Banner Graphic, Volume 14, Number 272, Greencastle, Putnam County, 24 July 1984 — Page 2
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The Putnam County Banner-Graphic, July 24,1984
Amtrak crash kills diplomat, injures 115
NEW YORK (AP) trying to determine whether a broken signal or human error caused two passenger trains to collide head-on, killing one rider and injuring 115 in Amtrak’s fourth fatal accident this month, officials said. The collision Monday on elevated tracks in the borough of Queens occurred when the Boston-bound Zip failed to wait for the southbound Shoreliner to pass, said Amtrak spokesman Clifford Black. The trains were traveling on the same track because of repairs, he said. The impact derailed both locomotives and four cars on each train. Firefighters had to break windows to rescue trapped passengers, and the most severely injured were lowered in cherry pickers 80 feet from the tracks to waiting ambulances below. Others were evacuated into another train that pulled alongside the derailed cars and taken to Pennsylvania Station. Traffic started moving on the line again a little over three hours after the 10:45 a m. accident. “It sounded like a terrific explosion,” said Joseph Specht, who owns a store underneath the tracks. “I ran out and saw smoke.” Emergency Medical Services treated
Talks begin on new pact for nation's auto workers
DETROIT (AP) General Motors Corp. and the United Auto Workers may be on their way to defusing health care as a bargaining issue, but job security and wages still loom as the biggest obstacles to avoiding a strike this summer. GM and the UAW opened talks Monday on a contract for 350,000 workers to replace the historic 1982 accord which provided union concessions to the ailing automakers. UAW President Owen Bieber smiled for photographers and shook hands with GM’s top negotiator, Vice President Alfred Warren, in the traditional opening of auto contract talks. Talks start today at Ford Motor Co., where the union represents 115,000 production workers. Both contracts expire Sept. 14. They were reached more than two years ago while the U.S. auto industry struggled through its worst slump since the Depression. But Detroit came roaring back last year, with GM making a record $3.73 billion
Banner-Graphic "It Waves For All" USPS 142-020 Consolidation of The Daily Banner Established 1850 The Herald The Daily Graphic Established 1883 ' Telephone 653-5151 Published daily except Sundays and holidays by LuMar Newspapers. Inc. at 100 Nonh Jackson St., Greencastle. Indiana 46135. Entered in the Post Office at Greencastle. Indiana, as 2nd class mall matter under Act of March 7,1878. Subscription Rates Per Week, by carrier ‘l.lO Per Month, by motor route '4.95 Mail Subscription Rates R.R. in Rest of Rest of Putnam County Indiana U.S.A. 3 Months ‘15.75 ‘16.00 ‘17.25 6 Months '30.30 '30.80 ‘34.50 1 Year *59.80 ‘60.80 ‘69.00 Mali subscriptions payable in advance . . . not accepted in town and where motor route service Is avai'able. Member of the Associated Press The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for republtcation of all the local news printed In this newspaper.
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115 people for injuries, including nine who were admitted to area hospitals, officials said. Enrique Gilarranz, 53, a Spanish govern ment administrative official vacationing in New' York, died Monday at Booth Memorial Medical Center from chest and abdominal injuries suffered in the crash. The five-car Shoreliner, bound for New York from Boston, had received written instructions to use the northbound track because the southbound track was closed for regular maintenance, Black said. The seven-car Zip, which had originated in Washington and stopped in New York, was supposed to have waited for the Shoreliner to pass, he said. Each train carried about 160 passengers. “Whether it was dispatcher failure, an engineer failure or a signal failure we do not know at this point,” he said. “The northbound train was to have held for the southbound train. That did not happen.” It was Amtrak’s fourth fatal accident this month. Five people were killed and 147 injured in a derailment at Williston, Vt., on July 7; a grade crossing collision killed a train engineer and a truck driver at McBee, S.C., on July 11; and a collision killed two people in a truck at Elgin, S.C., on July 4.
profit and Ford a record $1.87 billion. Both companies paid their top executives millions of dollars in bonuses based on those profits, and the industry is expected to double its black ink this year. GM’s plans to import hundreds of thousands of small cars from Asia amounts to “blackmail” against the workers, Bieber said at a news conference. “We pointed out first of all, very quickly and I think very clearly, that 1984 is not 1982,” Bieber said. “The situation is totally different than when we were here the last time.” The average GM autoworker has seen his base hourly wage frozen at $9.63 for more than 2Vfe years, although cost-of-living increases brought that to $12.64 an hour this summer. Ford workers make a penny an hour more. GM and Ford complain that wages are high enough and health care alone costs several hundred dollars per car. They peg the total cost per hour for a production worker at $22.
