Evening star., 1943-06-24

red" period. AS they crossed the
city the searchlights maintained a
continuous criss-cross pattern on
the fast-moving planes.
Street Lights Extinguished.
Although the street lights were
not due to come on until 8:52. scout
cars were notified to turn the
switches off as soon as the first audi
BILE signal was sounded. Capt. H. c.
Whitehurst. District director of civ
ilian defense, reported that only a
fourth of the street lights he OBJ
served came on at all during the
blackout period and these were
quickly extinguished.
During tine critique, Inspector Ed
ward Callahan, assistant superin-
tendent ofpolice, recommended that
police be instructed to throw the
switches to prevent the lights from
coming on whether the alert came
during the day or at night. Capt.
Whitehurst approved the suggestion
to give the police practice in locating
the switches which control the city,s
street lighting as well as to prevent
any slip-ups such as might occur if
an AFRAID overlapped into the time
when the lights were clocked to
go on.
A broken cable, Capt. Whitehurst
reported. extinguished most of the
traffic lights in the downtown section.
On the chance the cable might be
repaired and the lights go on at full
beam during the test, the wardens
turned the switches despite the
broken cable, he said. The cable
was repaired and the lights came on
during the test at the reduced power
effected by throwing the switches.
Traffic Speed Cut.
George Keneipp, deputy director
of civilian defense. who toured the
downtown area, told Capt. White
hurst it was the most effective test
he had yet observed. He said there
were fewer viola tions. but they were
fragrant. He cited particularly the
glare of Neon signs on store front
at Twelfth and G streets NV.
Mr.. Keneipp reported the speed of
buses had been reduced to 100
per cent improvement over the last
tes.o, but added that taxicabs raced
through the streets. even ignoring
the dimmed traffic lights.
In Montgomery County Judge Al
bert E. Brault. Civilian defense di-
rector, said the response was very
good with few violations.
Incident Simulated.
Wardens reported that lights
burned in chain store on Wiscon-
sin avenue in Bethesda during the
entire blackout A warrant charging
the manager with violation of the
county blackout ordinance was to be
sworn out today, according to county
police.
A high light of the blackout was a
simulated incident involving Is casu-
alties injured by high explosive
bomb. The demonstration was staged
in Silver Spring at Flower avenue
and Piney Branch road by the Medi-
cal Cadet Corps of the Washington
Sanitarium, the local casualty corps
of the county OCD and about SO
area AFRAID wardens.
The long period between the long,
steady blast of the sirens and the
f1uctuating blast caused some con-
fusion both in Washington and
Montgomery County. Five miles
from Bethesda along Bradley
boulevard, AFRAID wardens didn't
know that the f1uctuating blast had
been sounded. Some were stopping
cars and others were ordering them
to proceed. Many homes we're
ablaze with lights.
Mixup Reported.
A member of The Star staff. busy
on a Victory garden in this area,
heard what he thought was a long
steady blast. It was followed by
additional signals of the same char
acter but he never was able to
distinguish a fluctuating signal
After an hour he turned into Brad
ley boulevard, running slowly with
dim lights. Street lights were out,
but a half dozen homes were bril-
liantly lighted.
Within the first quarter mile the
car was halted by courteous air
raid warden. The warden didn't
know whether the red or blue sig
nal was on. He thought the cars
should halt and had stopped half
dozen.
y why don't you get the lights