Evening star., 1938-09-27
DIGS OUT
BOMB SHELTERS
Two Of Subway Stations
Are Closed to Be Made
Air Raid Proof,
By the Associated Press

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Sept. 27-London, nerve
center Of the British Empire, today
prepared for the possible arrival Of
enemy airplanes by designating the
city's two deepest subway stations for
immediate Transformation into air.
raid shelters.
The two stations at Charing Cross.
almost exactly In the center Of Lon.
don, were ordered closed at . pm.
tonight q pm. z. s. IT, by the Lon-
don Transport Board for urgent
structural works"
The nature Of the work was not ON.
cially disclosed, but it was stated the
closing order would remain In effect
until further notice"
Authoritative quarters indicated that
vast underground shelters against war
bombers would be built, part OF the
greatest defense preparations in Brit
ish history.
Altogether nine subway stations will
be closed, but apparently the "altera.
tions" will be made only at the two
stations coming into Charing Cross.
Arrangements have been made to
route traffic around the closed sta
tions or make connections there with
surface transport.
Old Men Dig Trenches.
Ali night long through the drizzlin1
rain her old men dug trenches in
parks and vacant lots All night long
her young men rolled away to their
guns along the coast.
In the ghostly glare Of torchlight
residents dug up their gardens. Con-
vinced their peacetime hours were
numbered, they threw out their chry.
santhemums and dug themselves ref.
uges below ground.
Trucks filled with gas masks rum.
bled across the city.
Policemen went from door to door
with instructions how to darken win.
dows in air raid blackouts. Patients
able to continue convalescence at homo
left hospitals.
Appeals for help went to automobile
owners.
Windsor Cellar Is Sealed.
Everything imaginable was turned
into air raid shelters. Workers sealed
the wine cellar at Windsor Castle.
They started making a shelter out Of
the news of Buckingham Palace. They
barricaded railroad tunnels, old caves
along the south coast, church crypts.
bank vaults.
In a single night Englishmen sought
to prove the boast, I'VE don't need
conscription. Sound trucks, appeal
ing for anybody who can swing q
pick and shovel" brought men flock
Ing to the parks
No arrangements were made to feed
these people. but they were fed. Wom-
en- came from neighboring houses with
steaming pots Of tea and bread and
butter.
New relays Of shovelers took over
Is each group stopped for rest.
Sandbaxs Protect Art.
Volunteers in cities reported to-
public buildings for work on auxiliary
fire brigades. In one city, the royal
engineers got sandbags ready to pro-S
tect works Of art. /
In another. workers started painting
over street lamps In a third, light,
current was reduced by half. =
London was full Of American tour
lists, part of whom did not seem desir-
Gus Of leaving. Others, with booking
on late October boats, rushed to steam
ship companies in an effort to ct
the sailings advanced. :
The first available bookings to New
York were for October II, and thess
were going fast. Unofncially, the En-
bassy advised Americans to return
home at once or to go to Ireland ana
await boats there. ---.
People in London hurried to buy
reserve supplies Of canned foods, -four
and sugar. Rents of country cottages,
which normally drop at this time Of
year, have gone up.
Movie theaters noted a slump. One
play announced it would not open
because Of the international situation,
The play was titled Bobby, Get Your
Gun.'