It's remarkable reading Hiroshima to be reminded of how much the effect of the atomic bomb was like an earthquake: Buildings are knocked down. In the case of Hiroshima, after the houses and other buildings were flattened by the bomb's shock wave (or blast effect), various small fires started and resulted in the total conflagration that consumed the city and killed most of the people who died in the bombing. Others were killed immediately by being hit by flying debris, especially glass, and near the center of the blast by the heat of the bomb. Others died later from the acute exposure to high levels of gamma rays and from the horrible flash burns that were seen then for the first time.
But in reading the book, there are many descriptions of people being trapped in rubble, of people digging their way out of rubble. I will post some excerpts from the book later,including excerpts from letters written by the two doctors who are among about the six people John Hersey documents in the book. First, a letter from a Japanese doctor that was posted as a comment in March on Yahoo's news site, concerning the recent earthquake and tsunami:
But in reading the book, there are many descriptions of people being trapped in rubble, of people digging their way out of rubble. I will post some excerpts from the book later,
Dear friends all over the world
Thank you for your encouraging comments
I am in very neighbor of outrageous disaster of the quake.
And under tremendous fear of spreading nuclear substance from damaged nuclear power plants in Fukushima in Japan.
First thing which I want to say is that this quake and Tunami is unexpected things, besides we surveyed last 300 hundreds years. One can argue it is not enough periods for setting effective countermeasures, but in some town very close to coast set up breakwater over than 10 meters. However, the Tunami very overcame it and swallowed so many people with over than 10.000 casualties. Nightmere.
I must admit that we should have much more careful about managing nuclear plant about huge quake. I am very sorry, but I think that unexpected thing may be happened and, in general, very positive attitude is that help each other and look into real and effective resolution of serious problem. Please give us your talented knowledge and technique to manage deadly consequence of the quale for the appropriate Japanese staff.
We, Japanese, for sure will hang on this problem and would like to welcome all of you to Japan with traditional hospitality as it went before the accident.
With warm regards
Yoshihiko Tomita MD
