Evening star., 1941-12-10
New Air Raid Alarm
Sounded in New York
After 7 False Scares
Police Say Bombing
Imminent but ARM
Discounts Report
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Dec. 10.-New York
awoke today to find it was all bad
dream; the screaming sirens, roar
ing fighter planes and scurrying air
raid wardens had been here, all
right, but the enemy hadn't.
New England and Long Island
breathed easier, too, after an appar-
ent misunderstanding yesterday that
put the Northeastern Seaboard on
the alert for attacking bombers and
| caused two afraid alarms in this
city.
Nevertheless, AFRAID warnings
were sounded again in New York at
8:41 am. today after similar warm
lngs had flashed over Long Island.
The all clear was heard at 9:0l.
Police headquarters reported that
| enemy bombing was imminent" but
1st Air Force headquarters at Nit
chel Field disclaimed any knowl-
edge of hostile aircraft being in
the vicinity.
| 1t later was learned that United
States Navy patrol planes had been
mistaken for enemy craft. The Po-
lice Telegraph Bureau said it sound
ed the alarm after receiving warn
ing by wire signal from the New
York information center on defense
A spokesman at Mitchell Field
said:
I'VE gave no orders for an air
raid alarm. We are not responsible
If local drills are being held"
Meanwhile, Gov. Lehman at Al
bany ordered immediate practice
blackouts" for all New York cities.
Considerable Excitement.
The metropoll-an area expert
enced its first alarms amid con-
siderable excitement yesterday as a
result of what the War Department
described as a "phony tip" that
enemy bombers were approaching
The mushroom growth of tip
had these results:
Nearly 300 aircraft zoomed into
the air from the air base at Michel
Field and the officers families were
evacuated; civilian defense volun-
teers and plane spoilers manned
their posts: more than a million
school children were sent home; the
stock market slumped.
Boston was alerted for more thar
an hour; huge military and nayal
establishments at New London
Conn, took precautions: tens oi
thousands of civilian employees were
evacuated from defense factories
After the excitement. aviation
authorities recalled that before the
European war broke, Germany hac
two transatlantic seaplanes de-
signed for catapult launching from
sea going vessels. They were de-
scribed at that time as able tt
carry a payload of $50 pounds 9
distance of 3,100 miles.
Admiral Believes Reports.
The New London area was placed
on the alert after the reports were
received and the commander of the
|. Atlantic submarine feet, Rear Ad.
, miral Richard S. Edwards, said the
reports were Sufficiently authentic
to make all persons take every pre-
caution"
In New York, the Bellevue Hos
pital disaster unit of more than Sc
| doctors and their helpers modified
for transportation to any critica
/ points.
Meanwhile. the hospital prepared
( its blackout defense. Workmen wer
employed to prepare coverings TO
all windows in the sprawling struc
. ture on the East River.
!, Plans of United China Relief t
9 distribute emergency identification
= buttons in the Chinese colony wer
Cancelled because of the warnings.
The GID Coast Artillery, a mobil
anti-aircraft unit at Fort Totter
/ Queens, modified for instant servic
: wherever needed. Similar precau
S tions were taken at Fort Mon
mouth, N. j., a part of the New Yor
Harbor defense.
At the end Of the first warnin
t woman dropped to her knees O
the sidewalk before the Unite
s States customs house at the foot c
! Manhattan and prayed.
I Thousands flocked out Of Wa
r Street skyscrapers when the siren
), walled in disregard of warnings t
n remain inside. This was true i
e many sections of the city.
S Somebody ordered a "blackout
In the huge Criminal Courts Build
ing. In an inner courtroom, wher
g lights were needed, a judge wa
k charging a jury in a robbery cas-
t when all went black. Bailiffs lai
heavy hands on the defendant
= In chilly, overcast weather-ther
S was a slight snow furry in New Yor
S for while-thousands in tn
n densely populated area for the mos
It part took the business calmly an
in a manner which bespoke fee
It ing of incredulity.
/ The first sandbag protection ar
IS peared in East Fifty-second stre'
e where a restaurant proprietor bal
d ricaded the front of his place.
n During the alarms radio station
II continually warned persons to n
main calm and to stay at home.