EXHIBIT 1 [Ernst & Young LLP letterhead] October 2, 1998 Mr. James Jensen Chief Financial Officer Atlas Corporation 370 Seventeenth Street Denver, CO 80202 Dear Jim: This is to confirm that the client-auditor relationship between atlas Corporation (Commission File Number 1-2714) and Ernst & Young LLP has ceased. Very truly yours, /s/ Ernst & Young LLP cc: Office of the Chief Accountant SECPS Letter File Securities And Exchange Commission Mail Stop 11-3 450 Fifth Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20549 Page 5 of 6