New-York tribune., 1918-06-05
Police Commissioner s
Ban on Excess Light
Obeyed in Town
and at Resorts
Signs Turned Off
Along White Way
Sirens to Give Alarm /;
Instructions Issued for
Householders i'm the
Event of Attack

New York City was darkened last
night as a precaution against pos
siblc raid by German airplanes or
shells from the six-inch guns of a
venturesome U-boat, This was the re-
suit of the visit of the Kaiser's raiders
to American waters.
The city was not entirely darkened,
as London is, for street lights and the
lamps on the bridges were on, and here
and there lights appeared in some Of
the downtown Office buildings.
The order to darken the city was
issued yesterday by Police Commits
sioner Enright on his own Initiative
after he had consulted with army Of
ficers at Governors Island.
John H. Delaney, Commissioner of
Plants and Structures. explained the
lights on the bridges by saying that
the Police Department had ruled that
bridges were city thoroughfares and, as
such, could display their lights.
White Way Is Dark
Theatres were consistent observers
of the order, for it was impossible to
see the lights in the lobby until one
was abreast of the building. Curtains
masked the lights on the city's numer-
Gus roof gardens.
The White Way was dark, except for
the street lamps, and the same was
true of Brooklyn's theatre district on
Fulton Street, Harlem's White Way on
125th Street, and of Coney Island and
other coast resorts in the city's con-
fines.
Jersey resorts and pleasure places
along Long Island had their lights on
as usual.
Commissioner Enright's order read:
"All display lights, advertising
signsy or special illumination
throughout the city, including sea-
shores, will be discontinued until
further order. This will not include
city lights.
"In office buildings where lights
are used, shades will be drawn where
it is possible to do so.
Notify all concerned imme-
dately."
Police, in many cases aided by Boy
Scouts, made note of offenders, and a
report of all offences sent to Police
Headquarters to-day will be in the
hands of the Department of Justice be-
fore night.
Raid Instructions
Commiss ioner Enright's instructions
to be followed in the event of an aerial
rail read:
"The Police department desires to
notify all residents of the city,
through the press, that in the event
of raid on this city by enemy aero
planes the following signals will be
given
"Siren horns will be sounded con-
tinuously for ten minutes. When
this signal is given evey one should
Immediately open the windows of
their homes or Offices and go at once
to the cellar Of the premises.
after the danger has passed a
signal will be given by short blasts
of siren horns or whistles at inter
walls of one minute each for period
of twenty minutes"
These sirens are located on buildings
at different points in the city and when
they sound warning of an air raid
nurses and doctors will hold them
selves ready for emergency calls. The
same alarm will be the signal for hun
dreds of airplanes to rise from the
aviation fields at Governors Island
Rockaway Point. Mineola, Sandy Hook
and other places near the city, if the,
are not at the time in the air.
Commissioner Enright, in explaining
his order, said that because the U-boats
which have been raiding near the coast
might attempt a raid he believed it
time to take all precautions possible
for the protection of New York City.
He said that with this thought in mind
he dispatched Special Deputy Police
Commissioner Ryan, in charge of the
national defence of the Police Depart
ment. to Governors Island yesterday
morning. He said that the army Office
with whom Mr.. Ryan consulted be-
lieved it was a wise plan to dim the
lights, especially excess lights.
Mr.. Ryan said that there was a pos
sibility of the U-boats carrying air
planes which could fly over the city
and drop bombs. He said that army
officers would fly over the city during
the night to make observations to see
what effect the order had from a prac-
teal standpoint.
Henry Wodehouse. member of the
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