Evening star., 1942-06-18
blackout Standards
Drafted by Board Of
Army Engineers
Bulletins DeuI With
Traffic. Buildings
And Street Lighting

With blackouts a common occur
ence and coasts in danger from pos
sible air-raid7 reprisals, the Army
Engineer Board at Fort Belvoir, Va,
has moved to acquaint the public
and manufacturers with standard
specifications for essential blackout
equipment and requirements.
Copies of these have been dis
tributed, the War Department an
nounced, to all defense commanders
and corps area commanders.
Three separate bulletins also have
been distributed dealing with black
out requirements for highway move
ments, blackout of buildings and
street lighting during blackouts.
The bulletins are not intended for
general distribution at this time but
for Use of Army and Government
o6icials and equipment manufac-
turers, for the establishment of ef-
fective measures for adequate black
outs through the use of approved
technical devices and materials.
The Office of Civilian Defense will
publish and distribute the specifi-
cations later in areas to which they
will be applied.
Requested by Agencies.
The standards were drafted by
the Engineer Board with suggestions
from the National Technological
Civil Protection Committee, the Ma
tional Defense Research Council,
the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion, the Bureau of Standards and
the Once of Defense Transporta-
ton.
Blackout equipment specified for
highway movement is designed to
provide maximum safety with rea-
sonable freedom from detection by
enemy aircraft. The specifications
prescribe that "one, and only one
approved blackout driving lamp
shall be employed on motor We
hicles" This is to be mounted or
the front between the left side anC
center, far enough forward to elm
mate appreciable reflection of igh'
from any portion Of the vehicle.
The mounting height Of thi.
blackout lamp is to be not less thar
SO inches nor more than 56 inches
measured from the road level. anc
in no case higher than the top OF
the rim of the steering wheel. Pre-
ferable mounting height is A inches
Other Lights Described.
Precise descriptions are given ir
the bulletin of standard tail lights
and stop lights for automobiles, a,
we'll as requirements for motor buses
and street cars. Drab brown paint
! is recommended for all shiny sur.
faces
Since q period of at least five
minutes is required for the human
eye to become fairly well adapted
for vision during blackout, 1t was
recommended that no user of the
road. except in an emergency, should
move in a blackout until his eyes
are properly "dark-adapted."
Attention also is given to thu
needs OF pedestrians and traffic con-
troll personnel required to move OF
stand in h 'ghways during blackouts
Since they are not then clearly
visible from moving vehicles, they
must learn to keep out OF the path
of trat1ic. Pedestrians detailed to
blackout duty should wear white
or refiecto-ized leggings or anklets
and should carry blackout flashlights
or lanterns
Interior Lighting Urged.
In preparing buildings for black
outs the specifications stress the
desirabillty Of adequate interior
lighting for its benefit upon morale
The absolute turning OF of all in
door lights. the engineers said
causes serious disruption of normal
military, Industrial, commercial and
home activitles-the very objectives
sought Ly enemy air raids"
For general indoor purposes, q
special 15-watt lamp has been de-
veloped which permits reduced H.
Elimination without the necessity OF
complete obstruction for windows
and doors. when employed in ac-
cordance with ofiicial instructions
This bulb Is orange or orange-red
with an opaque coating. except for
an aperature l inch in diameter.
The specifications on building