The House in the Middle (1954)

5 4 3 2 1 [Music] [Applause] [Music] one American Town looks like any other when you see it from an airplane window trees line the quiet residential streets and there's usually a highway running through to an ad industrial area where many Town people work but in every town you'll find houses like this run down neglected trash and litter disfigure the house and yard and is saw Yes and as you'll see much more a house that's neglected is the house that may be doomed in the atomic age what would happen to such a town if it were on the outer Fringe of an attack directed at a nearby City we can answer that question in part at least even though it hasn't happened yet a series of civil defense tests were made to discover the effects of atomic heat on American Homes I am going to show you how protective measures can help guard your home against the Heat effects of an atomic explosion this is the NADA Proving Ground where tests were made on miniature houses in various stages of upkeep inside and out these tests were also made on common fire hazards like dead grass old leaves discarded newspapers and fence structures here are five fences placed far enough from the explosion that they could survive the blast the fences in the middle are built of decayed wood dry grass and litter simulate conditions you've seen in too many alleys and backyards in slum areas the trash litter and dead grass are perfect kindling for the unprotected and unpainted wood of the fence itself the moments tick away as we await the bomb and the Fireball the light flash at the Heat or thermal wave then the blast wave you'll remember the three middle fences are built of rotten wood unpainted and surrounded by trash they are immediately ignited the two outer fences without litter are slower to ignite decayed combustible wood surfaces like these fences are readily ignited by heat fles likewise some types of Interiors are easily ignited this will be demonstrated in the next test here are two miniature frame houses identical in structure both in good condition and well painted outside sturdily mounted cameras in front of the houses are to record the effect of heat flesh large Windows purposely expose the Interiors to the [Music] flash in the house on the right all the air marks of untidy housekeeping newspapers and magazines lying about and cluttered [Music] tables now the house on the left identical to the other but and span trash has been thrown away tabletops are tidy two homes one a fire trap even under ordinary conditions the other cleaned up and fresh with better safer housekeeping both ready for the test bomb the light flash and the heat wave then the blast tears away part of each roof let's see it again in stop motion first the light flash and the thermal or heat wave that only charge the painted outer surface of both [Music] houses then the [Music] blast the cluttered room of the house on the right bursts into Flame in a few moments the interior is completely Ablaze the fire that started inside spreads rapidly to the house itself although the house on the left still shows no exterior Flames now the house on the right Burns as fiercely as if it had been deliberately fired with kindling the lack of fire safe housekeeping has doomed this house to destruction in the other house with its better safer housekeeping readily extinguished afterward damage yes but the house still stands one house standing one house leveled both painted and cleaned up outside identical houses except for inside conditions and housekeeping now our third test three identical miniature frame houses each with varying exterior conditions all the same distance from the point of the explosion the house on the right an isore but you've seen these same conditions in your own Hometown old unpainted wood and look at the paper leaves and trash in the yard in a moment you'll see the results of atomic heat flash on this house the house on the left typical of many homes Across the Nation heavily weathered drywood in Rundown condition this house is the product of years of neglect it has not been painted regularly it's dry and rotten a Tinder Box ready to turn into a blazing torch the house in the middle in good condition with a clean un littered yard the exterior has been painted with ordinary good quality house paint light painted surfaces reflect Heat and the paint also protects the wood from weathering and moisture damage let's watch the test now and see what happens under Atomic Heat [Music] [Music] now let's go back and see it again in stop motion the light flash the Heat Wave and clouds of [Music] dust keep your eye on the house on the right notice how the heat wave affects [Music] it there's the fire starting in the trash surrounding the house now it spreads to the house [Music] itself in a moment the blast wave and here it comes [Music] the house on the right is the first to ignite the trash serves as kindling for the dry weathered wood the house on the left smolders for a few moments looks almost as if it will not burn and then bursts into Flame the house on the right continues to burn two house houses are a total loss but the well-kept and painted house in the middle still stands which of these is your house this one the house on the right dilapidated with paper dead grass litter [Music] everywhere the house on the left unpainted rundown neglected Ed is this your house the house in the middle cleaned up painted up and fixed up exposed to the same searing Atomic Heat Wave did not catch fire close examination revealed only a slight charring of the painted outer surface yes the White House in the middle survived an atomic heat flash these civil defense tests have proven how important upkeep is to our houses and towns now it's up to us the people to take decisive action all right you say what can I do about it what can my community do all over America towns and cities are organizing local cleanup paint up fix up campaigns Boy and Girl Scouts and school children of all ages are told how they can help by organizing teams to clean up alleys and backyards see that you help by removing all of the litter junk old newspapers and trash they collect and pile up your community needs this help do those long delayed repair jobs now trim your Shrubbery and trees weed and plant flowers keep your block cleaned up Beauty cleanliness health and safety are the four basic doctrines that protect our homes our cities you've seen the tests you know the story join up with your friends and neighbors for a better safer Community it's also good civil defense which is everyone's responsibility the dingy house on the left the dirty and littered house on the right or the clean white house in the middle it is your choice the reward may be survival [Applause] [Music]