Evening star., 1942-09-29
BIuckout
Continued From First Page.)

it took eight or more minutes to
blackout street lights and Commis-
sioner Young said he was giving
serious consideration to transferring
the job of throwing the light
switches from the police to wardens,
move advocated by Col. Lemuel
Bolles, executive director of District
civilian defense, but frowned on by
other defense officials.
Device Report Awaited.
The synchronized system Of ex-
tinguishing street lights demon
strated several weeks ago is still
under consideration. Commissioner
Young said, although 1t would be
costly and require ton Of copper.
He added that he is still awaiting
the report of District engineers on
the device which would control all
street lights from a single trans
mitter.
Commissioner Guy Mason, who
toured the northwest section, COM
mented that Sixteenth street was
slow to go out, as were the lights
In Lafayette Park across from the
White House. Officials also men
toned that on New York avenue
the street light problem was par
ticularly noticeable because lights
had been extinguished on one side
Of the street and not on the other.
Principal new feature of the black
out, which lasted for three quarters
of an hour beginning at 1908 pm.
was the widespread functioning OF
control centers. The blackout also
was the occasion for testing gas
alarm clackers distributed to one
area.
Officials concentrated on the con-
troll centers where personnel had
undergone earlier in the evening
another drill in their month-long
training program. Although they
were not given advance warning
of the blackout, control center
workers were told to stay on the
job In expectation of a visit from
defense chiefs.
Tour Control Centers.
Visiting the control centers were
Commissioners Young, Kutz and
Mason, Representative Stefan Of
Nebraska and Col. Bolles.
Col. Bolles said 600 incidents timed
at 10-minute intervals of 200 incl
dents at time had been distributed
to wardens to report to the centers
after the blackout started.
The gas ALARM, demonstration was
feature OF the blackout in the
Chevy Chase area, where more than
200 wooden noisemakers had been
distributed to warden posts.
Fifteen minutes after the sirens
warned of the alarm the rattle OF
the clackers sounded on Chevy
Chase streets, followed a few min
utes later by long blasts on warden
whistles to announce the gas dan
ger had passed.
Devise Held Effective.
Wardens in the area were pleased
by the effectiveness of the gas
warning devices which sounded for
blocks in the darkness, but pointed
out that the public had not yet been
| informed what the special warning
was supposed to convey.
Although Col. Bolles and others
who toured the city commended
public cooperation in the surprise
test, a number of violations were
noted by other observers in one block
of Connecticut avenue where
policeman was on duty.
Bus Riders Left in Street.
In this block, a bus halted when
the sirens sounded and disgorged
more than a dozen passengers. AS
the passengers started for the near
| est store, tavern, the proprietor
locked the door.
The passengers we're left standing
/ in the street, lighting cigarettes,
despite the proximity of shelter at
an open movie theater half a block
away.
In the same block, car had
parked at corner curb, blocking
the approach into Connecticut ave-
nue. from a cross street, and its oc-
cupants as we'll as those of car
behind it remained within the auto
mobiles smoking cigarettes while the
car radios blared down the street.
Thirty-five minutes after the
blackout started a patrolling zone
warden, Frank H. Myers of 1864
Mckinley street, arrived at the cor
ner. He asked the car occupants to
seek shelter, guided the bus pas
sengers into the theater, sent tc
shelter some men chatting with the
policeman on the corner and stop
ped two air raid messengers when
he discovered they were not or
oficial business.
In each case he explained to thu
offenders the risks they would bt
running If they followed the sam'
procedure in an actual air raid.
Col. Bolles, who stopped by Unior
- T. q