The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-12-16

curtains taut to the walls. Anoth. or, somewhat more costly method. Is to get portable shutters of plywcod or cardboard. These are specially constructed to fit perfectly inside the window frame.
 Tt Is possible to do q good hoine- made blackout job with curtains" he said, but the job must be done carefully and competently. In the early days VIC used all manner of lmprovised procedures. We even had steamer rugs on windows, Nt the beginning"
 Discussing the broader aspects of the effects of blaokouts on the pub- lie mood, he went on;
 , Tt is amazing how quickly peo- pie get used to this emergency con- dition. Human adjustability is q big factor. In Britain, we now live two lives, One part of the mind focuses on normal routine; anoth- CT part is on the lookout for dan. ger. This Is not as much of e her. vouS strain as 1t might appear, The part of the mind that Is watching for danger signs, alarms or sucli acts sub"consciously--until tho mos ment of actual danger comes, 1t does not encvoach on our normal life.
 We recognize tho signs of dan- ger quickly - watch and listen for them - then when 1t Is over, the normal part of the mind asserts itself again and the danger S for- gotten"
 Citing some interesting points re. garding the experience of Britons in walking the streets during black outs, Brown states that on moon- light nights, obviously the problem Of finding ones way is less serious. When the night sky is overcast, however, transportation becomes difficult.
 "You can't get around easily in Q part of the town you don't know" he explained, "but If you are fam. liar with the locality, your knoW- ledge of buildings and roads Is help. full. Generally speaking, the chief guide in walking Is to follow the skyline of buildings. If you are in the downtown district of a city, you can sight your way by glancing up. ward at regular intervals. Iii my home community in England, I knew l was nearing my house be- cause recognized the roof of the 'Iouse next door. That roof had Q slightly different shape. Figurative- ly speaking, we walk along from roof to roof instead of from door to door,"
 Sometimes that means bumrlng into Q tree, Brown cautioned. Lamp- posts were not problem in this respect because since the war the lamppostS in Britain have been painted ';gith broad bands of white paint, giving visibility.
 Here are 0 few useful tricks that British pedestrians have developed to facilitate walking during black. outs, as cited by Brown:
 Carry Q handkerchief or Q news. paper when crossing a road, Cig. arettes are helpful = draw on the cigarette when you hear footballs: It's glow acts as a signal to the person approaching, Walk slowly unless on a street with which you are quite familiar.
 Tn blackout conditions, the sens. es become more acute as they &C., custom themselves to seeing In the dark" Brown added. Sight and hearing are particularly keen. Some times you sense person coming even before you hear the stops,
 Familiarity with streets, roads, or paths Is a big advantage. There was . cinder path near my home, that l knew very well. used 1t during blackouts. The center was flat be- cause the cinders were crushed. al- though I could not see, knew I was going off my path whenever I found myself walking on large cin- Vlers."
 The moral of that. he concluded, WIS to remain as much as prac- ticable .n familiar districts dur ing blackouts.