Evening star., 1941-12-22

,cording to rank. Non.rated men
Hospital reported the alarm went
unnoticed.
Only the watchers on the roof of
the Shoreham Hotel detected the
alarm, and air raid wardens at the
Wardman Park couldn't hear 1t at
all. Even the Willard Hotel, only
four blocks from the make-shift
siren atop the Potomac Electric
Power Co. Building. reported hear
ing the alarm only family.
Hotel Doorman Gives Alarm.
1t was the doorman at the May
flower who set that hotels own
emergency service in operation.
When he brought word that the
alarm had been sounded, rs trained
employees were dispatched to des-
ignated posts in corridors, at first
aid stations, flre-hghting equip
ment and elsewhere. Guests were
notified by telephone that the alarm
was on.
Most of the wardens wore make
shift arm bands, but some had pro-
vided themselves with bands bearing
the official air raid warden in
sigma.
One feeding unit actually was in
operation, though perhaps not serv-
ing its prescribed purpose. Set up
in the Lewis Memorial Church at
Fourth and Hamilton streets NV.
the unit served hot coffee to wardens
in the Hampshire Heights area
Mrs. Julia F. Dooley, who was in
charge, thought it would be well
come on cool winter morning-and
it was, the wardens reported.
Arlington Signal Poor.
AS in Washington, the test In
Arlington focused attention on the
county's inadequate alarm signals.
The signals, particularly the shorter
blast that marked "all-clear" was
wholly inadequate to warn the $4,000
residents.
"Its apparent now that we will
need compressed air horns with
greater volume" said F. Freeland
Chew, chief deputy air raid warden
for the county.
Zone and group warden reports
to the air raid headquarters in the
courthouse indicated that the test
had been go per cent effective" in
those areas where the alarm could
be heard. Traffic was brought to q
standstill by special details of coun-
ty police and about 1,4O0 wardens,
but because Of individual interpre-
tations of regulations by police and
wardens, pedestrians were not
cleared from the streets in some
areas.
Among those tagged to the curb
by police was George NJ Yeatman,
a zone warden, who was trying to
patrol large territory in his auto
mobile. He demonstrated when an
officer insisted that his car remain
idle at the curb, but complied and
patrolled his area on foot.
Report From Hyattsville
THE only reason we didn't have
perfect cooperation was that peo-
pie knew it was only test, and
many stayed out just to see what
would happen" said Robert Forrest,
chief warden at Hyattsville. But
I'm sure everything would work fine
in a real raid"
An incident at control headquar-
ters for Montgomery County in Sill
yer Spring provided some amuse-
ment. About two minutes after the
alarm was sounded. Albert e.
Brault, chairman OF the Civilian De-
fense Council for the county, and
several members of his executive
committee were standing in front
of the police station to observe the
effectiveness of the test. An uniden-
titled warden rushed up and Or
dered the party to take to cover"
Immediately. Deciding that the war
den was good one, Mr.. Brault and
his companions disappeared quickly
through the door.
No Alarm at Sandy Spring.
Members of the Executive Com
mittee said no siren was sounded in
Sandy Spring, Md, because OF
rumors that spread through that
community after Mondays trial
blackout. The rumors we're that
five blasts from the fire department
siren now would mean "the real
thing" So to relieve any anxiety Of
residents, the alarm was admitted,
but authorities halted traffic.
In the District, % squad cars and
four accident prevention unit cars
participated in the test, and re-
portedly joined in sounding the
alarm Commissioner Young had
requested commanding police Of
ficers to make arrangements to per-
nit members of the following groups
to proceed without interference dur
ing the test:
Wardens, rescue squads, bomb