Evening star., 1943-03-17
Officials Report
Better Results
In B|ackout
Horns to Be Altered
To Get Steady BIost;;
Policeman Attacked

showed a great improvement over
previous tests of the Army's new
signals
At the same time they promised
that alterations soon would be made
in the air horns to assure a steady
blast of two minutes duration, as
required under the new regula tionS
Sirens sounded on the blue" sig
nails last night for only about &c
seconds.
The only major incident reported
during the test was an attack on
a policeman by half a dozen COL
ored men at Ninth and French
streets NV. Policeman Winfield
Scott Kelly, 48 a member of the
Metropolitan Police Department for
18 years, was beaten with his own
night stick when he ordered the
men to disperse just as the first
blue" signal sounded He fired one
shot as his assailantS were fleeing,
and he believed he struck one of the
men.
Taken to Hospital
Mr.. Kelly was taken to Emergency
Hospital to be treated for a fractured
jaw, contusions and a possible con-
cussion.
Air raid -WardenS and policemen
wearing their new white blackout
belts for the first time were in evi-
dence throughout the downtown
area long before the first blue
signal sounded at 1920 pm. The
secret as to when the sirens would
sound was apparently well kept.
M. r. Russell, sector warden of
the block bounded by Twelfth and
Thirteenth and E and F streets
NV, arrived at his post along with
his assistant Leo Hartman, at 7
pm. and waited nearly three and
a half hours before the first signal
came.
When the first "blue" sounded
the response was immediate. With
In two minutes. F street was almost
completely black Only a few vio-
lations were noted According to
Commissioner Guy Mason, who
toured the doWnotwn area. lights
remained on at an F street cloth
ing store. in the Offices of a CORE
spondent Of Midwestern newspaper
and on the top floor of an Office
building.
= Pedestrians Leave Streets.
) AT the Post Office Department
Building on Pennsylvania avenue
lights shone briefly from six badly
blacked-out windows. but they were
turned of seven minutes after the
sirns sounded. The display lights
Of building at Thirteenth and E
streets remained on for five minutes
after the first blue"
Soon after the first "blue" most
pedestrians had left the streets.
although they were still permitted
outside. When the red" came at
1890 wardens found many pedes-
trians huddled in alcoves of down
town stores, They were directed to
the nearest shelter.
After the second signal. when all
traffic was stopped and vehicle
lights were turned off, the city was
completely dark except for the light
furnished by a half moon directly
overhead.
Soon after the red Auxiliary
Rescue Squad 23-A responded to a
practice call al the Annapolis Hotel
on Eleventh and H streets NV.
Working in darkness, members of
the crew lowered a victim" from a
fourth-story window which thev
reached with the aid of ladders and
scaling equipment.
Those Who Participated.
The group was in command of
1t. r. E. Minder and Sergt. S. E.
Via and was under the supervision
OF Battalion Chief J. A. Mayhem of
the District Fire Department. 9th
ers who participated in the rescue"
were William Conner, who carried
the victim" down the ladder; c. E.
Simms, John Schultz, Edward Tyree.
j. R. Via and J. R Wilson. Chris
tian Schlaugh. another member of
the squad, was the victim"
Commissioner Mason, who started
out from Scott Circle when the first
signal was sounded and who toured
the downtown area, said he was i'm
pressed with the improvement.
People seemed to understand the
signals better" he said. There was
less scampering and running on the
first blue, while on the red every
body Jumped"
The Commissioner said he noted
only one violation of the regula
ton which forbids automobiles "a
move or show their lights. He said
this was on a private car parked
at the curb and locked.
He admitted that there is still
some confusion" over what is
meant by low beam for driving
during the blue"
Wardens' Work Praised.
This is probably natural, since
al makes Of cars do not have the
same low beam he said. Il was
stopped no less than dozen times
because the low beam on the Dis
trlct car is quite bright"
Commissioner Mason said that the
street lights went off in the area
he observed within three seconds
after the first sirens were heard.
1T looked as is some one was
posted at every spot" he said. 1--WE
may be short Of Wardens and aux
iliary policemen, but the manner
IN which they turned out did not
indicate this. These splendid vol
unteer workers we're alert in their
JOBS throughout the entire area ]
observed"
Porter LumpkinS, acting director
OF civilian defense for the District
and Herbert Frede, controller OF
communications watched the black.
out from the crest Of the hill or
pennsylvania avenue Sc. They sale
they observed few violations, except
that a considerable number of traf.
&c lights were not dimmed as re.
quired on the blue" signal.
Mr.. Lumpkin and Mr.. Friede were
accompanied by representatives o
the War Production Board and tht
national Once of Civilian Defense
who came TO observe the effect O
various types OF warning devices nov
being used in the District.
y