Family Histories (71)
My dad, Lt. DeForest Lord Jr., US Navy, 1944. He died in 1975 from a brain tumor, most likely caused by radiation exposure he received while working as a contract dentist in Los Alamos.
In May, 1946, there was an accident involving a sphere of plutonium encased by two hollow half spheres of beryllium. The lead scientist, Louis Slotin, was using a screwdriver to gradually bring together the two halves of beryllium and measure the radiation increase. The test was called “tickling the dragon’s tail” because it was so dangerous and was being observed by 7 others in the room. The screwdriver slipped and the pieces made full contact. A blue light filled the room and Slotin felt a wave of heat over his body. He manually separated the spheres and the reaction stopped. My father later told me that he was called in to remove fillings, crowns and all metal work from the teeth of the participants so that doctors and scientists could determine how much radiation they had received and because, as my mom told me, "they were so hot." Slotin died 9 days after the incident. The plutonium core had also been involved in a previous accident in August, 1945, that killed scientist Harry Daglian. It became known as the Demon Core.
Dad was a delayed casualty of WWII and I miss him still. Thanks for your service.
--Mike Lord
Once the Gadget was in place at the top of the 100-foot steel tower, Dr. Louis Slotin did the final arming to prepare it for the test scheduled for very early morning on July 16, 1945.
From the New Mexican, August 2, 2009
Last month, the Museum of New Mexico asked readers if they recognized anyone in this photograph by Santa Fe photographer T. Harmon Parkhurst, which is drawing attention in the New Mexico History Museum.
Turns out the photo is of the Studebaker entry in a 1929 fiesta parade that was published in the New Mexican on Oct. 2, 1929. The Historic Santa Fe Foundation found the original story in its fiesta files.
The paper identified the people in the photo, left to right, as: Mrs Margery Wilson, George Gormley (adjusting the trolley), Joe Schultz (perched on the rear platform), Mrs. John March (in the first window), Mrs Martin Gardesky (in the comfortable leaning pose), Mrs. Christine Gormley (in window No. 2), Mrs. DeForest Lord (in No. 3), Jane Bigelow (in Dana Johnson's Mexican sombrero), Norman Magee (with the parasol and ringmaster whiskers) and Mrs. Margery Bigelow (spurning his advances). The two youngsters are George March and Sarah Bigelow. On hands and knees is "Duke" Bigelow, who from a cockpit inside the car navigated the bus. In the vestibule are Glenn Brill, Mrs. Jeanette Schultz and the skipper, Agustus "Gus" Wilson.
The caption said the photo will appear in the Studebaker News, the national house organ of Studebaker. The trolley, according to the caption, was built on a Studebaker chassis.
In this photo are my Grandfather DeForest Lord's first wife (Lucille - my Grandmother) and his soon to be second wife (Jeanette.) Lucille moved back to Chicago after they divorced in 1930.
Correction: Arthur Seligman Scott (Pete) has identified the woman in the first window as Franc E. Seligman, wife of Governor Arthur Seligman, not Mrs. John March.
Photo by T. Harmon Parkhurst
1929
NMHM No. 117681
--Mike Lord
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This is my mother who went on to become a Registered Nurse and worked for over three decades at St. Vincent Hospital in Santa Fe. I believe this picture was taken while she was attending Santa Fe High School, class of 1944.