IU prof says laws effective only partially BLOOMINGTON. Ind. (AP) - Laws designed to reduce injuries from traffic accidents may only be partially effective, according to Indiana University professor Terrell Zollinger. Zollinger said Monday that’s because some factors, such as the victims’ height, weight and driving experience, are beyond the realm of practical control. Using national highway safety data, Zollinger determined that occupants of older, heavier vehicles are most likely to be less seriously injured than others, and that nighttime crashes are generally the worst. He said the only real way to control major injuries is through preventive measures such as better automobile design and roadway engineering.
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YITZHAR SHAMIR: Wants joint government
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Nine dead, 23 hurt in refinery explosion
ROMEOVILLE, 111. (AP) - Rescue workers searched today for seven Union Oil Co. workers still missing following a refinery explosion that killed at least nine people, injured 23 others, cracked concrete foundations 15 miles away and cut off power to 10,000 homes. The blast Monday evening was felt for 35 miles and left the refinery looking like “a giant erector set that had been stepped on,” said Romeoville police Lt. Andy Barto. Rescue workers were hampered for hours from recovering charred bodies at the site by the choking smoke and intense heat. Officials early today had no information
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VANESSA WILLIAMS Turns over crown
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on what might have caused the explosion, which firefighters said occurred inside the refinery’s coke plant. Firefighters from about 30 communities battled five separate fires, which sent smoke swirling thousands of feet into the air. By early today, only one fire was still burning, and that was under control, said Romeoville police Sgt. Richard Nugent. Nugent said the bodies of nine badly burned victims had been recovered from the explosion site, but none had been identified. There were 48 workers at the plant when the explosion occurred shortly before 6p.m. Monday, he said. Twenty-one workers were injured, two of them critically, in the blast and ensuing
She keeps poise, not title
NEW YORK (AP) The new Miss America promised to spend her 7V 2 -week reign trying to “uplift” the pageant’s image after her predecessor, Vanessa Williams, reluctantly surrendered her beauty crown over the publication of sexually explicit photographs of her. At a news conference Monday, a poised and smiling Miss Williams said she had wanted to complete her year as the 1984 titleholder, but realized that “because of all that has happened during the past week, it would be difficult for me to make an appearance as Miss America.” Miss Williams, 21, of Millwood, N.Y., the first black Miss America, thus became the first in pageant history to be forced to quit. Suzette Charles, 21, of Mays Landing, N.J., the first runner-up in September’s pageant, is also black. She said she was “excited” about becoming the 58th Miss America, but added, “It’s unfortunate it had to be under these circumstances.” “We will move on and we will try to uplift the image of Miss America,” Miss Charles told a news conference in Atlantic City after learning of Miss Williams’ decision. Miss Charles, a singer-dancer, will make her first official appearance in Huntsvile, Ala., on Aug. 1, pageant promoters said. Although she assumed the title Monday, Miss Charles was not presented a crown. “We don’t believe this is the time for that
Israel election in near-deadlock
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) main political parties battled to a virtual stalemate in the general election, raising doubts today that either could forge an effective coalition with smaller parties. Both Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir of the Likud bloc and Shimon Peres of the Labor Party claimed success in Monday’s election. But both fell far short of an outright majority in Parliament, while smaller parties gained additional seats. The Central Elections Committee, in the first official tally, said today that Labor edged Likud by 35.4 percent to 31.9 percent in total votes, based on a full count from all but 14 of 4,859 polling stations. The percentages translate into 42 seats for Labor in the 120-member Knesset against Likud’s 38, with some seats not yet apportioned, but several Israeli newspaper said today that Likud appeared to have the best chance of forging a new government with support from religious parties. Actual vote totals were not available, but the election committee said about 80 percent of the 2.65 million voters cast ballots. The results indicated that 13 small parties would win seats the most since 1951 and their support will determine which large bloc heads the next government. Those winning seats ranged from pro-Arab leftist parties to U.S.-born rabbi Meir Kahane, an anti-Arab extremist, but the most influential bloc may be the six religious-oriented parties who together won a projected 14 seats. After consulting all the parties, President Chaim Herzog will assign either
fires, area hospitals reported. Two Romeoville firefighters also suffered minor injuries fighting the blazes, said Assistant Chief Stephen Clancy. The refinery straddles Romeoville and Lemont, about 25 miles southwest of Chicago. About 15,000 people live in Romeoville. The explosion blew out windows and cracked building foundations in Joliet, said Sgt. Paul Dixon of the Will County sheriff’s office. “I was talking on the telephone,” said Angela Schmidt of nearby Lockport. “The door blew open like someone threw something at it.” Some witnesses reported a second ex-
