Show If A Bomb Om Should Strike Dea h But S. S l. l trY Was as Ready This Thi I. I Is the last lat of three articles tellin telling telling telling-in In in highly ed form what form hat would happen If Salt Snit Lake Lako Cit City was the target of an atom bomb attack TOMORROW TO By liy H Dan Valentino It was the longest 90 seconds in Jn Salt Lakes Lake's history maybe history maybe it was the longest 90 seconds in the history history history his his- tory of oC the world t I IThe The bomb people bomb people called it The Thing apparently Thing apparently exploded in midair Possibly about 1500 feet above the ground bround After the thc first terrible blast and the first sheet of flame there was wasa a silent pause pause pause-an an almost etheral pause of silence then silence then came a terrific echo and suction of the vacuum created by the blast Mixed with wilh the echo and the air suction came smaller explosions explosions- gas as tanks boilers industrial fur fur- naces naces There was another large explosion explosion explosion sion about 20 seconds after the atom blast blasL That could have been must must have been the been the gas bas refinery refinery refinery ery on the northern outskirts of the tho city Two hundred thousand people were hugging the ground ground clasp clasp clasping ing the thc earth for protection when protection when the bomb hit tit The lucky y ones were in barricaded barricaded barricaded bar bar- cellars far from the downtown downtown downtown down down- town section Passers-by Passers caught on the street street street-or or caught running for Cor safety safety had had fallen Catlen face down on the concrete streets near the gutters For 90 seconds all activity I stopped in the state civil defense headquarters Luckily the thc headquarters was situated away from the blast Only the chandeliers rocked and the tables and floors weaned ed when the blast hit Gus Backman and his civil iI defense defense defense de de- coordinators had barricaded themselves in a special cellar But two minutes after the explosion explosion explosion ex ex- radiological experts culled from the faculty of the University University University Uni Uni- of Utah were testing the theair theair air nil for atom rays They used highly secret machines somewhat on the order of a Geiger counter A quick survey sUl through h field See Sec Paso Pago 2 Column 1 S. S L. L for 90 Seconds of Death Continued from Page e One glasses revealed re that the bomb had exploded above downtown do Salt Lake approximately three blocks west est of Main st st. on South Temple I Damage was less than expected True about fl e square blocks had been practically demolished demolish cd But a shell of the Hotel Utah Utah Utah- or what had been the Hotel Utah remained standing The Z C M I department store had been battered battered battered bat bat- and the buildings along the block on Main had been hit severely se Display Windows Indo Broken The display windows all along Main aln and State sta had been broken by the concussion of the blast The downtown streets had been cracked open by the blast Huge chuckholes dotted the main thoroughfares thor thor- Small explosions still rocked the city city more small gas tanks and boilers blowing up tip The tension high-tension electric wires had dropped in a grotesque drape over the s streets sheets and water was spouting in hu huge e gushers from the water mains and fire hydrants The water was flowing in an orderly manner down the wide gutters butters of Salt Lakes Lake's proud once-proud Main Iain st. st In the distance a n siren began beg to wail The first sound of life since the explosion Victims Gather Already Gus Backman had sent an emergency request for firefighting fire fire- I fighting equipment police officers ambulances and medical personnel I from Ogden den Logan and Provo I Highway patrolmen reported the I highways open from these cities I to Salt Lake City The victims victims the the walk walking ng vic victims vic vic- c- c began tims-began tims began gathering in front of ofa a drugstore store on South Main street The victims were suffering from minor cuts and bruises One woman sobbing hysterically hysterical hysterical- ly walked over the grounds of Salt Lake General hospital holding holding holding hold hold- ing the body of her small daughter daugh daugh- ter The girl wasn't dead dead just just stunned by the concussion of the blast A company of national guardsmen guards guards- men waited near South for orders to enter the off limits area downtown A test showed that one radio station located on the outskirts of town still was operating A quick hookup with state civil defense defense defense de de- de- de headquarters was made and Gus Backman went on the air Take care of your own he implored the people Then take care of your neighbor Remember stay away from falling buildings Do not drink water or eat food that could have been contaminated by the blast He begged the people not to try to evacuate the city You will twill be turned back he lie warned Nothing can can be gained b by leaving the city The worst is over oer Nevertheless a few cars driven en i by wild-eyed wild men and women tried to break through the blockades blockades blockades block block- ades at the edge e of the city Turned Back They were turned back and told to return to their homes by state highway patrolmen But most people were orderly They were too busy to cause trouble Special medical squads now I were roaming the fringes es of the contaminated area retrieving the I II dead Other special crews were I ferreting through h the demolished buildings rescuing victims trapped in the debris I IBy By this time lime it was dusk al almost almost al- al I ai-I most dark i The city was in darkness except I Ifor for pinpoint flares of flashlights I and hundreds of small fires scattered scattered scattered scat scat- across the city sending sending- an eerie glow to the sky Salt Lakes Lake's doctors were working working work work- ing in shifts in the city's hospitals I luckily not one had been harmed by bv the blast blast and and the wounded I Ia a already readY were being placed on trains in the rail yards for transfer transfer transfer trans trans- fer to Denver and points east cast I where hospital beds were waiting All food stores had been placed under armed guard and the civil defense committee was making plans for rationing in the morning But even in the darkness darkness even even evenIn In the shadows of the flames and the debris debris debris-a a person could hear hammers pounding You could hear men shouting and and working Salt Lake City had begun beg to build again aln |