Evening star., 1943-09-06
BIuckout
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centers had about seven planned in
cidents, he reported. and all were
carried out without difficulty.
Few instances of violations were
reported, although Capt. Whitehurst
said 1t would be day or two before
a full and comprehensive report was
received at headquarters from all
sector wardens. A row of street
lights near the Union Station was
not extinguished and traffic lights
on upper Sixteenth street were re-
ported on, but these were the only
sllp-ups of any consequence.
Streets were we'll patrolled by air
raid Wardens and auxiliary police
who were on the job few minutes
after the first warning sounded in
surprising numbers.
Police Chief Edward j. Kelly was
out on the street and the Traffic
Department called out its entire
personnel for duty in the down.
town area.
Detectives Pile Out.
The test, also the first holiday
test in Washington, came at a bad
time for police detectives. Nor
mally they assemble for roll call at
9 am, but today's lineup had been
moved back to noon. The men
began arriving at headuarters soon
after S am, unshaven, in old
clothes, sweatshirts and virtually
wearing the first thing that came
to hand.
A Fire Department ambulance
stationed at Gallinger Hospital was
called to home in Southwest dur
ing the blackout to remove a pros
pective mother to the hospital. but
the baby was not born until 13 min
utes after the mothers arrival. hos
pital officials said.
At Gallinger the births Of two
other babies were reported during
the blackout, but hospital authori-
ties withheld all names.
AT the command center, in addi-
ton to Capt. Whitehurst, were Fire
Chief Stephen Porter, Walter Lock-
hart, in charge of rescue squads:
Joseph Saunders, in charge of evac-
uation; John Prince, inspector of
warden service, who represented
Chief Air Raid Warden William
Mlleham; Leslie Rucker, chief traf-
fic officer; George Bailey, in charge
OF radio service; C. S. Dixon, de-
tense controller in charge of the
center, and Sergt. Mckee, chief
bomb officer for the region.
Open Switch Causes Trouble.
An open switch at the Montgomery
County Control center caused some
confusion on the first long, steady
blast, and in the Rollingwood sector
two long, steady blasts were heard
before the wavering red, or danger
signal. Otherwise the test went off
nicely.
The open switch, according to Al
bert E. Brault, co-ordinator for
civilian defense in Montgomery
County, prevented the first steady
warning from being sounded in
some sectors.
John Emory, in charge of the Roll
lngWood sector, said the warning
sirens were sounded in proper Sc
quence, but that those Who heard
the two blue signals might have been
confused by Washington sirens. This
has happened before, he said, as the
District receives its instructions from
the military one or two minutes be-
fore Maryland.
Several simulated incidents were
handled in good style, including one
IN which the Medical Cadet Corps
at Silver Spring participated.
Ten minor blackout violations
were reported in Arlington County.
Clifton Stoneburner, civilian defense
co-ordinator for that area, said only
one or two would warrant prosecu-
ton. He could not say today what
action would be taken. Otherwise
the test went off we'll.