Evening star., 1938-12-10
Power IS Restored
But Traffic Lights
Are Still Faulty
All Are Unsynchronized
And Many Are Out
Following Fire

Traffic lights, which failed during
the rush period late yesterday after
noon and snarled traffic for several
hours, were being restored to opera
ton today.
Although power service which
caused the failure when a short cir
cult occurred in a cable at E and
Twelfth streets NV. had been re-
stored, the traffic signals were stiil
not in working order, Maj. Ernest
w. Brown, superintendent of police,
reported.
He said they have not been syn
chronized and on some thorough
fares, including Seventh street and
Sixth street north of Rhode Island
avenue, they were not working
at all.
The lights were thrown out Of
commission at Sis o'clock when a
cable short circuited, causing a series
Of explosions and fire in the under
ground conduit on E street between
Twelfth and Thirteenth.
In the confusion that took place
when Office workers and shoppers,
homeward bound, found themselves
without the mechanical guidance of
traffic lights, several minor accidents
occurred, including one woman
knocked down by an automobile at
street intersection. In addition, a
Potomac Electric Power Co. service
man was overcome as he and other
workmen labored to get the fire
under control.
Timid Motorists Cause Jam.
to the patience of motorists and
bus drivers caught in the traffic jam.
At all street intersections traffic
lights were frozen red or green
and it required prolonged blowing
of horns and in some instance the
use of choice expletives to get the
more timid souls to ignore the lights
and proceed on their way.
Every minute or so the scene would
be duplicated, as some Caspar
Milquetoast from far down the line
OF traffic would reach the corner,
see the red light, and come to a
traffic-paralyzing halt Frequently
a bus driver, at best hard put to
keep his schedule during the rush
periods, would lean from his cab
and bawl Justify, Say buddy, get
that crate out of the way" Which
sometimes the timid soul did and
sometimes he didn't.
Amateurs Volunteered.
At several busy corners amateur
traffic policemen braved the double
lines of automobiles and went to the
center of the intersection to try to
disentangle the snarl Regular
policemen, however, were soon
rushed to the most congested areas
and directed traffic until the lights
were restored to service around
9 pm.
All policemen going off duty at s
pm were ordered by Police Inspec-
tor James F. Beckett to proceed to
the congested spots and assist in
directing traffic. Maj. Ernest w.
Brown. superintendent of police, was
himself caught in the downtown
snarl, but managed to proceed to his
home, from where he directed the
work of getting traffic Strengthened
out
Meanwhile the Fire Department
and crews of the power company
were trying to extinguish the fire
among the cables in the UNDER
ground conduit.
Single Gable ShOrted.
j. H. Ferry, chief engineer for the
power company. said the trouble
arose when a single cable short
circuited and then fell among other
cables in the underground conduit.
This caused the smoke and fire
which blew off a man hole cover
and attracted a large crowd to the
scene.
Mr.. Ferry said this morning that
all service had been restored with
current supplied through other cir
cults. He said the damage to the
cables at E and Twelfth streets would
amount to approximately $4,000 and
that they would be restored probably
tonight.
In the only accident reported dur
ing the congestion in which a person
was injured. Mrs. Alice Poeppen, IS,
of $40 North Glebe road, Arlington,
Va, received a fractured left leg.
Police said she was knocked down
by an automobile at Fifteenth and K
streets NV, one of the worst con-
gested spots. when she tried to cross
the street. The driver of the auto
mobile was not held.