Evening star., 1941-12-16
B|ackout Test
Effective in
Montgomery
Lights Snapped Out
Quickly in Homes
And Stores


last night with a thoroughness that
left practically no lights burning
during the 15-minute alarm" period,
except for automobile and street
lamps.
Executive Director Albert A. Brault
of the county's Civilian Defense
Council today praised the 1000 air.
raid wardens, regular and auxiliary
flremen and police, members Of the
State Guard companies and Defense
Council officials for their work and
some $4,000 householders who CO.
operated in the test
Officials of the Potomac Electric
Power Co. explained that only about
one-third of the street lights in the
area served by the company are
designed to be dimmed, and that
none Of these are in the metropon-
tan section beyond the District line.
When investigation revealed that
men would be required at each of 23
control points in the county to cut
off the street lights alone. plans
for complete blackout were given
up temporarily.
Plans are now being worked out
for central control system which
will make it possible to turn OF
all street lights in the entire WASH
ngton area within few seconds
after raid alarm is given. Under
the present setup, officials have esti-
mated it would take more than 80
minutes to cut of all the street
lights, more than enough to permit
an enemy attacking force to find its
targets easily.
No accidents were reported from
845 pm, when the signal was re-
ceived at the county control center
in the Silver Spring County Build
ing, until the all clear" was given
IS minutes later. Three minutes
were required to notify all firehouses
in the area, extending from Takoma
Park to the Potomac River and
from the District line to beyond
Rockville. 4
Hospitals Cooperate.
At the Washington Sanitarium in
| Takoma Park and the Montgomery
| County General Hospital at Sandy
/ Spring patients had been notified in
advance and the blackout was COM
plete. In the sanitarium blue light
globes had been provided for all
corridors and in the hospital nurses
and doctors found their way around
with flashlights covered with paper,
Just as the siren blew one Of the
Office staff at the sanitarium called
the Silver Spring police station tc
notify Policeman Herman Johnson
that he was the father OF a baby
girl. his second child. He remained
on duty until the raid" was over.
Mr.. Brault reported that no cases
of failure to cooperate were re-
ported, but. that a dozen or more
homes remained lighted for a few
moments after the blackout signal
because the sirens could not be
heard. In all instances, however,
residents extinguished the lights at
word from their local air raid
wardens. he said.
Secretary of the Interior Ickes.
who lives near Olney. was notified
Of the blackout by telephone and
said he had not heard the siren,
defense officials said.
Powerful Sirens to Be Sought.
Mr.. Brault said that the need Of
more powerful sirens had been DEM
onstrated by the test and that they
would be obtained as soon as pos
sible. In Silver Spring, fire engines
patroled Colesville pike and Georgia
avenue with sirens blowing to sup
plement the signal at the flrehouse.
The two lights which burned
brightly during the entire test wers
reported in the Bethesda area. One
was neon sign on the third story
of a building on Wisconsin avenue
and the other in the Office Of q
filling station across the street from
the Bethesda police station.
Half an hour before the signal
was scheduled the defense council
staff was in readiness. At $50 pm.
advance warning was flashed from
the control center and passed on
down through the chain of tele-
phone communications to each Sec
tor through the county.
Policemen took their posts at the
District line to warn motorists from
the District to dim their lights and
proceed slowly. Lights in many
homes went off even before the first
air warning signal was blown and
many motorists turned out their
lights entirely. When the flash
finally was given, the result was
almost instantaneous.
Lights Out Before Signal Dies
Before the third series of five
short blasts had died away, all out
ward evidence of lights in stores
theaters. restaurants, and filling sta
tions had disappeared. In a movie
theater in Silver Spring, the show
was continued without interruption
although lights on the marquee and
in the lobby were extinguished. One
restaurant in the same area served
its patrons by candlelight which
drawn blinds hid from the outside
Most citizens associations which
had meetings scheduled had post
poned the sessions. The Woodmore
Citizens Association, however, re-
cessed during the blackout period
to permit members to take Their
stations as air raid wardens or to
return home to turn out the lights
Reports we're made when the meet
ing resumed.
| The only disorder reported came
from the Silver Spring area. where
a window in an apartment house
was boken by a stone believed to
have been thrown by small boy
The warden in the sector reported
no light had been showing in the
apartment.
} The sound of an airplane believed
to be from an Army field here at
tracted the attention of many as 1t
flew over the area during the black
out and gave a realistic touch to
} the test.
} Church bells were rung in Garrett
} Park and Potomac. where no fire
eirepc urere available The most