New York Times, 31 octobre 1938, p. 1
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Nombreux sont ceux qui fuient leur maisons pour échapper au "raid Gas depuis Mars" — Les appels téléphoniques submergent la police à la diffusion de la fantaisie de Wells
Une vague d'hystérie de masse a saisi des milliers d'auditeurs de la radio dans toute la nation entre 20 h 15 et 21 h 30 la nuit dernière lorsque la diffusion d'une dramatisation de la fantaisie de H. G. Wells, "La guerre des mondes," a amené des milliers de personnes à penser qu'un conflit interplanétaire avait commencé avec des envahisseurs martiens répandant mort et destruction générale dans le New Jersey et New York.
L'émission, qui disrupted households, interrupted religious services, created traffic jams and clogged communications systems, was made by Orson Welles, who as the radio character. "The Sahdow" used to give "the creeps" to countless child listeners. This time at least a score of adults required medical treatment for shock and hysteria.
In Newark, in a single block at Heddon Terrace and Hawtorne Avenue, more than twenty families rushed out of their houses with wet handkerchiefs and towels over their faces to flee from what they believed was to be a gas raid. Some began moving household furniture.
Throughout New York families left their homes, some to flee to nearby parks. Thousands of persons called the police newspapers and radio stations here and in other cities of the United States and Canada seeking advice on protective measures against the raids.
The program was produces by Mr. Welles and the Mercury Theatre on the Air over station WABC and the Columbia Broacasting System's coast-to-coast network, from 8 to 9 o'clock.
The radio play, as presented, was to simulate a regular radio program with a "break-in" for the material of the play. The radio listeners, apparently, missed or did not listen to the introduction, which was: "The Columbia Broadcasting System and its affliated stations present Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre on the Air in 'The War of the Worlds' by H. G. Wells."
They also failed to associate the program with the newspaper listing of the program, announced as "Today: 8:00-9:00—Play: H. G. Wells's 'War of the Worlds'—WABC." They ignored three additional announcements made during the broadcast emphasizing its fictional nature.
Mr. Welles opened the program with a description of the series of...
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