Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-06-15
Press Building Called
One OF Safest Refuqes
Ind. in Bomb Attack

The National Press Building
Fourteenth and F streets NV.
would be one of the safest build
ings in Washington in a bomb
attack. This was the finding of q
Nationwide group of civil en-
gineers here for two-day session
The meeting. which has beer
held at the Civilian Defense Ad-
ministration College near Olney
Md, was divided into 10 groups
today to make an inspection of Il
Washington buildings which have
been selected as possible bomb
shelters in case of attack. The
group headed by 1t. Col. Thoma.
j. Hayes. Sd, Assistant Engineer
Commissioner of the District, anc
Robert Davis of the District In.
spectors Office, lead the inspection
of the press building.
Mr.. Davis told the group that
the basement Of the press building
was rated 10, out of a possible
high Of "a. and all other floors in
the building with the exception of
the top three floors were rated So.
These would have a higher rating
he said but for the fact that all
of the doors leading into the halls
have a large area of glass in them
First Floor Not Rated.
The building would shelter $3.50
persons. The usual population OF
the building during weekdays, in
Guiding the Capitol Theater, is
about $500. The first floor, which
contains retail stores, was not
rated on account Of the glass win
dows and the nearness of the
pavement.
The halls on the second to the
10th floor could be used as a shell
ter in a bombing attack, it was
said, with the stairways being the
second best place to escape the
bombs effect. The structure of
the building was explained to the
group by Joseph Buscher, superin-
tendent of the building, and Peter
Soria, chief engineer.
The group that inspected the
Press Building was composed of
Bernard j. Gilroy, New York,
chairman of the Committee on
Bomb Shelters; Lawrence P. Sang
ston, principal engineer of Mary
land; Capt. E. r. McClung, New
York State civilian defense; DR..
E. Russell Johnston of Lehigh
University; Brig. Gen. Dwight
Johns. chairman of engineering
service, of California civilian de-
Tense; Rudy Zelzer, budget engi-
neer of the Minnesota civilian de-
Tense; Brig. Gen. D. o. Elliott,
deputy director Of Illinois civilian
defense.
Return to OIney.
Other buildings inspected in
Washington by the different
groups were Willard Hotel, World
Center Building, 918 Sixteenth
street NV; American Legion
Building. 1908 K street NV: the
McReynolds Building, 705 Eight
zenith street NV; War Depart
ment defense buildings at 119 d
street NE, 1871 U street NV.
1712 G street NV, and the
Walker-Johnson Building and the
Hurley Wright Building.
After the inspection the group
returned to Olney for discussion of
the inspections they made. Many
Of the group said what they
learned by their inspection of
Washington buildings would re-
wise the systems they have set up.
Elsewhere on the civil defense
front today Federal Civil Defense
Administrator Willard F. Cald-
well hit at public apathy. He
addressed the Presidents High
way Safety Conference at the De-
partmental Auditorium.
The time has about arrived
when Congress and the people
should make up their minds
whether civil defense Is going to
be important" Mr.. Caldwell told
The conference.
He pointed to indifference to be
found at both low and high levels.
Streets and highways, in the
event Of enemy attack, would be
dlled with debris. fires would be
burning and IRE apparatus must
get through first and police must
control the situation. he said.