English subtitles for clip: File:0231 House in the Middle The 02 41 13 20-0040.webm

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Five. Four. Three. Two. One.

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One American town looks like any other
when you see it from an airplane window.

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Trees line the quiet residential streets,
and there's usually a highway running through

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to an industrial area
where many town people work.

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But in every town,
you'll find houses like this.

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Run-down, neglected. Trash and litter 
disfigure the house and yard.

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An eyesore, yes.
And as you'll see, much more.

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A house that's neglected is the house
that may be doomed in the atomic age.

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What would happen to such a town

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if it were on the outer fringe of an
attack directed at a nearby city?

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We can answer that question, in part at least,
even though it hasn't happened yet.

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A series of civil defense tests were made to discover
the effects of atomic heat on American homes.

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I am going to show you how  
protective measures can help guard your home 

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against the heat effects of an atomic explosion.

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This is the Nevada Proving Ground,

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where tests were made on miniature houses
in various stages of upkeep, inside and out.

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These tents were also made on common fire hazards 

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like dead grass, old leaves,
discarded newspapers, and fence structures.

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Here are five fences placed far enough 
from the explosion that they could survive the blast.

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The fences in the middle are built of decayed wood.

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Dry grass and litter simulate conditions you have seen 
in too many alleys and backyards in slum areas.

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The trash, litter, and dead grass 
are perfect kindling for the

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unprotected and unpainted wood of the fence itself.

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The moments tick away as we await 
the bomb and the fireball.

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The light flash and the heat or thermal wave,
then the blast wave.

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You'll remember the three middle fences are built 
of rotten wood, unpainted and surrounded by trash.

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They are immediately ignited. The two outer
fences without litter are slower to ignite.

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Decayed, combustible wood surfaces like
these fences are readily ignited by heat flash.

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Likewise, some types of interiors are easily ignited.

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This will be demonstrated in the next test.

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Here are two miniature frame houses, 
identical structure,

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both in good condition
and well painted outside.

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Sturdily mounted cameras in front of the houses 
are to record the effect of heat flash.

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Large windows purposely expose
the interiors to the flash.

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In the house on the right, all the
earmarks of untidy housekeeping.

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Newspapers and magazines lying
about and cluttered tables.

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Now the house on the left, 
identical to the other but spic and span.

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Trash has been thrown away.
Tabletops are tidy.

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Two homes, one a firetrap
even under ordinary conditions.

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The other, cleaned up and fresh 
with better, safer housekeeping.

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Both ready for the test bomb.

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The light Flash and the heat wave,
then the blast tears away part of each roof.

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Let's see it again in stop motion.

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First, the light flash and
the thermal or heat wave

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that only chars the painted
outer surface of both houses.

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Then, the blast.

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The cluttered room of the house on the right 
bursts into flame.

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In a few moments, 
the interior is completely ablaze.

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The fire that started inside 
spreads rapidly to the house itself, 

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although the house on the left
still shows no exterior flames.

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Now the house on the right burns as fiercely
as if it had been deliberately fired with kindling.

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The lack of fire-safe housekeeping
has doomed this house to destruction.

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In the other house, with its better, safer
housekeeping, readily extinguished afterward.

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Damaged, yes.
But the house still stands.

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One house standing, one house leveled.

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Both painted and cleaned up outside.

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Identical houses except for 
inside conditions and housekeeping.

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Now our third test. 

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Three identical miniature frame houses, 
each with varying exterior conditions,

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all the same distance from 
the point of the explosion.

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The house on the right, an eyesore.

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But you've seen these same conditions 
in your own home town.

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Old, unpainted wood. 

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And look at the paper, leaves,
and trash in the yard.

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In a moment, you'll see the results of 
atomic heat flash on this house. 

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The house on the left, typical
of many homes across the nation. 

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Heavily weathered, dry wood,
in run-down condition.

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This house is the product of years of neglect.

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It has not been painted regularly.

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It's dry and rotten.

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A tinder box ready to turn into a blazing torch.

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The house in the middle, in good condition
with a clean, unlittered yard.

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The exterior has been painted
with ordinary, good quality house paint.

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Light painted surfaces reflect heat,

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and the paint also protects the wood
from weathering and moisture damage.

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Let's watch the test now
and see what happens under atomic heat.

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Now let's go back and
see it again in stop motion.

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The light flash, the heat wave, 
and clouds of dust.

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Keep your eye on the house on the right.

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Notice how the heat wave affects it.

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There's the fire, starting in the
trash surrounding the house.

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Now, it spreads to the house itself.

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In a moment the blast wave,
and here it comes.

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The house on the right is the first to ignite. 

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The trash serves as kindling 
for the dry, weathered wood.

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The house on the left 
smolders for a few moments,

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looks almost as if it will not burn,
and then bursts into flame.

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The house on the right continues to burn. 

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Two houses are a total loss, but the well-kept
and painted house in the middle still stands.

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Which of these is your house?

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This one? The house on the right,

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dilapidated with paper,
dead grass, litter everywhere?

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The house on the left,
unpainted, rundown, neglected?

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Is this your house?

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The house in the middle, cleaned up, 
painted up, and fixed up,

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exposed to the same searing
atomic heat wave, did not catch fire.

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Close examination revealed only a slight
charring of the painted outer surface.

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Yes, the white house in the middle
survived an atomic heat flash.

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These civil defense tests have proven 
how important upkeep is to our houses and towns.

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Now, it's up to us the people to take decisive action.
Alright, you say, what can I do about it?

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What can my community do?

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All over America, towns and cities are organizing
local cleanup, paint-up, fix-up campaigns.

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Boys and Girl Scouts
and school children of all ages

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are told how they can help by organizing 
teams to clean up alleys and backyards.

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See that you help by removing all of the
litter, junk, old newspapers and trash.

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They collect and pile up.

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Your community needs this help.
Do those long-delayed repair jobs now.

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Trim your shrubbery and trees.
Weed and plant flowers.

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Keep your block cleaned up. 

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Beauty, cleanliness, health, and safety

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are the four basic doctrines
that protect our homes, our cities. 

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You've seen the tests.
You know the story. 

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Join up with your friends and neighbors 
for a better, safer community.

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It's also a good civil defense,
which is everyone's responsibility.

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The dingy house on the left, the
dirty and littered house on the right,

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or the clean, white house in the middle. 
It is your choice.

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The reward may be survival.