Kirk McLoren wrote:
> If it saves one child.
> How sad it is we were all taught to get under our desk.
> As he said - how obscene. Murdered by misinformation.
We were taught several things about earthquake survival as
children. In addition to stored food, water and a portable radio, we
needed to have shoes by the bed and we were supposed to stay away from
windows. Flying glass causes a lot of injury, and without shoes, feet
cut easily on sharp debris. We were warned to NEVER leave a building
while the ground was shaking, and to exit with great care (look up
before going out) to avoid getting hit by fascia or other debris falling
from above. We were told to stay away from stairs and elevators, too.
If outside, we were to look for open ground, avoiding powerlines and any
building higher than a single story, if possible, and to stay low.
(I've almost been knocked off my feet by an earthquake!) If we were
driving, we were supposed to pull off the road and get out of the car
and onto the shoulder. (This also allows easier access for emergency
vehicles.)
Much of this advice makes sense. Houses and schools where I grew up
tended to be single storey buildings. Very little of the construction
involved concrete, save for stem walls in the foundations. If the roof
is lightweight, pressing into a doorway (the strongest part of the house
frame) made sense, as long as I put my back to the hinge so that the
door wouldn't slam against me. In light of what you've posted here, I
wouldn't do that now, though!
Where I come from, houses were primarily constructed of wood frames
that supported thick walls filled with mortared brick. This kind of
construction fared well in earthquakes because the wood framing allowed
the houses to flex and sway. (The house I grew up in had been built in
1928 and survived MANY strong earthquakes without damage.) The biggest
danger involved chimneys falling into the house. This happened to our
next door neighbor, but fortunately, no one was hurt.
I don't think there was a conscious effort to misinform. We were
once told to put our noses to the floor while trying to escape from
fires, too, until people began dying from inhaling all of the heavy,
off-gassing of modern carpets and drapes. We should be willing to adapt
when new information is presented.
robert luis rabello
"The Edge of Justice"
"The Long Journey"
New Adventure for Your Mind
http://www.newadventure.ca
Ranger Supercharger Project Page
http://www.members.shaw.ca/rabello/
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