Were They Atomic Explosions?

Grey River Argus, 6 October 1948, Page 5

Were They Atomic Explosions?

ZURICH, Oct. 4

The Swiss Federal Political Department has ordered an official black-out on reports circulating in Switzerland that the Zurich meteorological office recorded heavy explosions from Russia. which could be atomic bombs The director of the office said: "Any comment we might give would result in severe criticism from the Soviet authorities, since the nature of such reports has a strong political and military significance.” It is pointed out that there are excellent meteorological stations nearer Russia and under Allied control. There is no positive way of distinguishing atomic from other severe explosions.

Recording Not Officially Confirmed

(Received October 5, 9.15 p.m.) LONDON, October 5. At Geneva, a Swiss Foreign Office spokesman denied the reports that seismographs in Switzerland had registered atomic explosions in Russia, as cabled earlier. This is stated by a “Daily Telegraph” correspondent. The spokesman would not say anything about the other recording instruments. Professor Paul Scherrer, the Director of the Swiss Atomic Research Station at Zurich, said that instruments installed in his laboratory since the Bikini experiment were able to pick up atomic explosions, but none had been recorded recently. He would not say whether any had been recorded.