Manhattan District History; Book VIII - Los Alamos Project (Y); Volume 1 - General

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This volume of the Manhattan Engineer District History has been prepared to give a concise account of the non-scientific part of the nyn Project (the Project at Los Alamoe, New ~ 4ey.ico), from its inception through 1946, at which tin1e the Atomic Energy Commission assumed control. It is intended that this •upplement the technical history, whioh 1fill be tound in Volwne 2 ot thi• book. The ultimate achievement• pertorm•d at Project •J" are well knolm. Little ma7 be said adding to this pag• ot w:orld history. It ia the purpose ot this record to present. the .tact• ot construction, orcanization and personnel and ot various problema faced and ~, by th• group ot people who were responsible for aaeistina in the final accomplishment ot the task set for .Loe Alamos - the atatietica and f aeta behind One ot the cbief ditticultiea in securing data for thi• volume operations ot the Project. Many ot the transactions were carried on orall7 to insure secrec7, and thus no written record was preser..,.d. In other instance•, data were deetro7ed to further protect th• eecret. ot the bo!!'.b. Thia complete secrecy was one of the moat amazing aspect• ot the entire program, but it produced one ot the obetaclee hardest to hurdle when at.tempting to piece the ~tory together tor hietoric&l Fortunatel7, man,. ot the persona involved in the founding of Los perience, and could authenticate events by the tew records existing, Their assistance and cooperation were invaluable.

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wae neceesary to deYel.op and teat the atomic bomb under the supervision ot the Manhattan District. For securit7 reuona the project wu known which wall chosen, after investigation by proper authorities, waa near ot Calitornia wa. aelected ae contracto~or the ad!n.1nietration ot th• ed before a New Mexico location waa fin&lly decided upoh. Then tne poseibilitiff of variou• alternate •it.. in New Mexico were inveatigated b7 discuased with Dr. Oppenheim.er. Th• toe Alamos Ranch School, Otowi, th• lortb central portion ot lft Mexico.: Santa Pe is about twenty air miles trom the site; Santa FfJ ia alao the railhead tor a branch ot th• route• from highwa1 No. 285 give acceae to the Project. The shorter route is via State Righwa7 Jo. 4a Thi• road ie secondary in construction, and subject to inundation whioh at timee makee vehicle travel impossible.

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The longer route, State Highwa7 No. 5, through Eepanola, hae better alignment and surface than the 'route via Highway Nol 4. 'l'raffic is oecaaionall.7 interrupted b7 high water, but not so frequently a.a on the shorter route. the State Highway r epartment baa constructed a first cla10 highwa7 from the junction of No. 4 and No. 5, to the Post. From th• Technical area ot the Project to the Plaza. at Santa Fe via the shorter route is about 35 milesJ via the longer it ie 45 miles. 'ftlere is ai.o an unLl:iproTed road· trom the West gate to the Project via Vall• '1'wo thirds of th• reservation is a rather flat benchland be.twen the Rio Grande and ths Jemez Mountains. The other th.ird includes the type can,ona. Two original properties (Los Alamos Raneμ School and Anchor Rarich) had g5 eetablished buildings,, man7 ot which could be of War directed th~ acquisition ot the land required b7 th• Office ot the Chief of Engineers. Th• Secretal'7 of Agriculture granted authorit.7 on g April l94J, for ruse of 45,100 acres of federally owned land, subject to certain provisions of fire prevention and control. Gra:dn~ permits in this area .were withdrawn. The privately owned land wae either purchased or condemned b7 aut hority contained in th• 2nd War Powors Act. In order to speed up the transaction, Declaration of Taking proeeedir111 were instituted llhich eliminate~ any title defects and gav• the

