English subtitles for clip: File:U.S. Federal Civil Defense Administration - Operation Cue (1955).webm

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In the picture we are about
to say we must remember

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that the explosive power of atomic bombs
used in this test was in the kiloton range.

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The explosive power of today's hydrogen
bomb is measured in terms of megatons What

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does that mean to us. It's a
matter of practical application.

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It takes one thousand
tons to equal one megaton

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and by applying the scaling laws the
proportionate comparative effect of a larger

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bomb can be determined.

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The A bomb exploded here was rated at
approximately thirty kilotons for comparison

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Reggio is a twenty megaton H. Bomb.

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The twenty megaton bomb therefore would be
six hundred sixty seven times as strong

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as a thirty kiloton bomb.

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The relationship between
distance for any given pressure

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and the size of nuclear weapons
follows the cube root scaling law.

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So theoretically hydrogen bomb of
twenty megatons at approximately eight

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and a half miles. Would have about the
same destructive power as an atomic bomb

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or thirty killing tonge at
one mile. In this test.

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Many of the structures were approximately
one mile from ground zero in the case of

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a twenty megaton H. Bomb explosion.

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Most of these structures are
undoubtedly would be obliterated.

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And actually at a distance of eight and
a half to nine miles from Ground Zero.

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With the longer duration
of blast pressure.

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We could expect to find conditions
even more severe than those

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that run a mile from ground zero in
this fashion. That's atomic test.

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Although detecting the surveyor effect
of a nuclear weapon does not reflect the

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extent and severity of destruction

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that would result from a nuclear
weapon in the multi megaton range

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here at the Atomic Energy
Commission Nevada test site.

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I covered the story of Operation a cousin
to test the effect of an atomic blast

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upon the things we use
in our everyday life

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operation Q The atomic test program of the
Federal Civil Defense administration as

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seen by Joan Collins a reporter
I had the operation to do

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many not only my own

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but as a reporter through the
eyes of the average American man

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and woman I arrived a civil defense
headquarters the day before the explosion with

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scheduled to take place

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and checked in at one with the official who
was to brief me about the camp to give

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me a perspective of the entire layout a
member of the civil defense staff showed me

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a carefully prepared model of
the site that scope of the test

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and the detailed care with
which it had been planned

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and made me as I listen
to the explanation.

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We begin with the question of shelter
or shelter might save our lives.

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If we were far enough
away from Ground Zero.

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If so what kinds of shelter are effective
several kinds are to be tested.

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From elaborate industrial shelters to the
box type shelter in the corner room of

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the basement this type would give more
room for a family especially if it were

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necessary to remain there for several days

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in this frame house without a basement
at the forty seven hundred foot line.

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We will test a bathroom shelter built of
reinforced concrete the entrance door

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and outside window covering
are designed to resist blast.

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I asked about the possible loss of utility

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and what they would need to know
enough to keep a running home

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or an investor help from loss of power may
be one of our biggest problems after an

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attack power poles power
lines pole transformers

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and complete substations are to be
tested by the Edison Institute.

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How will they withstand this blast. How
long will it take to make repairs.

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How soon can service be reestablished these
are things we hope to learn from the

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past one complete transformer
substation has been erected relatively

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close to the shock tower
a second substation

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and power lines have been placed at a
much greater distance from the towers.

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Thinking about you
during an atomic attack.

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I asked about radio towers two kinds are
to be tested one tower is self-supporting

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without guy wires the other has supporting
cables both types are very common

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nearby a complete radio transmitter will
actually broadcast from tape before the

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shock to be picked up by radios in the
test houses most liquefied petroleum

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and natural gas facilities will be tested.

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When the fittings

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and connections stand the test will there
be fires all equipment is in stone

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and checked by technical experts from.

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LP Gas Association

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and the American Gas Association an eighteen
thousand gallon supply tank partially

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filled with propane and complete with
feed pipes awaiting and storage house

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and delivery platform have
been erected on the test site.

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I was anxious to learn all I could about
the various types of how to the five types

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of prepared bricks poser to the blast
and heat of this atomic explosion.

