hundreds of degrees before they will burn. The match ignites with the mild heat of friction, and then can communicate the heat to start the fire. In the world of nuclear bombs, all except two must be preheated like wood and coal. They must be heated to millions of degrees, with tons of pressure. The two exceptions are uranium and Plu tonium bombs. These are set off by cool neutrons no great heat required. These two are the phosphor matches, which science fears can set off the others. These two furnish the millions of degrees heat and pressures. The question is do the atomic "matches" blaze long enough. - What Is the limit? The annihil ation bomb. Annihilation means that the entire mass of atoms dis appears completely, changes into energy, . with nothing lert over. That is the reaction in which en ergy produced from a substance no bigger than a single pea could drive the Queen Elizabeth across the atlantic. . Occurs in Stars It is calculated that this re action really occurs in the hot centers of stars. A few scientists think they have seen it in lab oratories, but they aren't sure. The annihilation bomb will give one thousand times more energy per pound than the present A bomb. But the 1000 here is mis leading. Nature which sets off A bombs while they are cool, also set a limit on how much can ba exploded. Then is no known limit on annihilation. Such a bomb could go to thousands or millions more. ) It is reasonable to suppose that annihilation will not be achieved on earth. But it is no longer safe to, comfort yourself with dreams that men won't make the bigger bombs. Fire Destroys Rickreall Car DALLAS, Feb. 4 An automo bile owned by Larry Fitzwater, Rickreall, was completely destroy ed by fire early Saturday while parked at his residence. Cause of the blaze was unknown. Dallas volunteer firemen, who answered the call, said the car was a total loss. -i Firemen had their troubfes, too. While enroute to the fire a 8 by 20 foot tarpaulin was lost from one of the trucks. A reward is be ing offered for its return. Lookout Tower Falls, Victim of Cold Weather MOLALLA, Feb. 4 -OF)- The Goat mountain fire lookout tower 17 miles east of here has fallen victim to the cold winter. District. Fire Warden George Bunke said the 80-foot structure had collansed under the weight of snow and ice. nesday, and have announced they plan to picket major exchanges (including Salem) and try to jam the dial system. In Salem, CIO, phone union of ficials said Saturday night that in stallers' union picket, .lines would be respected by members of their union. The refusal ofNa targe number of Salem- telephone workers , to cross picket lines would cripple long distance calls, but would not affect normal dial phone service unless, a dial-jamming move were tried or unless maintenance : re pairs were neededV ' WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 President Joseph A. Beime of the CIO Communications Workers said today that a nationwide strike of Bell .Telephone workers set for Wednesday now seems in evitable. - 2 SECTIONS Ice Coated Duck Thawed Out' by Salem Resident The plight of thousands of Willamette valley wildfowl was pointed up here Saturday morn ing by an ice-coated wild duck found on Claude street in a resi dential area by N. D. Lindsey. Lindsey saw the starved be draggled bird, unable to fly, lying across the street from his residence at 2365 Claude st He said as he approached it the duck came at him with mouth open. Its wings were evidently iced from Friday night's ice storm. He took the bird into his home and thawed it out and fed it Lindsey has it in a bird cage and intends to turn it loose as soon as the weather outside becomes fit for ducks. Head-On Crash Sends Two to Local Hospital A head-on collision, blamed to Saturday morning's icy highways, sent two valley residents to Salem General hospital. The injured were Mrs. Alta Mead, 57, Hubbard, fractured right arm, fractured kneecap and chest injuries; and Ruth Betts, Lebanon, bump on head. The Lebanon woman was released after treat ment . Ernest Mead, Hubbard, driver of a southbound Chrysler 'coupe, told state police his car went out of control on the icy pavement about a mile north of the under pass in north Salem. The car skid ded into the path of an auto driv en by Robert Joseph Moersch, Lebanon. . .Both ' cars were extensively damaged in the crash which oc curred at 9:30 am. Watson Faces Prosecution In California Marion Watson, Oregon state hospital escapee captured recently in Stockton, Calif, will not be re turned to Oregon but will be prosecuted in California. California authorities indicated that Watson will be committed to a. California hospital for the cri minally insane, Marion County Sheriff Denver Young said Sat urday. Oregon has released its hold oh Watson, who is a Califor nia resident said Sheriff Young. Watson, who with three other convicts escaped from the crimi nal insane ward at the state hos pital here last December 2, was captured in Stockton, Calif., Janu ary 30. AH four of the convicts have now been captured. Origi nally Watson was committed to Oregon state hospital