Evening star., 1941-12-31

fense had written some sealed or
ders, to be delivered by policemen
to wardens in various sections.
These outlined simulated problems,
such as delayed bombs or burning
houses, and were supposed to test
the resourcefulness Of the wardens.
One such order reported jewelry
store looted on F street, In the heart
of the business section. The war
den who got the order promptly
phoned police headquarters, and
somehow the word test was de-
leted, and the report got on the
police radio as an actual robbery.
Several squads Of heavily armed
police dashed to the scene. led by
Chief of Detectives Richard Mans
field and 1t. Clyde N. Strange, head
Of the robbery squad.
When 1t. Strange, in plain clothes.
aHghted from the car, an assistant
warden grabbed him and told him to
get under cover.
A regular policeman who was pa
trolling the beat thought he mad
vertently had set of burglar alarm
by tapping on the window to attract
attention to the failure Of the pro-
prietor to turn off the lights.
A big crowd gathered in front of
the store, despite the blackout and
the instructions for every one but
officials to stay off the streets.
A theoretical jewelry store robbery
in Clarendon, Va, also got on the
Washington police radio as an ac-
tuality. This, too, was the result Of
a sealed order.
Other sealed orders which Col.
Bolles prepared for the metropolitan
region included: Water main burst
at Fourteenth and Decatur streets
NV" Zone Of Southwest:
300 people in street; entire section
on fire; fighting 1t. but out of con-
troll" Serious panic In West
End street" "Incendiary fire
on Adams Mills road near Ontario
place"
The wardens who got these orders
acted as if they were real, reporting
to the appropriate authorities. The
o. C. D. later was advised what
happened"
SearchIights Spear Planes.
Several Army and Navy planes
flew over the city during the black
out, and searchlights promptly
picked them up and followed them.
A touch of realism followed the
"red" signal, meaning planes over
head. Gunfire across the Potomac
could be heard. Army officers said
a military post was using guns for
an air-raid warning.
While cars and pedestrians gen.
orally stayed off the streets in the
residential sections, 1t was notice.
able that large groups gathered on
downtown corners, especially F
street, to see what was going to
happen. The wardens apparently
could not persuade them to take
cover.
Not a single accident or traffic
complaint reached headquarters as
a result of the blackout.
Motorists had been told they could
double park if necessary. Some were
observed triple parked. Police made
no complaint. They had stopped
and tried to comply with orders.
The theaters were well blacked
out, their marques suddenly
darkened and their outside signs off
Traffic lights throughout the city
remained on.
Col Bolles stationed himself dur
ing the alarm period at the vital
and mysterious Office of commune
cations, in fire alarm headquarters,
in the reservoir area near the
Soldiers Home. With him were high
Army officers, including Maj. Gen.
Henry C.. Pratt, commanding the
Sc Corps Area, and Brig. Gen. Albert
Cox, commander of the Washington
Provisional Brigade.
The yellow signal, notifying COM
munications headquarters that SIM
ulated enemy planes were headed
toward Washington, was flashed to
all the fire stations shortly before
o'clock, but was not announced on
the radio.
The washington blue" the sig
nal to be ready for raid alarm,
was sent out at 7:l6. At 7:45 the
red signal-the actual alarm-went