Selling like hotcakes
By The Associated Press Eager customers paid a premium for Penthouse Magazine at Indiana bookstands and stores as Vanessa Williams was resigning as Miss America. “We’ve sold at least 100 copies within two hours,” said Clara Bova, manager of Indiana News in downtown Indianapolis. “The phone has not stopped,” she said. “They’re asking, ‘ls the September Penthouse in? Do you have
kind of symbolism,” said Albert Marks, pageant executive director. There was one bit of symbolism, however: The portrait of Miss Williams which had hung in pageant offices was taken down. Marks said the pageant regrets “that circumstances ... have, caused Miss Williams to relinquish her title. ’ ’ He said in a statement released in Atlantic City that she had “fulfilled all of the duties and responsibilities of her position in exemplary fashion.” He said no deal was struck with Miss Williams to get her to resign. She will be allowed to keep her rhinestone-studded
Reagan answers due in Tuesday press conference
WASHINGTON (AP) President Reagan, anxious to set the record straight, planned to use a prime-time news conference for his first direct response to the verbal beating he took during last week’s Democratic convention. OReagan’s 26th news conference, being nationally televised at 8 p.m. EDT tonight, is almost certain to be dominated by political questions as the campaign season heats up. The president set aside two hours Monday as well as some time this afternoon to rehearse answers to questions his staff believed he would be asked at the East Room session.
Shamir or Peres the task of building a coalition. The nominee has three weeks, with a possible three-week extension, to complete the job. Peres, as leader of the largest party, claimed the right to try first. But Shamir is more likely to win the backing of the religious parties since they nd Likud share a belief that the West Bank belongs to the Jews by historical right. Most pre-election polls forecast a comfortable win for Labor, and the relatively disappointing showing prompted some dejected party leaders to speak openly of ousting Peres, who led Labor to two previous election defeats. Shamir, greeted by a thunderous ovation at Likud headquarters, renewed his offer to form a joint government with labor. If Labor refused, he said, “I am convinced I have the best prospect of forming a government.” Peres told supporters at Labor headquarters that he could form a coalition without Likud. His campaign manager, Mordechai Gur, said later, “We have to try to form our own government. If it doesn’t work we have time to discuss” a power-sharing arrangement. The campaign was fought mainly over the inflation-wracked economy. But the results showed the deep rift between those who support Likud’s refusal to yield warwon Arab land and others who backed Labor’s concept of immediate negotiations. “The people are divided into two solid blocs. Maybe we should look for a new system of elections so that one party can govern even when the election is close,” said Gur.
plosion shortly after the first, and others said there were also a series of smaller explosions. “I heard the explosion, I turned around and hit the pavement,” said Virgil Powell, a truck driver who was unloading a shipment inside the refinery’s main gates. “I ran about 300 yards to a canal and then I heard a second explosion,” he said. “That one really scared me because the heat was so intense I was afraid I was going to incinerate.” A spokesman for Commonwealth Edison said the blast knocked out a 138,000-volt transmission tower and cut power to up to 10,000 homes. Power was restored to 99 percent of the within two hours,*
any left? Could you save me one? Could I get more than one?’ ” When the September Penthouse issue appeared at Indiana newsstands, customers not only had to wait in line, they had to pay an extra dollar. Penthouse raised the price from $3 to $4. “People are buying it who’ve never bought it before,” said Maxine Dinsmore, a clerk at Readmore Bookworld in Kokomo. “We expect them (sales) to do real good this time.”
crown, about $125,000 in personal appearance fees and a prorated amount of the $25,000 in scholarship money which was part of her prize, he said. Miss Williams, a singer, said she would devote the rest of what she called “the most difficult year of my life” to “establishing what I hope will be a successful career in the entertainment business.” The pictures were taken in 1982 by a photographer in Mount Kisco, N.Y., where Miss Williams worked for a summer, and Miss Williams reiterated that she does not recall signing a release form allowing the pictures to be published.
Those questions certainly will include his reaction to the selection of Rep. Geraldine A. Ferraro, D-N.Y., as the running mate of the Democratic challenger, Walter F. Mondale. The day after Ms. Ferraro’s selection was announced, the president said that Republican women were moving ahead in politics because of ability, not tokenism. While speaking to a group of elacted GOP women, Reagan said Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of Britain was chosen to head the Conservative Party “not because she was a woman but because she was the best person for the job. ’