Day Called X, The (ca. 1955)

[Music] [Music] [Music] it's the mayor ladies and gentlemen you've heard the reports that enemy planes are approaching in less than 3 hours an hbomb might fall over Portland [Music] [Laughter] [Music] like myself I think you're going to be very interested in this story that we're going to tell you and in this age of missiles and man-made moons it takes on added significance there are no actors in this story but there are a lot of people the people of the city of Portland Oregon and what happened to them or could happen to them on a day that we'll call X this is the land between the mountains and the sea between the snowcapped crater of Mount Hood and the Pacific it's Tall Timber Country and this is a city largest dry cargo port on the Pacific Coast and its people are friendly and rugged in the tradition of the Oregon Trail population about 415,000 more or less more or less about the size of Hiroshima and this is what happened or could happen on a certain day called X the sun came up at 6:31 Joe fodf was there to observe and Chronicle the event the paper Joe noted was a little heavier than usual but naturally he didn't stop to read the headline and Mrs Frank stel Portland housewife mother of five was concerned at 802 John it's time to get up you'll be late for school children late and coffee boiling and with these problems duly appraised she turned to the woman's page of The Oregonian thus managing to avoid the front page which after all contain nothing but scare headlines the time is time is 8:27 wake up Portland it's a wonderful day today stay tuned to km for the best in music and news and now we continue our wake up show with more transcribed Tunes at 8:36 uh the population of Portland increased by one Timothy James made his first comment at a local hospital and settled down to life in the 20th century [Music] like all communities religion is important the people like its Church architecture are Forward Thinking at 9: a special service is being held and at the busy port at 9:18 Ray Matthews a long shoreman loaded scrap iron Bound for Japan at 9:37 at the central fire station the men were busy with their morning chores scrubbing holes cleaning ladders and shining the pumper by 10: that morning at the Harvey Scott School the kindergarten class of Elsie McLendon was much involved with the morning's activities [Music] c will come to order the cour will call the role being booty B Earl and the twice weekly meeting of the city council was much involved too a matter of sewer maintenance was one of the problems up for discussion at Police Headquarters the messages at 1031 so far indicated two cars stolen a drunken disorderly an average day in an average American city 126 cat in a tree 14 an anony except this this day is the one called X attention all stations emergency this is an air ra warning and car radio alert repeat this is an air raid warning and car radio alert enemy aircraft are over the illusion stand by for warning time this is Western prepare to Cy time information time to Seattle 2 hours 30 minutes Portland warning Point Air Raid warning enemy aircraft over Canada in Alaska time to Portland 3 hours 15 minutes thank you I'll notify the mayor at 10:32 Jack low the city's civil defense director receives the words enemy planes have crossed the pole probably They Carried H bombs likely one maybe two are headed for Portland the mayor is alerted work uh joh of the Cil I've just received information that enemy planes are approaching this area I just authorized the sounding the evacuation s the Cil will be in recess and we will immediately reassemble at the emergency Operation Center and so this day called X which began in such an ordinary way is no ordinary day at 10:35 the Banshee whale of the siren Echoes the warning and the city prepares for survival [Music] [Music] 99 cities in the United States are considered critical targets and Portland is just one of them and it's so hard to know in advance how any man will react when that day comes there will be those like Ben Conrad the mechanic who has heard the sirens before in practice and who will disregard them and there are those like Tom Cook who can't go he's one of the power load dispatchers for all electric power in the Northwest these men are expendable others can and do go [Music] the time is 10:47 this is a Connell Brad radio alert normal broadcasting will be discontinued for an indefinite period civil defense information will be broadcast in most areas at 6:40 or 12:40 on your regular radio receiver I repeat this is a Connell red radio alert normal broadcasting will be discontinued for an indefinite period civil defense information will be broadcast in most areas at 6:40 or 1240 on your regular radio receiver when the sirens sound some cities go underground take to shelter particularly if there's little warning but Portland evacuates according to a wellth out plan the question is at 10:45 on the day called X will it work quietly without Panic the city organizes becomes a mobile the best it can [Music] civil defense is not apart from normal City functioning the same utilities involved in caring