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A great blow was struck at Harvard undergraduates and Faculty last night when Widener Library was hit by a heavy demolition bomb in a regional test air raid.
Following a 20 minute warning, a theoretical enemy air fleet poured over Harvard in an attempt to block America's war efforts and dumped their lethal loads. On the backs of conscientious students who were seeking knowledge in the reading room of Widener came the destruction. Casualties were heavy but the libray's first aid unit composed of the girls employed in the building swung into action and brought relief to the gasping students.
ARP Mobilized
In the meantime Harvard's ARP services, ten in all, which includes fire, medical, gas, water, electric, demolition, bomb reconnaissance groups, ran through their paces in this theoretical raid. Each group made its report to an umpire at the Yard whence they went on their missions. The services were rated on how well they performed their duties and how long it took them to make their report.
The various Houses blacked out and the student wardens were organized to meet the various incidents that occurred. Students wept when near hits just missed the kitchens. The Navy men in the Yard charged out to help with fire and medical units to tackle the various incidents. Men were seen running towards Widener with buckets of water from the old well in an effort to put out the fire there. Tolstoy, Emerson, Taussig burned merrily in the basement of Widener bright enough to throw ample light on the crews clearing away the pile of rocks from the crumbled east wall which was obstructing the road. Massachusetts Hall suffered a hit from an incendiary bomb, but the fire was put out by the powerful stream of water furnished by the navy crews.
Close but no Cigar
Disappointed fire fighters hustled to a blaze made by a missile that just missed Lehman Hall but caught the end of Wigglesworth. There were casualties there to be handled by the medical corps. Much neglected Robinson Hall got its share in the fun as Harvard firemen stormed through her portals to squelch an irate incendiary bomb.
About 10 o'clock Robert Haines, Deputy Chief Warden, dismissed his men after the University's first realistic air raid test. Once again dazzled squirrels returned to their nests in the trees and the crinkily brown leaves settled quietly in the Yard.
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