Evening star., 1942-06-18
were the Army and Navy airfields

were the Army and Navy airfields
here.
The test at the airport made a
deep impression on Commissioner
Young and Representative Stefan.
Republican, of Nebraska. They said
three planes landed while the ter
minal was blacked out and that
more than 300 persons in the ter
| minal at the time were quickly
evacuated to the basement.
/ Operation Performed During Test.
/ Shortly after the blackout period
began and during the actual air.
raid test. an appendectomy was per-
| formed by DR.. Carson l.. Fifer on a
/ l0-year -old Alexandria CVa.) boy at
the Alexandria General Hospital.
| The patient was an acute case and
! immediate operation was called for,
DR.. Fifer said.
The operating room windows were
we'll shaded and the surgery was
| performed without incident, al
though nurses later went to work
in the "scrubroom" sterilizing in
struments and cleaning equipment
with the aid of flashlights. The pa
tient is recovering satisfactorily.
Montgomery County defense ON
Gals said they were investigating
failure to turn of certain street
lights in the Chevy Chase area
until some 20 minutes after the
blackout began.
All reports have not come in yet,
it was stated, so responsibility for
the error has not yet been deter
mined.
In another case of delayed dous-
ing of street lights along Columbia
road at Eighteenth street, Capt.
Clarence Lutz of No 10 police pre-
cinct said the error was due to the
confusion of a police offlcer who
thought a signal would be given to
turn them of.
Some Non CO. operation Noted.
While the Commissioners and
civilian defense officials declared
they believed the test was the best
yet. their enthusiasm was tempered
somewhat by their observations of
brilliantly lighted street cars and
well-lighted windows in some build
ings. All were agreed, however, that
the cooperation Of home owners
was only little shy Of 100 per cent.
Commissioner Young said he be-
lieved the Capital Transit Co. should
be expected to give better co-opera-
ton" in backing out streetcars and
buses in the next blackout. He also
said he thought some of the buses
we're violating the 15-mile-per hour
blackout speed limit.
Col Lemuel Bolles, executive d.
rector of civilian defense, pointed
out that the transit firm has been
unable to get equipment to black out
its vehicles, but Commissioner Young
said he could see no reason why the
company should not turn out the
inside lights or put shades over the
windows until they get the equip
ment.
Col. Beverly C. Snow, Assistant
Engineer Commissioner, who sta
toned himself at the communica-
tions control center during the test,
reported that everything there func-
toned smoothly, and that the simu-
lated incidents employed to test
communications and other parts of
the organization we're cleared"
swiftly and efficiently. There was
none of the bottlenecks experienced
during the last test, he said.
Forty seperate incidents" rang
ing from incendiary bombings to
disruption Of water mains and gas
lines, were arranged as though en-
emy planes we're cutting a swath
across the city.
At designated moments, afraid
wardens in several civilian defense
areas opened letters containing in
structions to report bombing or
a fire. The first was timed for three
minutes after the blackout started,
and the others followed at two
minute intervals. All were reported
to the control center, which, In an
actual raid, would dispatch the
proper equipment to the scene. For
last nights test, the incidents were
simply reported.
William J. Milsham, chief AFRAID
warden, who was at the control cen
ter when the reports were made,