Oct 19, 1948, from Oregon City on a rob bery. counts Jeicelry Store Mistaken for Vacant Lot FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Feb. 4-(P)-Troy Mayo pushed his way, along through Ice and fog at 4 o'clock this morning. The weight of the four foot log on his shoulder was getting excruciatingly heavy. So he tossed it to one side of the walk. The sound of shattering glass clattered bark st him. H flprf. Later tke 25-Vear-old laborer gave himself up to police, who said the owner of a jewelry store took a dim I view of the addition to his windowless gem store. Mayo of fered In explanation: I thought it was a vacant lot." Beime said in a statement that there is no sign of progress in bargaining and. that federal me diation efforts also have been un successful so far. The union has called out 100,000 workers effective at 6 a. m. local time Wednesday. It is expected that some 200,000 others who are bound by contract against formal ly striking before March 1, will refuse to cross the picket lines. NEW YORK, Feb. 4-CP)-West-ern Electric company installation workers, 11,000 strong, threaten ed today to join ' the nationwide telephone strike set for next Wed nesday morning. Their union, division 8 of the CIO Communications Workers of America, said the . walkout would take place unless a wage dispute is settled. ' 83th YEAR Thaw Leaves Sea 34 PAGES Storm Sewers' Clogged The warm front which brought grief to the entire northwest in the form of freezing rain Friday night and Saturday morning, knuckled down to some honest-to-goodness thawing early Satur day and the area's coating of ice and snow was rapidly being slushed off. . Mercury in Salem reached a high of 45 degrees Saturday af ternoon, breaking a long succes sion of below freezing and often below zero days. The warm-up, however, tusned the entire mid Willamette area into a virtual sea of slush by Saturday night Freezing rain which had coated everything with a - half inch ' of ice by dawn Saturday, turned to just rain when the temperature climbed above the 32 mark be fore noon. Continued thawing was forecast for today. Patrol Keeps on Duty The thaw added new duties to the weather-harried city engineer crews, Slush clogged catch basins and kept several men busy through the day keeping them clear. A patrol is to be on duty throughout the week end to keep an eye on possible surface flood ing from the melting snow. Salem power and telephone companies had apparently weath ed the short-lived silver thaw without much damage. Dallas, however, was without power for a half hour at noon Saturday when ice-weighted lines shorted, breaking two high voltage circuits at the main substation. In Salem a transformer went out on Fil more street but was immed iately ; repaired. Cold Spell Over For most of the northwest the bitter month-plus cold spell was over. Only valleys in eastern Ore gon and. eastern Washington may A "state of emergency was or dered Saturday in Aberdeen. Wash., after two municipal reser voirs went completely dry. Breaks in the city's ice-clogged water mains brought on the 'crisis. Per sons leaving faucets open to pre vent freezing were subject to ar rest (Aberdeen story details on page 2.) Traffic began to move again out of Portland after , Friday night's blizzard had marooned many automobiles, slowed rail traffic and erased airlines sched ules. (Blizzard details on page 2.) Flights to and from Portland were all cancelled Saturday, but were expected to be resumed today. One United Airlines flight terminated at Salem's McNary field. All others were cancelled at point of origination or were flying on to Seattle. Thieves Strip Liquor Store TROUTDALE, Feb. 4 -(JPh The state liquor store was nearly emp tied of liquor by thieves last night The robbery was discovered this morning. The store's shelves were nearly bare. . An inventory was underway to determine the loss. Cases in 3 Cities All in Day's Work For Judge Kimmell Old-time circuit-riding judges had nothing on Marion County Circuit Judge Rex Kimmell, who recently established 'something of a record in speedy legal circling. Judge Kimmell, who ordinarily doesn't go in for jet-propelled jus tice, managed to clear three cases in three separate circuit courts in three different counties in one day last week. u xirst of all tie completed a three-day civil suit in Marion county circuit court Friday morn ing. At noon he left for McMinn ville, where he heard a contempt proceedings. Four o'clock found the rambling justice in Oregon taty wrapping up a criminal case. ne return ea nome at 7:3u o -clock, stabled his horse and took off his spurs or rather he gar aged his car and went into supper. Max. Mia. Precip. i It J2 -30 13 Jl S3 46 132 .40 II .00 42 . S M Salem Portland San Francisco Chicago - New York WUIiamctte river 3 feet. FORECAST (from U.S. weather bu reau, ,McNary field, Salem): Cloudy today with local clearing tonight. Pos sible light showers today. High today 45-48. Low tonight 26-2A. ,- . SALEM PRECIPITATION This Year 27-9 Last Year 22.94 Normal 23.46 The Oregon Statesman, Salem, Oregon, of If IM Lewis Rejects Truman-s