SHOCKING RECORD OF FIRST TWO BOMBS

Chronicle (Levin), 1 July 1946, Page 5

SHOCKING RECORD OF FIRST TWO BOMBS

CLAIMKI) VICTIMS SIX WEEKS AFTER Received Sunday, 7 p.m. LONDON, June 29. The atomic bombs dropped 011 Hiroshima aiu ^Nagasaki killed 120,000 people, accoiu hg to the report of the British Mission which visited the eities under the direction of chiefs of statl to niake a precise and authoritative study of the damage. Eighty thousand were killed of Hiroshima's population of .'320,000 and 10,000 of the 200,000 in Nagasaki. The Iliroshima bomb exploded above a level expanse of over 10 sciuare miles. Wooden housese were destroyel for four square miles by the blast and hre. Strong reinforced concrete buildings in the centre of the city mostlv resisted the blast but were burnt out. The Nagasaki bomb exploded over a valley containiiig oue and a-half sciuare miles of industry and slums which were destroyed,. A thousand feet of hills protected the harbour and housmg areas. The report states that witnesses agreed that panic and the flight of the population from each city increased the disasters' severity. Even the fire rescue services were abandoned. Oommunal liie was virtually brought to a standstill by the hlast, heat and radiation. Radioactivity produced damage and casualties. Many of Hiroshima's concrete buildings of strong antiearthtiuake design, suffered no serious structural damage except that the roofs were clepressed like saucers. The wooden Japanese style of houses were damagecL irreparably more than 11 miles from the centre of the damage. Alt Jioiigli .hiiianese slielters are liiucli under Brilisii standanls, all survived excepl the jioore.^t eatheovered slielters. Standanl British slielters like tlie Andersons and .Morrisons and reinforced surfaec slielters, would liuve remained >afe from collapse even at tlie eenlre of dantage. and deeji slielters like London 's underground would liuve given ronijdete jirotect ion. For a fraelion of a second tliero was an intense llash from tlie bombs. Jiadiated heat from tliein seorelied ol>jevts liercelv to a great distance. People jii tlie ojien iinniediatelv under tlie explosion died from burns witliin minutes or hours and severe burns were sulfered to dbsiaiices of J.100 yards from tlie centre of tlie damage and sliglit burns ftven beyond 21 milegi Flinisy interven-j tfc -^pbjects protectml against lieat and * ^ ..tio i ion wliidi travels in straight linesj wliile tliiu (dotliing proteeted tlie skin j tliough itself caugiit fire. Dark portions of elotliing sniouldpred while lighl ' portions were not alfected. rf^l^Tepoi-t adds lliat despite stories to tlie conlrary, tlie amount of radioactivity in the ground at Iliroshima and Nagasaki was never dangerous but it could be expected that tission produ"ts would inipregnate the ground in dangerous quantities from a bomb exploded at a lower level. The most impertant radioactive action at Hiroshima and Nagasaki appeared to have been that from penetrating shortwave radiation, the

exact makeup of which ls unknown and which is summarily -called gamma ra-ys. These passed through the skin without effect and sufferers appeared unhurt until after perhaps 24 hours. They then showed symptoms of nausea, vomiting and fever. Deaths hegan about a week later, reached a peak in three weeks and mostly ceased after six weeks. The action of the gamma rays yras indirect. They damaged the bone marrow, thus preventing the formation of new bloodcells to replace those which normally die off, causing the patient to suffer from progressive anemia. . It is tbought the gamma rays ultimately caused the death of nearly everyone fully exposed to them, up to a distance of half a mile from the centre of the damage. Even substantial buildings gave no protection from the gamma rays. The Mission expresses the opinion, according to Hiroshima estimates, that British cities with a density of population of 45 to the acre, could expect a death risk of 70 per cent to a half-mile, and 20 per cent to one mile from the centre of the damage. Two-thirds would be rendered homeless. Industrial losses could be considerably redueed by adecjuate hre precautions. Framed buildings should be j advocated for public and semi-public buildings. Rules sliould be drawn up for a reasonable standard of protection against flying glass, heat, viash and gamma rays.