for a city in peace are those equipped to care for her in an emergency and when the siren sounds each man knows his responsibility public buildings follow a pattern well learned in [Music] practice the idea to move out of the city to move fast but with caution like other Portland mothers Mrs stuffel moves her family to a pre-arranged location outside the city Beyond radiation range with necessary supplies [Music] and Timothy James and his mother go for an unexpected ride in a moving van in his first day of life now at 10:50 in this hour of decision the seat of local government is moved to a point some 6 miles out of town buried in a hill is a blast prooof radiation proof Operation Center where government can continue to function evacuation can be controlled and if necessary the city can be reorganized the Portland plan revolves around the local government with merary shrunk its head government must survive if its people are to survive civil defense is government operating in an emergency may now morning Mr Mayor situation looks pretty bad right now we don't know exactly what's happening but we do have Flames over Alaska and Canada ladies and gentlemen you've heard the reports that enemy planes are approaching in less than three hours an hbomb might fall over Portland Mr Jack low our civil defense director will coordinate activities here here Jack what's the situation Mr Mayor according to our latest reports from ConEd enemy planes are still headed this way at 450 knots that will put them just about there on the Alaska Canadian border I'd say we still have about two and a half hours if Portland is where they intend to make a drop what's the condition of a evacuation movement well we have uh very scant reports now because it's only been 15 minutes but uh we can check with the police and with the traffic engineer and see if we get what information we have I have no information yet as to how it's progressing by 10:55 the heads of Utilities Red Cross military liaison Civil Air Patrol weather bureau and All City departments are functioning as a civil defense team while City commissioners and Bureau heads remain behind working with their departments at the emergency seat of government their families are among those evacuating by 11: the operations officer is receiving reports on the evacuation of the city and he is the reporter of the day traffic time weather and in the operations Cent's broadcast studio the time is the time is 1110 this is an official Civil Defense broadcast enemy aircraft are over Canada and headed this way normal broadcasting has been discontinued until after this emergency has passed you are now tuned to conell rad and will receive official information and instruction on this frequency keep your radio tuned to this frequency remember there is a traffic plan for the evacuation of the city all cars in the downtown area must follow the green lights they will lead you out of the danger area by the quickest route do not try to cross the flow of traffic follow the green lights turn with traffic proceed with care John Carpenter a sports caster becomes the warning voice the people of Portland know his voice trust it in 1955 Portland held a practice Mass evacuation The Heart of the City was cleared in 34 minutes it's safe to say that practice evacuation will be responsible for saving a great many lives this day should the bomb fall many will be killed the more that move out of the city the greater the chances of survival pedestrians are helped out of the city the great dangers are Jem ups and [Music] bottlenecks whing over the city a police helicopter reports traffic movement to the Operation Center copter one to dispatcher copter one to dispatcher copter one go ahead Barber and slaven traffic moving very slowly Bumper to Bumper suggest one or two lanes be diverted East on Hamilton over 104 [Music] 1131 and at 1132 at the operations center police chief Hill Bruner receives a suggestion and with traffic engineer Fred Fowler he works out a way to divert traffic motorcycle policemen are sent to split the load onto a side road there's no way of knowing if Portland actually is an enemy Target but with 3 hours of warning and the time fading fast it's vital that all roads lead to safety that all roads be kept open allowing people to evacuate from the potential Target area meantime County and State Police Halt and divert incoming traffic away from the target area [Music] should a bomb fall fire and Utility Equipment must be available to move back into the city to restore services and so trucks of all sizes and of all varieties speed to points outside the city by a decaled [Music] plan by 11:45 the men and Equipment have arrived at the dispersal areas away from the target auxiliary police and auxiliary firemen are also in action this a serious businessman we anticipate attack secure your vehicles as best you can turn off the ignition put on the tarps on the fire apparatus take the radiation instruments with you move immediately to dispersal area move as quickly as you can to dispersal cover i' say again move to dispersal cover [Music] around the dispersal area in local public buildings