Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-08-13

perature IN Jne CeIlUer OF GIle sun.
The heat waves radiate in all di-
rectionS. In the immediate neigh
borhood of the blast, of course,
everything inflammable will be
burned to a crisp in few sec
ondS and over a radius of nearly
/ two miles persons will suffer Sc
we're skin burns on unprotected
parts of the body.
But the heat dissipates rapidly
and passes quickly and very slight
protection is often sufficient. Thin,
white clothing, for example, may
afford nearly complete protection
half mile away. The thermal
waves move so quickly that they
do not have time to penetrate
through the cloth.
Bombs Third Effect
Here again man is on fairly ia
miliar ground. He is thoroughly
acquainted with the destructive
effects of fire but, of course, never
has experienced anything re-
motely approaching this in in
tenSity.
The third effect of the atomic
bomb, however, is almost COM
pletely outside human experience
in the past. This is radiation from
the exploding atoms and the
radioactive isotopes created in the
atoms of air. water and earth.
This radiation is of four kinds
alpha, beta, gamma and neutron.
The first consists of material
particles which are essentially the
nuclei of helium atoms. They are
the type emitted by radium. They
travel only a few inches at the
most and can be stopped by a
sheet of paper. They constitute
a small part of the atomic bomb
radiation and are unlikely to do
any damage unless an appreciate
number of alpha emitting atoms
are breathed into the lungs. Then
there is nothing to be done about
it and if enough particles-atoms
of plutonium, for instance-areI
inspired, death is a practical GER
tainty. Beta radiation also is of
relatively little consequence. IT
cannot get through the skin, con-
sisting as it does of streams of
almost immaterial electrons. At
the worst it can be expected to
cause something like a bad sun
burn which will not become ap-
parent for a week or more.
Far more serious are the two
other forms-garnma and neutron.
The former consists of streams of !
super-X-rays. Probably the best
protection is thick wall of con-
crete. These rays are responsible
for the still mysterious radiation
sickness. They destroy the bone
marrow which is the source of
blood cells. They leave the body
without any protection against
the hosts of infections which are
always present. They make the
blood vessels brittle so that thou
sands of tiny hemorrhages break
out all over the body. They create
mysterious poisons in the body
itself.
Dangers Exaggerated
Concerning the fourth form of
radiation-Streams of those in
finitestimally minute atomic par
ticleS known as neutrons-little
is yet known. 1t requires quite
different form of protection than
that which is effective against
gamma rays. Shields of wax or
graphite are probably the best.
The dread of radiation rests
largely in the fact that it is an
unseen, unheard, unfelt killer.
The victim, unless provided with
special instruments, has no means
OF knowing that anything has
happened. There are no burns,
no pain. He probably will con-
tinue to feel as well as ever for
a week or so. Then he suddenly
will fall sick and die.
Largely because of the mystery
attached to it, however, the dan
gers OF radiation injury have been
greatly exaggerated. The acute
danger is confined to about the
first 10 seconds and the first 500
yards from the center of an atomic
blast. Within these limits it is
quite improbable that many per-
sons will escape a fatal dose. Prac-
tically regardless of anything that
can be done for them they can
be expected to die within about
two weeks. Within from about 500
to 1900 yards about half the popu-
lation will receive doses which may
prove fatal if nothing is done for
them. For five years medical sci
entists have studied the problem
and treatments now are available
which will very materially reduce
the death rate. Notable among
these are the use of antibiotics to
combat infection, blood tranSfu-
sions to offset anemia, and use of
various drugs to prevent hem
orrhages.
Trench Good Protection
A saving fact is that radiation
waves move in straight lines. They
don't turn corners, right or left or
up or down. Within the so per
cent fatality area an ordinary slit
trench appears to be an excellent
protection. Shelter behind a wall
or boulder is about as good. There
has been much alarm about reSid-
ual radiation-exploding atoms
created in the rocks and soil or an
area which will make it unin-
habitable for weeks or months. For
the most part this alarm has little
foundation in fact. True, there will
always be some residual radiation
but it will not be sufficient to
cause much damage if simple pre-
cautions are taken and one does
not remain in the infected radius
more than day or so at time.
The great danger is within the
first 10 seconds of the blast, It