Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-08-13
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idea of what to expect and what
he can do about it.
For instance, the report advises,
you must squelch an impulse to
look in the direction of a sud
den increase of general illumina-
tion" the first indication of an
unexpected atomic burst.
If you are in the open when
the sudden illumination comes,
drop instantly where you are and
curl up to shade your bare arms,
neck, face and hands with the
clothed part of your body.
To Reduce Flash Burns.
That won't protect you against
the gamma rays that make the
atom bomb different from all
others. but it may help in reduc-
ing flash burns. That's particu-
larly important because disabling
burns can be suffered from the
ball of fire produced by the bomb
weN beyond the lethal range of
gamma rays.
If some sort of protection-a
doorway, a corner or a trees
within a step or two, you can
take shelter there with your back
to the light and the exposed parts
of your body protected by your
crouched position.
If shelter is more than a step
or two away. don't try to reach
it. The first three seconds are
the most dangerous.
After 10 seconds in your curled-
up pose, you can get up and look
around to see what to do next but
the best thing to do is press your
self tightly against the side Of a
building to avoid breaking glass
or falling rubble.
Danger From Flying Glass.
If you are inside a building or
home when an atomic bomb comes
without warning. drop to the floor
with your back to the window or
crawl behind or under a table,
desk or counter. That will pro-
tect you from shower of glass
if the windows are shattered by
a blast wave after the explosion.
The safest place inside a build
ing, according to the report, are
it's interior walls and you should
keep as close to them as possible.
The main idea is to get some
thing between you and the ex-
plosion. even if it is only your
clothing.
The Government hopes to give
some advance warning of a bomb
ing. If such a warning comes,
naturally you try to find the best
possible shelter.
Easements Some Protection.
Easements of homes, provided
they are not too near the center
Of the explosion. offer reasonable
protection. However. it's better
if the basement extends beyond
the main structure of the house
and there must be some escape
route from the basement in case
the house catches fire or collapses.
The report also suggests that a
shallow rampant Of soil or of sand
bags outside the house probably
would help, and semiburied shell
tiers for individual familieS-like
the ones used in Europe during
World War II-would provide
worthwhile protection.
Shelters inside big buildings
follow essentially the same rules
for atomic as for TINT bombs.
They should be put in fireproof,
reinforced concrete or steel-frame
buildings that are resistant to
collapse" The shelters should be
on. the lower floors and in the
halls or interior parts of build
ings. And they should be protected
from such hazards as falling plas-
ter and fixtures.
Little Chance Within Half Mile.
Shelters outside larger buildings
should be designed to resist the
effects of blast and radiation at a
distance of about one-half mile.
The report says, on the basis of
the findings from the Hiroshima
and Nagasaki A-bomb attacks,
that within half a mile of the
center of the explosion the chances
OF survival are very poor. That's
why it suggests basing plans for
protection on the theory that
ground Zero"-the area i'm
mediately under the bomb burst
is half a mile away.
Three types of injuries can
come from an atomic explosion,
the report explains, and two of
the three are Similar to those
caused by conventional" bombs.
The effects: Blast injuries, burns
and nuclear radiation injuries.
Injuries Differ With Burst.
Although the report estimates
that at least so per cent of the
deaths from the atomic bombings
OF Japan were caused by burns
and 5 to Is per cent from radia-
ton. it points out that it's i'm
possible to say how many persons
died of what. Many injured by
blast also were burned and others
dead from burns or blast would