Evening star., 1941-12-12
Little Interest Shown
In Districts First
Raid Warning Test
Sirens Not Loud Enough
To Attract Attention
Of Crowds at Noon

The Districts first air raid alarm
test went off today with only q
flicker of interest by the public.
Few paid any attention at all to
the wall of the sirens and several
even said they thought there was
fire in the vicinity.
Only at Fire Alarm Headquarters,
where the sole genuine air raid
alarm is located, was there a noise
family resembling what people ex-
pected to hear. And much OF the
section around Fire Alarm Head
quarters is occupied by Mcmillan
Park
The trial sounding of the make
shift siren on the roof OF the Poto-
mac Electric Power Co. Building
convinced Civilian Defense Director
Lemuel Bolles the horn was mad
equate and would have to be sup
plemented.
Will Use Plant Whistles.
Pending provision Of funds with
which a series of more audible horns
could be purchased, Col. Bolles said
that in case of need the Pepco Build
ing siren would be supplemented by
the sounding of commercial and
industrial plant whistles, police and
fire sirens.
Shortly after the trial, about so
persons telephoned Col. Bolles at
his Office to say they had heard it
from their Offices but just barely
So" This was the case with officials
at the Civil AeronauticS Authority
and Gen. Frank T. Hines at the Vet
erans' Administration. However,
a call came from a northeast resi-
dent who said he had heard it.
At Eleventh and F streets NV.
nearest crowded sector to the make
shift siren, the wall was only little
louder than that of an engine on its
way to a fire. A few people looked
skyward as the whining sound
started promptly at noon, but most
of them continued across the street
or paused to look in department
store windows.
Not Loud Enough.
A few discussed it and several
agreed it wasn't loud enough. A
few minutes after the warning,
when a reporter asked passersby
what they thought of the air raid
warning signal all Of them looked
startled and said they hadn't heard
it. One woman who had been watch
ing a street clock said she was wait
ing for it to go OF.
The signal device installed atop
the power company building is a
discarded fire horn designed for
use by rural fire stations to summon
volunteer flremen. 1t was used by
the Rockville fire station until sew
eral years ago.
Only the air raid horn at fire
alarm headquarters was capable OF
the official air raid warning signal
adopted for the District. The sirens,
including the Pepco horn, were in
capable of producing the staccato
blast prescribed for the signal. In
stead, the sirens walled in rising and
falling sounds, reaching Is cres-
cendos. 1t was difficult to tell the
difference between warning-sup-
posedly five short blasts Of half
second duration, repeated three
times-and the all-clear-three long
blasts.
1t was originally understood that
the test was to check communica-
ton facilities as much as to test the
improvised equipment which must
do for emergencies until the real
thing is bought for the District.
Notification of Warning.
However, notification of the time
of the warning and the time OF the
all clear was given to those partici-
pating in the test early this morn
ing or yesterday. To the AZ fire
houses whose sirens were used in
the test, instructions were given at
noon during the routine noon call.
instructions to sound the all clear
at 1910 were given at the same time.
Thirty-five cruising police cars
also got their instructions to sound
their sirens from Maj Edward Kelly
early this morning. They were in
structed to remain at standstill
while their sirens were blowing un-
less they were on their way to q call.
Herbert A. Friede. superintendent
Of communications for local civilian
defense and In charge Of IRE alarm