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First a single storey frame Rambler
without basement built on a concrete slab

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second a two storey masonry with basement
constructed of brick backed with four

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inch cinder blocks fired a house of eight
inch concrete blocks reinforced with

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steel the fourth type is a single storey
Rambler made of precast lightweight

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concrete walls

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and roof panels were joined
by welding steel luggage

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that protest the five hundred foot line
is a redesigned house similar to one

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previously tested this new design provides
additional strength at a cost increase

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of approximately ten percent.

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That's the real purpose of testing these
houses to find their weak points through

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the cooperation of the furniture

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and appliances industries household
furnishings were installed in the houses

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mannequin families supplied by
private industry are to represent Mr

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and Mrs America interior
home furnishings donated by

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eighty three are complete in every detail.

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I looked at the mannequin sitting
about so naturally I was very

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interested in preparation
for the testing of textiles

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and confetti fabric rows of mannequins
were set up in the open pacing the

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blast each item of clothing
and each color had been care.

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Well a selected to give much
needed survival information.

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I was especially interested in the food
ten thousand cans in packaged food

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that to be tested as a mother

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and housewife this appealed to me I had
several question to ask Would food in the

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average home be safe to eat after a
black food testing in operation Q.

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Is planned to answer this

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and other vital questions some votes are
to be tested in the house stored in the

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usual way other foods
including fresh meat spotter

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and similar perishables are to be tested
just below the level of the ground at

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three positions along the main test line.

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This will expose the food to high intensity
radiation without risking destruction

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of the containers test items include
sterilized foods packaged in cartons metal

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and glass all will be exposed.

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According to plan to give us the most
viable information the night of the

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actual explosion are rather early in
the morning came at last on media Hill

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television equipment was ready to bring
the test into home from coast to coast

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reporters commentators military

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and civil defense observers all had a purpose
to study the result of this explosion

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at a position a mile forward for media
Hill is civil defense field exercise group

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had assembled with their equipment.

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As small group of civil defense Nolen two
years work of occupy a trench relatively

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close to Ground Zero on media here over I
remain there with hot coffee last minute

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briefing and more wait.

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But it seems no time at all before the loud
speaker warned by us what what are your.

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Sir.

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Without the fuss away from the blast
on the silent doesn't the test object.

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Wait a minute. Ten seconds.

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Seven six three two

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zero.

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Twenty four hour is a nap.

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People always are committed
to you at first in the south

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and let's see how the blast

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effect of the houses. This is what
remained of the masonry house

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that was not reinforced.

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This is the house constructed of reinforced
concrete blocks after the explosion.

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Although the redesigned two story frame
house was severely damaged the structural

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improvements that strengthen
this resistance considerably.

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As seen here although basement shelters
offered some degree of protection they

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cannot be depended upon completely in
potential blast areas the reinforced bathroom

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shell there was standing intact
beneath the ruins of the house.

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So this type also offered
some degree of protection.

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The upper section of one on guide radio
tower collapsed from the tremendous force

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of the blast the guide tower was slightly
twisted by a power pole which fell across

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one of the guy wires within the concrete
radio House equipment had been shaken up.

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But as soon as power was restarted the
transmitter resumed broadcasting the

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eighteen thousand gallon tank of liquefied
petroleum gas was undamaged tests show

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that even the connections were intact.

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The weighing them storage house
was scattered across the desert

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but the consumer sized tanks
were on our power lines

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and Transformers suffered some damage

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but most of the power poles were
still standing or could be repaired

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and the power substation
was not seriously high

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and Edison Institute
personnel tested all lines

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and found the station
to be operated the food

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and cases of canned goods were
taken away for laboratory tests.

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Do you remember this young lady
because to Mike Matheny the doctor

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and this young man.

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This is how the black child in pay
to be added a revenue doxies during

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all this activity the mass beating group
with improvising to feed the task of being

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I think ticking and he
remembered them really.

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When done to perfection

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and roasted in Cannes which could have
been south each been demolished building.

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I watched the people eating and realized

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that mass beating is an
important job in civil defense.

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I took a last look at the
debris and devastation.

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This time it would only attack a
well planned not a real attack.

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It was a test of the things
we knew in everyday life

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many lessons were learned from this
task that affect civil defense planning

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and it must be borne in mind

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that multi megaton weapons would result
in much greater damage over a larger area

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all these factors must be considered as
we plan for the survival of our homes our

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families

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and our nation in the new player whose.