Evening star., 1937-08-01

That" observed Capt. Hoagland
calmly, "is just the sump pumps"
The "sump pumps" it appeared,
are thus summoned into action. both
in Capt Hoagland's Office and in the
office Of the engineer, every time water
seeps into the basement of the JUS
tice Building.
Then there are bells which announce
butt blaze in waste paper basket
to a frst-class conflagratlon. And
all these bells ring and Clatter and
clang and buzz in Capt. Hoaglands
Office, to be interpreted. The guard
does not depend, however. upon the
bells alone to receive such warnings.
An efficient system is set up to an
nounce possible fires. and it includes
a fire control panel that is marvel
Of automatic announcing devices.
Anything going wrong with the gen.
eral fire system throughout the build
ing causes trouble bell" to be
sounded within the headquarters
offices. simultaneously, a red light
flashes on the fire panel, designating
the exact location of the trouble. Such
emergencies as short circuits in the
electric system are thus Immediately
and automatically reported. The en-
tire fire alarm system is controlled by
its own power system and is not de-
pendent upon the house current for
operation. AS soon as the trouble
bell sounds and the light flashes.
the electrician is notified and repairs
are made. In the case of fire, if blaze
should ever get beyond the control of
the guard forces. box on the wall in
Capt. Hoagland's Office would be the
means of Immediately calling upon the
District fire forces for additional aid.
A SIDE from protecting the building
against fire or other elements, one
of the biggest jobs of these Federal
guards is to handle vast crowds of
visitors. 1t requires efficient organ
iZation work, tact, courtesy and inf
mite patience to handle $4,000 visi-
tors year. These qualities the Fed
eral guards are trained to exhibit.
Visitors are directed to a general
assembly or reception room. on the fifth
floor of the building, where they are
turned over to F. B. l. men, who sep
arates them into groups. Agents take
charge of the individual tours. the
group tour takes from As minutes to
an hour. depending upon circum-
stances. There are regular daily tours
at 1890 am. and at 2:30 pm. and q
regular tour on Saturdays at 1890
am. No charge is made for this serv-
ice.
When $4,000 Boy Scouts descended
upon the home of the G-men and
clamored for admission the able forces
Of Capt. Hoagland showed no pertur-
baton. They took the long queues of
restless youngsters in hand and every
thing went off smoothly. Capt Hoag-
land tried to keep as many as possible
inside the r-cooled building instead
Of in the hot court.
They we're the incest, cleanest-cut
group of boys I ever saw" Capt. Hoae-
land declares. The only trouble I
had with the entire $4,000 Of them
was keeping possession Of my badge
and shoulder bars. They all wanted
them for souvenirs"
So efficiently were these crowds
handled that j. Edgar Hoover wrote
a personal letter of congratuIation and
appreciation to Capt. Hoagland
Elliott Hoagland retired from the
Regular Army as captain. He had
seen service in the Spanish American
War as boy of Is, and subsequently
in the Philippine Insurrection, along
the Mexican border and In the World
War. During the World War he was
training officer at the port Of en-
barkation at Newport News. He had
gone to Newport News with orders for
overseas, but they kept him at the
training station. After 80 years
service in the Army he retired at the
end Of the World War.
II went out to Fort Myer to live
where could hear a bugle blow" he
says now, for civil life was a foreign
country to me after the years I had
spent in the Army"
Having heard that the average life
Of retired man was two years" Capt.
Hoagland declares he wanted "to beat
that" and so took his civil service ex-
animation for the custodial service of
the Government. He was first ap-
pointed to the State Department as
guard and stayed there for three or
four months. From there he went to
the old Patent Office and had been
on duty a month when the Internal
Revenue Building was opened and he
was transferred. Entering as guard
he was made sergeant here and when
the Department Of Justice Building
opened in 1884 he was assigned to the
new building. He was soon promoted
to lieutenant and then to captain. and
since July I, 1885, has served as cap
tain Of the guarA