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

that alterations soon would be made
IN the air horns to assure a steady
blast Of two minutes DURATION as
required under the new regulations
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
l8 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 evil
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 we'll kept.
M. R. Russell, sector warden of
~ i J
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
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 a 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 off 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 half moon directly
overhead.
Soon after the red Auxiliary
Rescue Squad 23-A responded to A
practice call at the Annapolis Hotel
on Eleventh and H streets NV
Working in darkness, members of
the crew lowered a victim" from
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. f.
Via and was under the supervision
of Battalion Chief J. A. Mayhew of
the District Fire Department. 9th
erS who participated in the rescue"
were William Conner, who carried
the victim down the ladder; c. T.
Slmms, John Schultz, Edward Tvree.
j. R. Via and j. r. Wilson. Chris
tan 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
flrst blue While on the red every
body Jumped
The Commissioner said he noted
only one violation of the regula-
ton which tOrbidS automobiles TO
move or show their lights. He said
TINS was on a private car parked
al the curb and locked
He admitted that there is still
some confusion" over what is
meant BY a low beam for driving
during the blue
Wardcns' Work Praised.
This is probably natural since
all makes Of cars 90 not have the
'ame low beam" he said. L was
stopped no less than a dozen times
2ecauSc the low beam on the Dis
:rict car Is quite bright
Commissioner Mason said that the
street lights went off in the area
ne observed within three seconds
s1ter the first sirens We're heard.
1t looked rs IS some one was
posted at every spot he said we
may be short Of WardenS and aux
illary policemen, but the manner
IA which they turned out did not
indicate this. These splendid vol
onteer workers were alert in their
Jobs throughout the entire area !
observed
Porter LumpklnS acting director
ot civilian defense for the District
and Herbert Friede. controller OF
communications watched the black
cut from .the crest Of the hill on
pennsylvania avenue Sc. They SAID
they observed few violations. except
that q considerable number of traf-
hc lights We're NOT Gimmcd as re-
qulred on the blue" signal
Mr.. LUmrkln and Mr Frede were
accompanied by representatives OF
the War Production Board and tho
national Office Of Civilian Defense
who came to observe the effect OF
various types of warning devices now
being used in the District.
IT was found M. Lumpkn,
tSee BLACKOUT, Page B-l6.t