The U. S. Goes On "War Time"

Crew of the Rock Island "Rocket" turn their watches ahead to War Time at 2 a.m. Feb 9 in a blizzard outside Menlo, Iowa.

PICTURE OF THE WEEK

At 1:58 a.m. on Feb. 9, Engineer E.V. Coleman of the Rocky Mountain Rocket, crack Denver-Chicago express of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway, cut his power, threw on his air brakes and eased his train to a halt on a stretch of track one mile west of Menlo, Iowa. Accompanied by his fireman, L.E. Durbin, he stepped from his cab into a howling blizzard. A moment later they were joined by conductor Fred Lykke, Brakeman A.O. Smith and Road Foreman of Equipment F.H. Sprenger. Together, precisely at 2 a.m. the five trainmen turned their watches forward one hour in accordance with a bill signed by President Roosevelt Jan. 20, placing the nation on War Time until six months after peace. Then while the snowstorm raged about their heads, the Rocket's crew cross-checked timepieces carefully and returned to their posts. At Menlo, Conductor Lykke and Engineer Coleman reported by wire that their watches had been adjusted to the new time.

Throughout the network of the nation's railroads other train crews performed similar ceremonies. In cities and villages from coast to coast, in stations, stores, banks, business establishments and private homes, clocks ticked an hour ahead of the sun. And next morning Americans arose and dressed in the dark. By adopting war time U.S. industries are expected to conserve 700,000,000 kilowatt hours of power a year.

Life Magazine February 23, 1942