The Mississippi enterprise. (Jackson, Miss.) 1938-current, 1943-07-31
Lands Says More
Afraid Shelters
Are Needed

raid tests and practice blackouts
indicates clearly that more shell
ter areas must be provided for per-
sons caught on streets, in public
and private conveyences, and in
small business Establishments, when
the air raid signal is, sounded,
James M. Lands, Director of CT
william Defense, said today.
in all to many Cities MIR. Lam
dis said, "air raid tests showing
otherwise highly commendable pre-
paration on the part of both Civil
ian Defense forces and the general
public, are marred by q deplorable
lack of shelters for those who are
on the street or in public places
when the warning sounds.
Minutes after the air raid warn
ing is given it is not unusual to find
people still on the streets looking
in vain for public shelter and,
when no adequate shelter is to be
found, milling about entrances to
business establishments or huddled
into doorways. In such exposed
places they would be almost GER
! tain casualties if a bomb should
explode in the street Particularly
dangerous is any refuge in proxi-
nifty to plate glass show windows.
This unfortunate situation is
found most frequently when an air
raid alarm catches large numbers
of people in a theater or shopping
section of city or way from their
own homes during the evenings. If
enemy demolition bombs should
fall in such section, there would
be casualties which could have
been averted by the establishment
of adequate shelters"
Most owners of large hotels, de-
partment stores, theaters, apartment
houses, and similar establishments
have made surveys of their build
ings and provided shelter areas"
Mr.. Lands said, but great many
| smaller business establishments have
not provided shelter areas and have
made little or no such provision"
The principal room of a typical
small business establishment, Mr..
Lands pointed out, offers little pro-
lection during an air raid. Most
such rooms are on the street level
where they are vulnerable to blast
and fragments from bombs explod-
ing in the street. In addition, the
typical establishment has large
plate glass windows or other store
front glass surfaces which may be
shattered by nearby explosion
into thousands of deadly missiles,
driven to all parts of the room.
IN many such buildings, the Di-
rector said, there are storage and
upper floor rooms or Railways
which would make adequate shell
ter areas.
Surveys by OCD indicate, Mr..
Lands said, both failure to locate
and establish adequate shelters and
failure to mark those which have
been established. In some instances
shelters which have been selected
and marked are found to be locked
or otherwise unavailable when
needed.
Nor has adequate provision been
made in many cities. Mr. Lands
said, to shelter occupants of street
cars, BUSES and other public con-
veyances, who must get off the
street when the raid signal is
given.
Minimum requirements to be con-
sidered in selecting a shelter area
are: a sound building; lateral pro-
lection by masonry walls; sufficient
entrances and exits to provide es-
cape shoul dthe building be dam
aged; that it be away from team,
water, gas electricity, and sewer
conduits; absence of explosive or
inflammable materials, and of ov-
erhead machinery. tanks or stored
material; adequate standard and
auxiliary lighting; and availability
of toilet fcilities.
Modern buildings with frames of
steel or reinforced concrete are
most suitable as public shelters.
Others in which satisfactory areas
may be selected are substantial
modern buildings not of steel frame
construction but with concrete
floors, and buildings of sound ma
sonry construction with strong
wood floors.
Shelter areas at least three floors
above the street level are best if
there are two to four additional
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