Evening star., 1942-06-02


sounded and trials were interrupted
until five minutes after the all-clear
The black-robed justices filed into
the shelter area on the first floor OF
the Courthouse, along with prisoners
at the bar. There were six prisoners
in the building at the time. among
them Guy E. Oden, charged with
murder, and they were handcuffed
together and guarded by marshals
in the shelter area.
officials said the evacuation went
off according to schedule.
In the nearby Police Court Build
ing it took 6 minutes to gather an
estimated 900 persons on the first
floor, designated as the safety area
The judges, on taking the bench
this morning, gave instructions on
raid practice procedure.
The 83 prisoners in various cell
blocks were taken to the foot of the
cell stairway and kept there until
the all-clear. The financial clerk
locked more than $4,000 in the safe.
Justice Workers Out Quickly.
For 5000 employees of the priori-
ties division of the War Production
Board, housed in the 25-year- -old
temporary building E on the Mall,
the raid meant Is minutes of rest
in emi-darkneSs.
Floor wardens were notified of the
impending alert at 1912 and i'm
mediately phoned the wing wardens
under them. Lights were turned
out but workers remained at their
desks. Most of them sat idle but
some who had natural light con-
tinued to work
Evacuation of Justice Department
employees to the three shelter areas
of the building was completed in
about five minutes after the air
raid alarm was sounded. The alarm
was clearly heard throughout the
building. The evacuation was car
ried out without confusion under
the direction of Harvey C. Donald
son, acting building warden, and
about so assistants.
The three shelter areas were To-
Gated in the basement and on des-
ignated corridors of the second and
third floors. Operators at the tele-
phone switchboard and personnel
of the first-aid station remained at
their posts. Attorney General Bid
die was out of the city. Other high
officials sought shelter on the third
floor corridors.
F. B. 1. Leaves Guard for Files.
F. B. I. personnel, large part Of
whom were on the sixth and sew
enth floors, were evacuated to the
basement in semi-military forma-
ton in about three minutes. Enough
guards were left behind to protect
the offices evacuated by F. B. I.
personnel.
With four previous rehearsals
Justice workers were well prepared
for today's afraid test. Approx
mately 1000 employees, including
FBI workers, participated in today's
drill.
A group of State Department en-
ployeS studying first aid put on a
demonstration of rescue work during
the alarm.
The first-aid crew was brought
running up to the second floor from
ar emergency room on the ground
floor by a telephone call informing
them of the simulated injury. Charles
Secrest served as the victim. A team
of woman workers, including Miss
Helen Sohner, Miss Mona Isaacson,
Miss Margaret Wheeler and Miss
Dorothy Phlake, administered first
aid, bandaging Mr.. Secrest's head
and applying a splint to his right
leg as he lay on the floor.
Alexandria Police Get Queries.
Then a stretcher crew composed
of BARLEY Gordon, Ralph Pryor,
Herbert Myle and Wilfred Duda
lifted him onto a stretcher and
carried him down the steps to the
emergency room.
Within three or four minutes after
the alarm sounded, all the State De-
partment employees were gathered
in designated shelter areas on the
first, second and third floor corri-
dors. Employees working on the
ground floor went up to the first
floor, and those on the fourth and
fifth floors went down to the second
floor.
Hundreds of employees Of the Post
Office Department and the Federal
Communications Commission, work.
ing in the new Post Office Building,
were moved to the fourth and fifth
floor corridors. Before leaving their
offices they turned off lights and
closed venetian blinds. Only the raid
lights were left on.
Alexandrians reported the raid
signals were not heard in several
sections of the city until the signal
on the naval torpedo plant in the
Virginia city went of. It's blast
could be heard all over town.
Alexandria police received numer-
Gus calls from persons who thought
there was big fire.