emergency kitchens are in operation rumors are everywhere facts are hard to find but back underground at the Operation Center with running out only facts are considered according to information we have just received from Western Air Defense command the situation Remains the Same enemy aircraft are still approaching in this direction if they continue on this same course we can expect an attack in this area anytime after 2147 grwi time that is 47 p.m. Pacific Standard time and now I would like a brief situation report from all departments on how we stand first John what is the Fallout situation well Jack according to our latest weather information the winds will continue in a northeasterly direction at about 10 knots let's face facts gentlemen if we have a blast On Target downtown Portland it will be ours and probably days before we can get back in engineering Gordon Bert we have reports that 80% of the city-owned Public Utility Equipment have been successfully evacuated from the city however there is one group of electric company trucks caught on the west side we're working now on a plan to get them out fire department uh Chief Simpson the fire department's uh initial dispersal plan is in effect several units have already moved out to their respective dispersal points engine 24 and engine 30 are currently fighting a residential fire and they will stay on the job until this fire has been controlled police chief Hill Bruner as for police activities the city is about 65% evacuated traffic appears to be moving at about 15 M an hour outbound the state and County Police have set up an effective roadblock diverting inbound traffic thus enabling us to use all lanes for outbound traffic emergency medical Dr met City h hospitals are continuing to evacuate emergency hospital units are functioning in Forest Grove and M Angels others should be heard from soon you might be interested knowing that in route one boy and Twins were born gust Lang welfare as the reports continue it is obvious that the Portland plan is working smoothly only 7 years earlier Portland had no civil defense it was is then that the idea that civil defense was not to be separated from normal government evolved and in 1952 a 1 mil tax levy to finance the plan was put on the balot by unanimous decision of the city council after civil defense leaders went out and campaigned the people voted to tax themselves to protect themselves and later the city Charter was amended to assure continuity of government so that in an emergency like this should the executive branch become casualties they would automatically be replaced by a legally established line of succession of other experienced City officials the people as now and after the emergency are assured of continuity of their government schools report complete evacuation there's no Panic among the children they've rehearsed this before reports from Industries indicate approximately 90% evacuation I think we're doing quite well and so at 1225 with some 22 minutes till Zer hour Portland seems to be doing quite well should a bomb fall now City officials and city services will be able to carry on and meantime vital messages are passed on to maintain contact with State and County headquarters [Music] okay W7 V w7s a a from W7 BS follows upstairs in this unique underground operations center an emergency telephone system is functioning as the details of evacuation are reported and relayed part of the civil defense lby went to a comprehensive microfilming project supervised by Will Gibson City auditor more than 3 million documents and records that go back to the first handwritten city council minutes in 1851 have been microfilmed duplicates of laws and the engineering records without which the city cannot function are here and so in time of disaster records are preserved and now with a moment to breathe some can take time for coffee in a built-in cafeteria it's time to talk of families which have been evacuated and there's time to be alone and think of the future [Music] there's even time for those who need it now to rest 300 can live here for a week eat sleep and breathe the Operation Center has its own water supply its own electric power even its own purified Air at 1:30 on this day called X the air outside is strange and Silent almost all its people have gone and at 1:32 as directed by the mayor the siren sounds once more take cover the evacuation is stopped and there is nothing to do but wait back in the Operation Center the day called X reaches its climax time now 147 enemy bombers are probably overhead e [Music] what happened after that moment we leave you to contemplate but one thing is certain Portland has a plan for the survival of its people and the continuity of its government you know actually the survival of this entire nation depends upon the ability of federal state and local governments to carry out their responsibilities in the event of a massive nuclear attack each new scientific development in the weapons of war presents A new challenge and the people of Portland through through working together they're ready if there really were a day called X how about you [Music]