Chaffee people joined whole-heartedly in the observance of the test
Blackout Monday night, from 10 to 10:20 p.m. At the sound
of the city fire siren, lights all over the city were immediately
turned off.
The Control Center, located at the City Hall, was fully
staffed. LD Lankford and LR Ward, co-commanders, were in
charge. Other personnel included CA Goddard, chief of the
auxiliary police; Charley Allen, chief of fire; Arthur
Free, chief air raid warden; Wallace Reynolds, chief of
utilities; Dr. WO Finney, chief of medical service; Fred
Lewallen, chief of communications; Jack Thorne,
controller; Alvin Brinkman, chief of telephone service. 30 Boy
Scouts from the three local troops served as messengers during the
test.
Mrs. Robert Capshaw and Miss Juse Finley served as clerks at the
Control Center.
The following Boy Scouts were sent out
from the Control Center at 10 pm to various points in the city and
checked on the length of time it took them to return;
Gene Jones to H.A. Turner at 4th and
Elliott, returned at 10:12
Norbert Sadler to Rev. Ramsey at 3rd and
Helen, returned at 10:06
Don Stotts to C.J. Rosenquist at 3rd and
Parker, returned at 10:15
Charles Stringfellow to Levi Miller at
Frisco St and East Parker, returned at 10:11
Herman Fowler to L.L. Lankford at 4th
and Wright, returned at 10:08
A call was received at the Control Center at 10:07 for an ambulance
to go to 3rd and Gray where a "bombing" was
reported. Dr. Finney, chief of medical service, then
ordered the first aid crew stationed at the Grade School to go
there. Police Chief C.A. Goddard also sent two policemen
to the scene, and Chief Air Raid Warden Arthur Free ordered the Warden
in Zone 4 to dispatch a messenger there, and have the messenger report
and inform the Control Center. Another "bombing"
occurred at 2nd and Yoakum and was handled in a similar manner.
Four infractions were reported during the test, three for leaving
lights on, and the fourth by a truck driver who had stopped on the
highway near Yoakum avenue. He reported noticing a
flashlight being played around in the vicinity of Circle Park, which
could be plainly seen from the highway. Otherwise, this
observer said, he would not have known Chaffee was here.
Zone air raid wardens were:
Zone 1 - Rev. LC Ramsey; Virgil Alvey,
Frank Tucker, Earl Alvey, Luther Burton, Henry Clubb, Verbon Lauck,
Jake Hamilton.
Zone 2 - LL Lankford; Norman Pelkey,
Otto Bullinger, Frank Grojean, Edwin Vickery, HR Crippen, Earl
Dudley,Norman Nelson.
Zone 3 - Earl Rosenquist; Rev. JB
Jordan, Arthur Heeb, Walter Burgess, HA Ward, V. McDonald, Ernest
Lee.
Zone 4 - HA Turner, Allan Hubbard,
Ralph Stephens, Casy C Smith, Francis Himmelsbach, Chas. Heeb, Eddie
Castleman, Jim Chronister, PM Richie, Bob Lewallen, Lawernce Welter,
Dick Turner, Mrs. Carl C Smith, Leland Ancell.
Zone 5 - Levi Miller, Kenneth Johnson,
John Hana, Wm. Munsker.
Gene Hampton was stationed at the highway 55 entrance to Helen
avenue, and a highway patrolman was at the highway entrance to Yoakum
avenue.
The above Article appears on page
1 of the December 17, 1942 Chaffee Signal.
More Blackout New (this
item appears 9 months later)
Chaffee Signal 9/2/1943
Blackout Was Observed Here
The blackout in Chaffee Tuesday night was observed generally
throughout the city, but a few incidents of non-compliance were
reported.
The blackout was supervised by Commander Roy Ward, whose complete
corps of officials was present. They were: Dr. WO Finney, chief
of medical service. He reported that first aid stations in Zones
1, 2 and 5 were open and fully manned, but that stations in Zones 3
and 4 were not open.
Charley Allen, chief of the fire department, reported his crew
present and ready for duty. Zeno Ancell, chief of police,
reported his force on the job 100%. Wallace Reynolds and
Alvin Brinkman, chiefs of utilities, also reported their crews on the
job. Fred Lewallen, chief of communications, reported his
corps of assistants as all being on the job.
Infractions Reported
Allan Hubbard, chief air raid warden, received the following report
from his zone wardens:
In Zone 1, all wardens were present, but no messengers.
One business house left a small light burning. In Zone 2
the zone warden reported several infractions, two of them being in the
400 block of Helen avenue. At one house all lights were
on, including the porch light, while at another house in the same
block the lights were turned back on. On Black avenue, all
lights were on in a house, and after being requested to turn them off,
the lady did so, one a t a time, the air raid warden
reported. A bed light was reported burning at a home on
Yoakum avenue, but none was at home. In Zone 3 a small
light was left burning in a house of the 100 block on West Davidson
avenue. The zone warden reported all his wardens present,
as well as all messengers but one. In Zone 4 the blackout
was reported as 100%, with all wardens present, as well as the
messengers. In Zone 5 ..........???......???....reported
as being visible. A small light was reported burning in a
garage in the business district. A big light was reported
burning in an apartment on West Yoakum avenue. Zone 6
reported all wardens present and the zone completely blacked out.
Short Notice for Next Blackout
The next blackout will have less notice, probably but a couple of
days. At that time several incidents, including fires and
bombing, will occur. It will be necessary that the
Communications Department and the Air Raid Wardens function very
accurately on these incidents. The air raid warden, in
communicating with the control center, must first give the zone
number, the street number, the type of incident, casualties and property
damage.
In the next blackout the standard system of giving the blue signal,
which is a warning signal, will be given a few minutes previous to the
actual blackout signal. This blue warning signal will be
one continuous blast of the fire siren lasting several
minutes. Then the actual blackout signal will follow,
which consists of numerous short blasts of the siren.
Then, of course, when the blackout is completed, the all-clear signal,
which is also one continuous long blast, will be sounded.
The alert signal, it was pointed out, is to just prepare citizens to
get ready to turn their lights out.
The above Article appears
September 2, 1943 in the Chaffee Signal.
