Evening star., 1943-06-24
Army Studies
Effectiveness OF
Afraid Test
Surprise BIockout
Durkens Seubourd
For " Hours

Eastern Seaboard and darkened
surprised Washington for an hour
and half last night.
Touched off by the appearance of
six Flying Fortresses and 10 other
bombers near Norfolk, Va, at pm,
the drill extended to Eastern Vir-
ginia, Eastern Maryland, the Dis
trict, Eastern Pennsylvania, Con-
necticut, Rhode Island, Massachu-
setts and the southern part of New
Hampshire.
Antiaircraft artillery searchlightS
raked the sky and ack-ack installa-
tions trained their guns on the mov-
ing flight as the planes-six of them
enemy, followed by Is friendly"
craft-sped northward. No guns
were fired.
Mistakes Were Made.
Maj. Gen. Ralph Royce, COM
manding general of the 1st Air
Force, said:
The exercise is over now and we
will evaluate its results carefully.
Despite the mistakes that were
made, it was valuable if for no other
reason than it showed the need for
having more tests to provide fur
ther training and eliminate the
causes of error"
The Army's reaction to the sur
prise test, first called here by the
1St Fighter Command, probably
would determine the duration of
other tests in the series as we'll as
whether or not local officials would
be consulted on the choice of dates
for the tests, official quarters indi-
Gated here today.
Concert Called Off.
While the District has scrupu-
lously avoided scheduling blackouts
on Nights when events drawing
large crowds were planned, the
Army ordered the first audible sig
nal sounded just as more than 1000
persons had gathered at the Water
Gate for sunset symphony by
the National Symphony Orchestra
and two high schools, Coolidge and
Mckinley, were filed with teachers,
parents and students for gradua-
tions.
The Army test took official WASH
ington as much by surprise as it did
those at the Water Gate and in the
high schools. Most of the ranking
District officials and civilian defense
aides were at home when the con-
fldential advance warning came at
6:14 pm.
The long steady blast of the blue
Signal came at 1927 pm, permitting
traffic to move but blacking out the
city. 1t was the longest blue black
out" period the city has experienced
since the new signal system went
into effect in February.
The fuctuating blast announcing
a complete blackout and sending all
people on the street to shelter came
at GA pm. The city went black on
the "blue blackout" with traffic again
allowed to move at 1905 pm and
the short steady blast of the "all
clear" was sounded five minutes
later.
Music browns Out Sirens.
The sound of the sirens was lost
at the Water Gate as the orchestra
tuned up for the concert. First no.
tice given to the music lovers. who
had walked half a mile for the con-
cert, was the announcement made
by Ralph Lycett, summer symphony
manager.
I'VE have just received a message
from the control center he told
the audience. You are to disperse
Immediately. Do so quietly. That is
ALL
While the star of the performance,
Atty Van Den Berg, waited in cos
tune in her dressing room for cue
to go on, most of those who had
come to see her dance started to
walk back to the streetcars.
A number fingered on the off
chance that the music would re-
sumo, but even these left when they
noticed the musicians leaving the
barge.
Canoeists Remain in Craft.
In the river there was more un-
certainty. Those who had planned
to hear the concert from canoes
started padding away from the
barge, but remained in a group
toward the middle of the river, cor
> raled by harbor police and Coast
Guard craft.
Asked at a critique after the
blackout what the canoeistS were
supposed to do, officials said the
question of canoes had not previous
ly arisen, but it was assumed that
they would dock their craft and seek
shelter.
Symphony officials announced
later that the concert would be given
tonight. Those who came last night
will be admitted on their ticket
stubs.
Officials today were also study
ing the question of shelter for those
caught en- route from the Water
Gate site to the Streetcar line by
the red signal announcing that planes
were overhead A number of people
last night started looking for shell
ter Immediately after leaving the
waters edge. Some tried standing
in the shelter of trees but were told
to move on. Some finally took
shelter in the Munitions Building
Off1cials admitted that there were
almost no shelter arrangements in
the area.
Graduations Go On.
At Coolidge High School, the first
audible warning came during the
graduation exercises. Lights in the
entire building were extinguished
except in the auditorium and armory
which were blacked out from the
outside. The exercises were over
and the graduates were receiving
friends and relatives when the
f1uctuating blast announcing the
complete blackout was sounded. The
crowds remained in the auditorium
until the blackout was over.
At Mckinley High School, wit
nesseS of the graduation remained
after the exercises until the signal
announced the end of the black
out. The Mckinley auditorium had
also been BACKED out.