The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1950-11-23
EXPLOSIONS and
fires HERE ADD
REALISTIC TOUCH
Organization Here Functions
Smoothly i'm Simulated
Emergency
More than $50 Volunteers
Participate in Test Sunday
Afternoon

More than $50 Bluffton volunteers
Joined forces here Sunday afternoon
to successfully mobilize and carry
out difficult emergency assignments
as the local Civilian Defense organ
ization participated in a countrywide
alert and mock bombing attack.
Bearing all the earmarks of an
actual emergency, the Bluffton CD
workers battled real fires; Investigate
ed sabotage; established an emergen-
cy hospital for the treatment OF
nearly so casualties; provided am
bulance service and field first aid
care; and successfully coped with a
variety of other problems.
From the time the alert was
sounded at lao p. m. until the all
clear one hour and 80 minutes later,
the town was a beehive of busy
Civilian Defense activity as the
various divisions of the local organ
ization swung into action.
Bombing Attack
Simulated bomb damage by three
foreign planes which attacked the
area of the municipal light plant
and the Triplett Electrical lnstru-
ment Co. brought into play one OF
the major operations in the trial.
Blasts of dynamite from the Bluffton
Stone Co. quarry marked the attack,
and the extent of damages i'm
mediately were reported by air raid
wardens in the district.
Eleven casualties in the bombing
attack received first aid and were
transported by emergency ambulance
facilities to hospital set up IN the
high school building. Enemy sabotage
at the municipal light plant put the
nlant out of operation following the
bombing attack.
With current generation theoretic-
ally disrupted by enemy action, an
emergency generator was set up at
the town hall to provide electric
current for a continuation of short
wave radio contact with other points
in the county from town hall COM
munications headquarters.
Firemen Busy
The major fire of four battled by
.,,x;liarv firemen was at the Bluff
ton Stone Co. where four firemen
suffered mock burns and received
first aid treatment before being re-
moved to the hospital. With the
bridge on the county line road knock.
ed out, reported by an air ralo
warden, the corps mobilized to re-
route traffic in the area.
a mobile canteen was in operation
to serve hot coffee and doughnuts
n workers and casualties, and Bluff-
TON Bow Scouts and motorcycle rid
ers served as messengers. All all
ra;r wardens were at their posts, a
check by CD heads showed.
Road blocks were maintained al
both the north and south ends OF
town during the mock attack and
auxiliary police were on duty az
each Main street intersection.
First In Nation
Blufton's CD mobilization was IT
the first countrywide test OF clvl
defenses in the country, and Gov
Frank J. Lausche and Brig. Gen
Kenneth Cooper, were in Alier
county to watch the show. Botf
nraised the manner in which it was
conducted.
Weather conditions prohibited
actual bombers runs which were tt
have been made in the county by Dif
a;rsh;ns coming here from Ohio ane
Michigan air fields, but the problems
were carried out successfully despite
absence of the planes.
Rluffton CD officials praised tn
work of the local volunteer workers
and thanked local residents for theli
participation in staying at home
During the one hour and so minutes
test period, no one was on loca
streets except CD participants, witt
the exception of thru traffic, which
was slowed and controlled by auxil
iary police.
Headquarters for the alert wer
established in the mayors office a
tbe town hall with CD Defense Chic
Garnette Foltz and Assistant Harr
Bogart in charge.