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Civil defense test darkened Summit County in July 1942
By Mark J. Price
Beacon Journal
Published on Monday, Jul 07, 2008
Clear the streets! Seek shelter! Turn off the lights!
An eerie darkness fell across Summit County in July 1942 when civil defense officials conducted the region's first blackout test of World War II.
Citizens stayed home, closed drapes and waited in the dark. Motorists parked vehicles, extinguished headlights and took cover in nearby buildings. Businesses locked doors, covered windows and unplugged signs.
Air-raid sirens wailed as Greater Akron blinked out of view from the night sky.
In an instant, the war production center became virtually invisible to enemy planes — if any had been flying over Northeast Ohio at the time.
Akron, the rubber capital of the world, was considered a prime target for homeland attacks during the war.
We had to be prepared.
The Summit County Civilian Defense Council, led by Col. James L. Cochrun, organized the mandatory blackout from 9:30 to 9:50 p.m. July 10.
''This is not a game,'' the Beacon Journal warned. ''It is deadly serious business. It is preparation for war which could come right to our own front doors at any time . . .
''If everyone will make it a personal responsibility to perform his duty — even if that be simply to turn off the lights and quietly wait 20 minutes — the blackout will be a success.
''If it is a success, that will mean that the people of Summit County have learned how to protect themselves in case the day comes when enemy planes drop their bombs here.''
Nearly 3,000 air-raid wardens spread out across the community to distribute cards to every home on ''What to Do in a Blackout.'' Civil defense officials invited ''Madame Housewife of Akron'' to attend a two-hour ''blackout institute'' at one of 23 public schools to learn how to secure and protect a home.
The most important instructions were to remain calm and pay no attention to rumors, officials said.
On the night of the drill, all roads leading into Summit County had checkpoints staffed by state troopers, deputy sheriffs and auxiliary police. Out-of-town motorists were notified of the imminent blackout and ordered to pull over during the drill and take shelter in whatever building happened to be closest.
Patriotism wasn't the only incentive. Drivers risked a $50 fine and six months in jail if they were caught driving during the blackout. Homeowners and business operators faced a $500 fine and six months in jail if they failed to darken their buildings.
The drill began promptly at 9:30 p.m. with the explosion of three bomb blasts at 10 locations around the county. Air-raid sirens moaned and steam whistles shrieked.
Building-by-building, block-by-block, the lights went off. Giant swaths of darkness spread rapidly across the county. Automobile traffic ceased.
The Ohio Edison Co. cut power to all street lights. Theater operators switched off marquees at the Palace, Loew's, Colonial, Gayety and Orpheum. Storefronts blackened at Polsky's, O'Neil's, Federman's and Yeager's. Park operators shut down the colorful midways at Summit Beach and Sandy Beach. The Mayflower, Portage, Akron and Howe hotels fell silent.
Police officers and defense officials carried red-beam flashlights while safety vehicles sported red lids over headlights in case of emergency.
By previous arrangement, war industry plants did not join the blackout until 9:45 p.m. because their work was so vital to the nation. Orange lights blazed from factory windows at Goodyear, Firestone, Goodrich, General, Seiberling and Goodyear Aircraft.
Then they shut down, too, for five minutes. Total blackness. Ghostly calm.
''All these sprawling plants presented a picture hard to forget as bright lights seemed snuffed out by unseen hands leaving all of them in utter darkness,'' the Beacon Journal reported. ''Not a streak of orange betrayed their whereabouts.''
As residents huddled in dark homes, they heard the drone of approaching airplanes. Fortunately, these pilots were on our side.
Two airplanes carried six observers who were charting the progress of the blackout.
Clarence Bell, manager of the airplanes division at Goodyear, piloted the first craft. His passengers were Col. Robert S. Harsh, liaison officer of the 5th Corps Area of the U.S. Army; Henry Berrodin, Akron service director; and Lon Tighe, chairman of the executive committee of the defense council.
R.C. Van Devere, manager of Akron Airways Inc., piloted the second plane. His passengers were B.E. ''Shorty'' Fulton, manager of Akron Municipal Airport; Robert F. Hartenstein, director of blackout control; and Keith Spriggel, a Beacon Journal reporter.
Most of the region was dark, but the eyes in the sky noticed a glaring error.
No one had turned off the lights on about 50 billboards scattered throughout the county. The advertising signs could have served as deadly beacons for enemy pilots during a real raid.
The chain of communication had broken down somewhere, but civil defense leaders promised to correct the problem before the next drill.
Overall, officials hailed the countywide blackout as ''an outstanding success.''
''The defense industries did a magnificent job and, as for autos, I did not see a single one after the lights went out all over the area,'' Harsh said. ''The only violations were the well-lit signboards.''
Hartenstein agreed: ''The traffic must have been under perfect control for I did not see one vehicle moving about.''
The drill ended at 9:50 p.m. with an all-clear signal, a single bomb blast at 10 locations around the county. Sirens and whistles stopped.
Building-by-building, block-by-block, the lights blinked on. Automobile traffic resumed.
Summit County residents had passed their first blackout test.
Mark J. Price is a Beacon Journal copy editor. He can be reached at 330-996-3850 or send e-mail to mjprice@thebeaconjournal.com.
Clear the streets! Seek shelter! Turn off the lights!
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