Russians End Blockade on Truck Traffic BERLIN, Feb. 4 -(V The Rus sians dropped their "little block ade" of truck traffic . today at Helmstedt In aif official state ment tonight they said it was imposed to combat smuggling. After two weeks of slow-down tactics, Soviet guards threw the zonal frontier wide open and waved through trucks bound from West Germany to Berlin at rates up tojone a minute. "Come on, come on," they shouted. . The break came as the United States, British and French au thorities discussed possible coun ter measures. The official Soviet statement on why the blockade was lifted did not refer to these conferences. But the Russians learned in the 1948-49 blockade that an allied counter blockade could hurt The U. S. state de partment said this week that a new counter blockade was under consideration. The Soviet-licensed news agen cy ADN distributed a statement by Maj. Gen. Alexander Kotikov, the Berlin commandant replying to a protest by the western allies over interference with truck traf fic on the super highway. His statement declared: Smuggling activity was the pri mary reason behind the stringent measures imposed - at Helmstedt that choked truck traffic. At least 268 cases of smuggling had been uncovered at Helmstedt in- the past three months. Dimes Drive at $9,000; Final Week Starts Marion county's March of Dimes has collected a total of more than $9,000 as it goes into the final weather-plagued week of its fund drive to fight poliomyelitis. Last large public events in Sa lem will ibe the Elks-sponsored dance at Crystal Gardens on Tues day night; and the amateur box ing card pt the armory on Wed nesday night The fights are spon sored by Capital post 9, American Legion. The talent show will appear In Mt Angel on Monday night; Woodburn, Tuesday; Mill City, Wednesday, and Silverton on Fri day night Coin collectors, receipts of school funds, and parking meter takes will be collected Fndayi S DIE IN C-47 CRASH SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Feb. 4 -JP)- Three U.S. air force men two officers ana a sergeant were killed in the crash of a C-47 transport plane into the sea 50 yards off the Puerto Rican coast last night. Two bodies were re covered. 1 MASS FLIGHT TO CUBA PORTLAND, Feb. 4 -(JF)- Port land's mass flight to Havana, Cu ba, will start a month from today, with some 250 private pilots and passengers expected to join in. Weather Blamed for Decrease In Activity at Bred Gilt Sale - By Lillie L. Madsen Farm Editor. The Statesman Weather was reflected in the fifth annual bred gilt sale, of the Oregon Swine Growers held Sat urday at the state fairgrounds. The 24 animals brought only $2, ,150 for an average of $89.58 in comparison to last year's 33 bred gilts which v averaged $123.18. In 1948, there were 46 sold at $125.92 average. The Marion County Live stock association was joint spon sor with the Swine Growers as sociation in the sale. Try as he would, H. J. McMur ray of Council Bluffs, Iowa, auc tioneer, could pun only indiffer ent bids from most of those at tending. Even the heated barn could not warm the ringside up to bidding. Only seven' animals brought $100 or more. Highest price was $127.50, paid by Neal Elliott of Lakeview for a Hamp shire consigned by Lyle- McKin ley & Son of Shedd. McKinley Is president of the Oregon Swine Sunday, February 5. 1950 Slush in Presidential Advisors Draft Order to Authorize Emergency Injunction Use WASHINGTON, Feb. 4-P-Two top presidential advisers said tonight that President Truman will invoke the Taft-Hartley act against John L. Lewis unless his soft coal miners return to the pits Monday. '. , J" :v,: The two officials, in separate interviews, said the United Mine Workers chief had left the chief executive no alternative but the use of the act which he i has sought to repeal. Presidential advisors are al ready at work on the draft of a presidential order. - Earlier in the day Lewis spumed Mr. Truman's plan to end the mounting coal crisis with a fact finding board. This immediately set sff rum ors that a' nationwide mineNctrike would get under way on Mo; Neither of the white house mates who outlined the whi house plans would be quoted by name. They said that the president would act unless their is an un, expected return to the coal mines by the UMW "members. Means Rejection Late today the white house an nounced that Lewis' answer "is construed as a rejection", of the president's proposals. In turning down the president's Offer to' name a three-man board to investigate the coal situation while normal production is re sumed, Lewis said his 400.000 miners were dead set against plac ing their wages and working con ditions in the hands of "three strangers' no matter how well ln tentioned they might be. -.,' ; Coal operators and miners alike predicted that but little coal would be dug next week. Order for' Walkoat John D. Battle,, executive vice president of the national coal as sociation, said reports . from the mine fields indicated- that the "wink or the nod" for a walkout had already been given by Lewis. In using the Taft-Hartley law Mr. Truman would have to