Evening star., 1942-05-13

sent out only one was marked on
the control panel.
The traffic death of a 73-year- old
retired dentist in Prince Georges
County and a second death at
tributed to heart disease were re-
corded during the blackout.
Dies of Heart Shock.
Joseph w. Crouch, Sc, an employe
of the Navy Yard, slumped to the
sidewalk in front OF his home at
1929 Potomac avenue Sc. after
parking his car shortly after II pm.
His wife told Casualty Hospital
officials that he had been under
treatment for heart trouble for
about six weeks and she also COM
mented on the strain he had under
gone earlier in the day when he had
to climb steps at Eastern High
School to procure his gas rationing
card.
Mr.. Crouch was removed to
Casualty Hospital in a Casualty
ambulance where he was pronounced
dead on arrival.
Otherwise Successful.
On other scores the blackout
was considered marked success.
1t was the first time the chiefs of
services had not been told In ad-
vance the exact time of the black
out and the first time wardens
were notified on the public warn.
ing devices to go to their posts,
rather than receiving notice by tel
ephone on the yellow signal.
The yellow signal came at 1925
pm. Col. Lemuel Bolles, executive
of civilian defense for the area,
was notifld at civilian defense
headquarters in the Toner School,
Twenty fourth and F streets NV.
He arrived at the control center at
10:37 pm. and was followed a min
ute later by Chief Porter. At 10:43
pm. two carloads of soldiers ar
rived to guard the center. The
public warning was sounded at
10:57 pm.
Leaving the control center for a
tour of the city with 1t. Col. Will
liam A. Brewer of the national o. c.
D. protective services, just as the
public warning came, Col. Bolles
saw students leaning from lighted
windows of Howard University to
hear the siren.
Navy Siren Ahead.
Col. Bolles, however, had a chance
to see how the control center was
operating, as calls began coming in
from the Southeast section Is min
uteS ahead of time. The Navy Yard
siren, which sounded well ahead of
the others, sent police and wardens
scurrying to turn OIL street and traf-
flc lights and residents to complete
their backing out.
Both Col. Bolles and Commits
sioner Guy Mason, who also made
tour of inspection, commented on
the promptness with which the
city-wide and nearby county black
outs was accomplished, considering
SlioO viz WoiOClio "SlC llOt dJ tllCll
posts ahead of time
One warden with whom Col. Bolles
stopped to talk opposite the Japa-
nese Embassy said by the time he
had put on his armband and stepped
to the street all the lights were OBJ
scured.
In that section of the city, along
Massachusetts avenue, the only visi-
BILE lights were those of the Naval
Observatory, where apparently little
effort had been made even to lower
shades or shield lights.
The lights on the grounds of Gar
field Hospital also fingered for a
while after the city became dark.
Fewer Vehicles Move.
Col. Bolles noted that fewer
vehicles allowed to move about dur
ing blackout were on the street.
He was on Massachusetts, avenue
when a unit from Doctors Hospital
passed him on the way to a simu-
lated incident. In the line were six
stretcher bearing ambulances, one
private car and a hospital ambu-
lance.
At one point in the tour, roar of
cheers and applause f1oated down
from the roof of a fashionable
finishing school where the girls could
be seen silhouetted against the sky
Male cheers also came out of the
| darkness on the street as the defense
director, preceded by a motorcycle
escort and followed by a press car
driven by a member of the Red
Cross Motor Corps, moved slowly
through the darkness
Immediately after the all clear
sounded at 11:27 pm, the lights on
theater marque flashed on and 9
crowd of moviegoers, held in the
theater for the duration of the
blackout, poured into the street. Al
though the streets were again
brightly lighted, most of the houses
remained dark. Apparently, many
residents had solved the blackout
problem by going to bed.
Arlington Test Hailed.
Bernard Padgett and F. Freeland
Chew, chief afraid wardens In