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Government immediate acquisition without direct negotiation with the owners. Appraisals were made as required by law, baaed upon factors af'f ecting market valuett and prevailing pric ea for comparAble land. There wer• a few objector• to the pricee of!ered by the Government; however, sixteen stipulatione were ~ecured, in<lieating that the prices were caueed b7 the Bandelier National. Momunent and an Indian Sacred ~A.U Ground bordering the southeastern portion.· Th• right to start sUJ'Y.ying the Loa Alamoe Ranch school area wae granted on 23 Novembsr 1942, and this greatly f'acilita~ed early construction. Although still sem• queetion aa to the extent of U.S. j uriadiction. A required are~ ot 54,000 ~cru was origilli'tll7 estimated, this wu War t epartunt; 6 aer.. acqui:red tor the power line right ot w&y acrose private l•nd, and state land. lease waa 4414,971.00 1 in contraet t.o the original appraisal estimate o-r 4. Deeign and fingineering,• Th• superrlsion ot design ana 1944 when it was assumed by the Manhattan Engin~er foistriot. The firm of w. c. Kruger, Arehit~ct-Engineer, had been selected under the

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Albuqu9rque !'iatrict and continued its work atter tbia transfer wae made. Thie firm maintained a competent eta.ft and was advantageously located in Santa Fe. Their teea were proportional to thoae for other work done tor the Albuquerque Engineer Diatrict, on other projeete. In t eeember 1945, Black and Veatch were engaged tor ut.ilit.7 deeigrdnc and engineering. '!h.e conatruetion plan tor the n• poet wu to pron~ Engin••r, ha• received 1743,706.68 through 1946. Black and Veatch wu sup•rvie•d all coutruct.ion work until 1.5 llareb 1944 (with one exception, matel;r, en additional 130,400,000 in buUdina to the end ot 1946. 11. ¥ . Sundt wae selected to begin construction, and inaemuch ae this f1rm aleo had plumbing, .ieotrical and paintina departmente, it waa the onl7 awarded the road buil~ing contract.

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important. In general, all road• follow•d the natural land contour, with aa little bridging and cut and till &• po•aible. A bituminoua surtacin& material wae used in moat instance•. Atter Sundt Construction Company had completed ita contract• tor and itwae thouaht. th&\ Project coutruction er... (Foree Account) could with the ettorts ot the opeTating contractor, requiring work at. odd hours1 .~ with considerable interruption. It wae aleo believed •~urit7 could be better maintained with auch forces on certain job1. The Force Account work wu divided into nn conatruction, maintenance, and operation.

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n.t neceaarr to eupplement enlisted pereonn*1 witb civiliau, u collbat between th• Jlil1t&17 and cirllian personnel, and when larger n'fJllben ot for experimental work.

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A gen•rating plant wae conatructed and enlarged ••Y•·ral timea, with nead hiab tenaion lili.. to tranatorm•r atatio!UI. Grandt Vall..,, nth a 1,000,000 gallon •ttoraa.• tank ancl a t~l'-"17 larl7 in 1946, plane wer• initiated to bring a natural gae lin• into

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th• Project. All new housing ia _on this line and eventuall.7 all cookinc and heatini in standard housing will uae thi• tu•li the natural ga• will protrleu were unique, and hindered prou••• to a degr••· Conatnction Tbe total coat ot the Project,,.. 1,7,880,000; whioh inel•M one of the Zia Co11pan7•1 responaibilitiee, but part.a ot th••• tunctiona were administered by th• Operating Contractor until February 1946. Rent•

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tor houan and ~- apartment. are baaed on annual incomff and ranged troa tor utilitiea nre made. Utllit7 rat.ea tor other quarten ftri•d according to tile tjp• of acco1110dation. Kaid and linea aenio• wu The Poat. hohange WU aeU:~at.ed 2, June 1943, to prodde a.\r& a trading po•\, a beautr ehop, a barbv shop, a aho• repair shop, t.

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plant) were placed under conce•aionairee• contraote. About l ~ul.7 1943, the Kotop Pool waa ••tabliehed, with a repair ebop in conjunction. Th• pool coruiated ot 45 vehiel••, with two WAC• nhiclee, and 116 civilian driv.n •• ol PecmbeP 1946. Tile functioa Project trom Sant.a Pe. The furnace th'ing areas were d1:rl.d•c:l aaona and duplex unita. Th• a.ah•• were collected and used tor till or tor surfacing ot low-coat roa.da. Garbage w&a collected and diapoeed ot in

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tb• Pro-.01t Marehal. Law enforcement, ot a cbil. nature original.lT wae a