first decide that a national emergency exists. Heretofore he has held that such a condition does not exist. Then he can seek an 80-day In junction against the union while a fact finding board makes a study of the situation and reports to him. One of the two presidential ad visers said tonight: "This situation has now got us worried .and we will have to take action as soon as possible. Earliest Report - "The president will seek the earliest report that a board can make." This official, In close, contact with developments, said he had "grave doubts" whether Lewis would send the miners back to work on Monday. . Mr. Truman had originally pro posed to set up a fact finding board apart from the Taft-Hartley law. He had suggested that the min ers return to normal digging while that board made an investigation andT came up with recommenda tions for settlement. Either the union or the operators would have been able to accept or reject the report But Lewis voiced suspicions. Only One Choice In cryptic terms, the United Mine Workers leader contended that the board's findings would leave his union with but one choice to accept or face a Taft- Hartley act injunction against a strike. And he hinted broadly that such an injunction would bring on a work slowdown. Growers association. , -' ' Consigners were ' .given the choice, when It was noted how low bids were starting, of setting the opening bid. A number took advantage of the arrangement ana set the start at $100 and when no offers were made withdrew the animals. ... ' ,- Two Yorkshires brought $317.50 for the highest average, with the three Hampshires sold bringing $295, to average $98.35. More Dur ocs were sold than' of ny one other breed. Other breeds repre sented' were Spotted Polands, Ber shires. Hampshires. York shires, Herefords, Chester Whites, Poland Chinas and Minnesota iso, 1. Dick' Barnes. Silverton, clerked the sale with those assisting in the sales ring including H. A Barnes, Frank Doerfler, T. R. Hobart, El mer Ridder and Anthol Riney, the latter Marion County 4-H club director. (Additional details page ,5) No. 332 WgMey Peace Plan '50-orElse -WASHINGTON. Feb. 4 -(V Senator Taft (R-Ohio) said to-' night that unless the republicans' make substantial gains, in this year's congressional electlonr there's no much use in lookinc to '52." Taft, GOP policy leader In the senate, said the Truman adminia- tration wili probably i be able to enfict much of its welfare program if the 1950 elections bring Ma con gress mat is any more radical than the present one." Once the nation Is embarked on ' such ' a program, he said in a ' speecn before the Young Repub- -lican National federation, it will . be very difficult to. turn back from ' xne concept of -a totalitarian gov ernment directing the whole lives ' oi our people. ' "Unless we win In 50,'I dont V know , that there's much use to . battling In "S?,- Taft said. . se ,: on . . - - .... - - V A-Partnership LONDON. Feb. 4-JPVPnKi I leaders fretted today over the pos sibility that Britain's latest atomic ' spy case may torpedo chances for PRICE 10c Taft Says GOP Must Win in Atom Spy Ga Casts Doubt a run exchange of atomic secrets with the United States and Canada. The case broke vesterdar whnTV 38-year-old Dr. Klaus Emil Julius Fuchs, described as the master-: mind of Britain's only atomic en ergy plant, was arraigned on' charges of giving away U. S. atom ic secrets in 1945 and 1947. - Some' United States senators Im mediately demanded that Britain be denied any further secret atomic information developed by Ameripan research. There was no official comment on the case in London. Normally cooperative spokesmen for all gov ernment departments frcm Scot land Yard to Prime Minister Art- lee s office shut up like clams at politicians expressed alarm pri vately over the possibility the case may cause the United States to, turn down Britain's bid for freer exchange of atomic knowledge. The two nations have been talk- Intf A1A1 fvAa Avtnanffa. tn w v a. tAvuaugc; w us vail- ada for several months. The best authoritative inf orrriation here is ; that Britain does not have the atomic bpmb. She does, however, have atomic piles for research, operated by the government's min istry of supply. Yank Skyward Leaves AtlantW Bov Unhurt - J . i - ATLANTA, Feb. 4-C5VGeorg Reid, 14, was tossed 50 feet into , the air today without serious In- -' jury. : He was yanked skyward and r dropped at the highest point mm . he clung to a mile-long utility cable being hoisted atop new steel towers.-. ' i j - " Doctors first thought he had a broken hip but later found only bruises. They released him-aflefj ' emergency treatment. , " V , Three 14-year-olds were bitch Ing rides on the cable as a crew with a power winch erected it. They would hang on a few feet and let go, but George's grip "froze" In ' fright Despite his companion's screams, he held onto "the cable until it reached the tower top. A splice or -some other obstacle broke his grip , and he came hurtling down. : The cable had no current in it. George said it went up so fast T "I got scared, I couldn't . turn , loose." . :