, 302 OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 



Mr. LiLL. I think before the end of the year is out we will see a 

 gi-eat deal of light on the fuiancing and the development of this 

 project. 



At the present time, Mr. Bascom is the only full-time person work- 

 ing on the program. He is really swamped with inquiries, talking to 

 the press, writing letters, and answering inquiries, gathering informa- 

 tion on drilling techniques, and so on, running three panels on the 

 subject, as well as looking after the interests of the committee. 



As soon as we can get two or three more assistants for Mr. Bascom, 

 put them out chasing up the interested parties in the program, then I 

 think at least part of this will take place before the end of the year and 

 we will be able to get the first phase of the program underway. 



We really have been operating on a shoestring up to this point. 



Mr. Miller. I want to congratulate you on the very fine way that 

 you have operated on a shoestring. 



I think you and Mr. Bascom deserve to be commended. 



It is always difficult to initiate a project of this type. 



Of course, I personally feel it would be well worth the money to the 

 Federal Government. In fields of science we cannot say we always 

 get quid pro quo for every nickel we spend because if we can do that 

 there would be no necessity for doing research work. Research w^ork 

 itself implies you are looking for the unlmown, and when we have 

 found it it makes this country ever greater. 



Although at the moment we might say there is no practical advan- 

 tage to be gained, who can say that when you dig this hole down here 

 you might not open vistas which are just as great as any which have 

 been opened in the past in other fields of scientific research. 



This is a project which is merely in its infancy, and as in other 

 projects scientists have no idea of what will be developed. 



As recently as building of the first cyclotrons no one knew where 

 they were going. We were plotting strange and new paths and we 

 came up with atomic energy. It may be our salvation for the future. 



Mr. DoRN. Concerning this hole which you contemplate drilling, 

 will the width and circumference of the hole be as round as a person's 

 pinkie at its deepest point? What would the circumference of the 

 hole be at the deepest point ? 



Mr. LiivL. We would like to have it so we can retrieve at least a 

 3-inch core. 



Mr. Bascom has looked into this and perhaps can answer it a little 

 better and in more detail. 



Mr. Bascom. First of all, oil well holes, and this is essentially the 

 same as an oil well hole, are different depths. As they go down they 

 become smaller and smaller. Since we do not know how far we 

 will go we don't know where we will get stopped in this particular 

 case. 



As Mr. Lill says, we would like to have a 3-inch core. 



This means at the maximum roach of the drill we might be drilling, 

 say, a 6-inch hole. 



However, when you start the hole you have to have a preconceived 

 idea of how many times you will have to set casing in the hole, that 

 is, to set a protective string of pipe around the outside of the hole. 



Every time you set casing you have to reduce the size of the hole, 

 so since we do not know right now Avhat the characteristics of the 