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Prior to 1 April 1943, the conatruction contractor pronded lire the WirmuT waa oDlJ' used toP aick call. Publio hultll tuaetiou tell take care ot eaergenc7 appointaente. Later a regular dental ottic• wu eet up in th• boapit&l. under Arrq dentiet1. There wu a et.alt ot tour

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ciYilian dentiata at the •nd ot 1946. tlon of all. Proj.ot peraoanel both ailltar, and ci'ril.iaa. Cenaor•hiP ot all au ... inatit.ut•d December 1943 and diacontinued •bortl.J alter

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tor six months, and tbereattel" to be selected 'bJ' election. Thie Town Council haa continued to function as a liaieon betw•en the conaun1t7 and War !'epartment. etor.. and commisaariff were exempt troa OPA r•tail Project area. lloat goocia were eold conaiderabl7 under the oeiling lev.i,

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unt 1a 1943; ..mm 140 children wve enroll•d, until 1946, when the and were settled in a rout.in• manner. Ot.ha elaima nre e•ttled by the through the Legal Section under th• euperrleion ot Capt.ain Ralph Carlille Smith Who wu aleo Patent .ldd.aor.

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Project.. There were aou tranaten and reuaigmaenta tor Y&rio• th• organisation wu codolidated in J&r1Ur7 194,, cirlnc complete

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ing, tinal proc•••in&, aaae1111bq, and testing ot the weapon under develo}'>- 1-2. Adiplnif\ratipp. - Alter determination ot the eite, L\. Col. to~ adminietration ot the technical work.

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moat aecret ot the entiff Manhattan Engineer Dietriot progru, iaola tactora had to be oons1deredt in pveonnel and •terial. 1. Soil charaoteriatica, tiaber deneit7, and tJP• of terrain -1.•o had to be caretull7 investigated u t.h• buia tor tuture

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location remote from all sea coa•tt, aa the poeaib1lit7 ot attack still had to be coneidered. tional taoilltiea, poptalation within a hunaed Idle radiua, tuel auPJ booing would h••• bad to l>4t conatructed tor the iraediate iwede ot

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th• speQitic pnnpoee ot the site was unknown to the ottice mald.na t Tbe faot that th• ai•t.ing Loe Alamoa Ranch School buildinp Qould b purohaee coet waa emall. d. The nearest town waa some 16 mil•• away, which tend1

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to isolat• the ~ite trom. a security etnnrfpoint. •· The area proper waa located on a mesa, mddng the t. The main eite wu located in an area retlativel7 tr troa timber, 'Which meant littlft clearing was neceaeary. Di.8trict Ottic•, and the Scuthweatern Divi•ton Beal Estate Branch me 1s th• nearest raUhtrad. tor the prcject and 11 the terminus ot a br-an a\ Laq, New llexioo, etghteen miles south ot Snnta re, two alternate routee extending westward trom pa•ed, pl"'imary highway Jc

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(l} The ahe>rter route ia da State Highwa7 Ho. 4 unimproTed aligm.ent. troa Pojoaque to th~unctur• ot State load lo. tiou are not 10 frequent. nor ot 10 long duration u on the aborter "fia tbia longer route.

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Project, th• road wu o:rigin&ll.7 ot irregular. aurtace and poor alicJ ret•nat.ioa oooupiea a r•lat.1ftl.7 flat.., Met. •lopiq beaotl land at.

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ot Y&l"J'ing extent. Th• canyon bottoms, in general, are narrow and rimmed b7 precipitoue olit!e haYing a Yertical height ot 50 to 200 lanch School aacl Anchor Ranch, had atructur•e of ••lu• .,. houaing ai b&m• aaddle barn, bog barne, atablea, eheda, garat•, and ice bout

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W&I" directed acquieition ot the land recommended b7 letter ot 2S loi 1942 trcm th• Chief ot lngineere to the Coman.ding General, Semo.. and the grasing permit operators, whereby p~\ wae made on th•~ ot t204'0 tor each head ot otock allowed under th• gratina permit.t. acquiring priTat•lT owned land ••• by condemnation or purohaee. Aut.l!