Evening star., 1942-11-19
Failure 10 Read
Order Blamed
For False Alert
Col. BoIIes Explains
Confusion Over
OCD Defense Drill

ing last nights training exercises for
civilian defense forces. particularly
in Prince Georges County.
The OCD intent in flashing yellow.
blue and red warning signals from
the Washington control center was
to test communica tons, Col. Bolles
said. No blackout was intended and
sirens were not supposed to be
sounded
The area civilian defense chief
pointed out that official instructions
were sent on November 6 to $50
civilian defense workers concerned
in the exercise. with these workers
being instructed to pass the orders
along to others under their jurisdic-
ton.
Sirens Not Supposed to Sound.
The order read:
The public will not take part,
there will be no blackout, no inter-
ference with traffic, no sounding of
alert" sirens, nor "All Clear"
1T will be assumed that the Red
Is sounded 8 pm. and that the
"All Clear" is sounded at pm"
j. Robert Sherwood, chairman of
of Prince Georges County Civilian
Defense Council, said today he in
terpreted the order to mean that his
organizat ton would have to assume"
a red signal without any such flash
coming by telephone. When it
came by telephone, he continued, it
was thought that nothing should be
taken for granted%by workers, so the
sirens were sounded.
Nightly rumors of blackout,
circulating ever since the Commis-
sioners announced an AFRAID drill
was coming on an umannounCed date
over a two-Week period, apparently
added to the confusion.
In some cases the public saw white
helmeted wardens on the street,
heard the regular sirens of am
balances and fire engines and
jumped to the conclusion that maybe
blackout was in progress.
Blackout Rumors Circulated.
Some who called newspapers to
confirm the rumor said they had
been informed by their wardens to
DldCh OuJ llltll IlOlIlSS.
During the day yesterday, news
papers received calls from persons
asking the time of the surprise :"
blackout last night.
Mr Sherwood said that when
street lights failed to go off in the
nearby Maryland area because they
were controlled from points within
the District, he called the Washing
ton control center and then learned
that there was to be no actual black
out test. Prince Georges County
officials then relaved the all clear"
on their own initiative at 8:35 pm,
he said
Several Northeast and Southeast
sections of Washington, within
range Of the Prince Georges County
sirens, blacked out for part of the
time and one assistant sector war
Gen was injured while performing
his duty.
Jack T. Heptig, of Ridge road
received a possible fractured leg
when he stumbled and fell after
running from building at 5 Ridge
road where he had eXtinguished the
lights. He was taken to Providence
Hospital and later released.
Umpires Will Report.
While the public was specializing
Uardens. police, control center per-
sonnel, firemen, medical and trans
portation units, and public works
and public utility crews went about
the job of enacting their duties in
an emergency.
Umpires assigned to each control
center were due to report today
Just how fast and how accurately
necessary men and machinery re-
eponded to the urgent calls Of
wardens.
Incidents reported by Wardens fell
Into three groups. First were the
largest group. the practice Incl
dents in which no equipment re-
sponded. Second were those sent
In by messengers, assuming that
telephone communications had been
cut A total of 252 incidents in
these two categories went to con-
troll centers.
The third group were the urgent"
ones and So of these were called in.
Several new touches of realism
we're added One control center was
bombed out" at 1872 pm, a half
hour after the training exercises
started. WardenS, failing to get a
response at the control center, were
supposed to call the one covering
the adjacent area.
>n
tual reporting of uneXploded bombs
TO the Army This was handled at
the main control center after war
dcns reported the uneXploded
bombs, and trained police officers,
acting as bomb reconnaissance
agents. viewed the bomb craters and
made their reports. From the main
control center, word was flashed for
the first time to Fort Myer ard its
bomb disposal squad with the prior
ity to be given disposition of the
bombs noted.
Here are some Of the incidents"
which put civilian defense forces
to work last night:
Enemy plane loaded with bombs
crashes into gas tank at Twenty
sixth and F streets NV. Tank eX-
plodes with high wind blowing
threatens temporary buildings and
old Naval Hospital. Many evacuees
on way to Virginia. Many injured
persons among evacuees. Bad con-
gestion at Memorial Bridge and
around Lincoln Memorial. Panic
developing"
You hear large explosion and
screaming from an apartment house
on Wisconsin avenue just north of
Mount Alto Hospital. Fires are
breaking out in nearby residences
and there is large crater on Wis
consin avenue filling with water
Streetcar tracks are damaged. Be-
lieved to be many casualties and
some people trapped"
Six saboteurs are trapped in the
$500 block of Third street NV. and
are shooting at the police who are
on the scene. Several police and
bystanders are wounded"