European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 11, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse Monday september 11, 1978 Ganges floods More of Benares new Delhi up the Rushing Ganges River already blamed for Over 1, 000 drownings sunday flooded More areas East of the hindu holy City of Benares and threatened to pour Over its Banks in India s most populous state. The situation beyond Benares in the Eastern part of utter Pravesh state is critical officials said warning residents on the River Banks to evacuate to higher grounds. The River s level continued to Rise above the flood Mark beyond Benares. The Ganges and the Jamuna River which also flooded last week left behind thousands of Miles of devastated towns villages and millions of acres of Farmland before receding around the new Delhi area. But downstream the Ganges remained above flood Levels and inundated vast tracts of Farmland in utter Pravesh and two states to the East Bihar and Wes Bengal. In the capital an agriculture ministry official said the death toll in Northern and Eastern India now stands at l ,023. More than 5,200 cattle have perished some 660,000 Homes have been destroyed officials said. Flood control officials Sun Day warned the West Bengal government that two Northern districts of the state Malda and Murshid Abad were Likely to be flooded very badly by the Ganges. Mountains contribute to add to the problem tributaries of the Ganges that flow from the Himalaya mountains Are feeding the River with Mon soon rain water officials said. The Ganges and the Jamuna continued to recede in the 450-mile stretch Between new Delhi and Benares although their lev Els were still above the flood Mark except in the Indian capital. In new Delhi the Jamuna dropped to 655-foot above sea. Level following last week s All time High flood of 670 feet above sea level. The two Rivers in the past four Days ram paged through four major cities in India s most populous state utter Pravesh. The All India radio said floodwaters of the Ganges were receding in Benares a City of 3 million people with temples and Riverside cremation Sites. Benares is one of the holiest cities where Many hindus Are cremated. Both the Ganges and the Jamuna at Allahabad where the two Rivers meet Are receding and the City is now Safe the radio said. The two Rivers encircled the City from three sides Friday and threatened to Over flow the three protective embankments. Troops saved the embankments by rein forcing them with thousands of sandbags. Bus crash kills 19, hurts 20 Rawalpindi up a speeding bus went out of control in a Sharp curve and crashed into a 400-foot Ravine 175 Miles Northwest of Rawalpindi killing 19 and in Juring 20 of those aboard officials said. The Iron lady7 Britain s conservative party Leader mrs. Margaret Thatcher May be think ing of the nickname often applied to her the Iron lady As she dons a Section of medieval Type Armor at Cov entry. The Armor is made by Engineer ing apprentices at the Midland group training Center. A photo Hammond 101-vote Winner Over Hickel Juneau Alaska a Republican gov. Jay Hammond saturday was certified As a 101-vote Winner Over former gov. Walter Hickel in Alaska s aug. 22 gubernatorial primary election. Hickel a former Secretary of the Interi or was expected to demand a recount after watching his 901-vote election night Lead evaporate during a tabulation of Absentee and questioned ballots. State sen. Chancy Croft of Anchorage was declared the democratic nominee for governor with a 272-vote margin Over for Mer state sen. De Merdes of Fairbanks. It. Gov. Lowell Thomas or. Certified Hammond and Croft As winners of the hot by contested primary immediately after the state canvass Board completed its re View of returns from the election. The final tally gave Hammond 31,899 votes to 31,798 for Hickel Croft 8,911 votes to 8,639 for Merdes. Thomas said he could begin a recount by tuesday if Hickel demands one. Merdes also could request a recount but would have to pay for it since he lost by More than one half of one percent. The Gap Between Hammond and Hickel was ,158 percent allowing the state to pay for the recount. Soviets Honor East German Moscow a East German Cosmo naut Sigmund Jaehn has been awarded the title of hero of the soviet Union this coun try s highest Honor the soviet news Agency Tass has reported. Jaehn spent eight Days in space along with soviet cosmonaut commander Valery Bykovsky in a binational flight. All 8 aboard downed cd 30 killed Conway Ark. A All eight Crew men of an air Force c-130 transport were killed when their plane crashed in a fiery Ball late Friday night in this Central a Kansas Region air Force officials said sat . Gary Martin a Public information officer released the names of five victims All members of the 62nd tactical Airlift Squadron at Little Rock air Force base capt. Edwin m. Hayashi 29, aircraft com Mander Aiea Hawaii capt. Dennis d. Faber 31, navigator fort Worth Texas capt. Thomas c. Smith 29, instructor navigator fort Worth . Randall a. To gel 28, flight Engineer red Bank n. J., and . William d. Ramsey 27, Load master Cincinnati. Identities of the other three were with held pending notification of relatives. The cargo plane on a training Mission slammed into a Rocky Hillside eight Miles North of Little Rock air Force base shortly before Midnight. Jack Croft who lives about a mile from the crash site said he saw two or three planes flying North while another Craft flew South. He said he heard a Small explosion followed by a much louder crash. Then he witnessed a a giant Ball of fire that lit up the sky. Croft said he and his wife Rode to the crash site on a motorcycle but there were no survivors. The stars and stripes Page 27 hundreds to meet 2nd army div by Dan Synovec Bremerhaven Bureau chief osterholz Schrambeck. Ger Many is hundreds of germans have already signed up for the new neighbor program that will introduce them to sol Diers and families of the 2nd army div fwd who will be arriving Here soon. The army Public affairs office at nor deutschland Headquarters North of Bremerhaven has received More than 500 applications from soldiers assigned to the first two battalions to Transfer Here from fort Hood Texas. The follow on battalions will also be invited to participate in the program said Clyde Wilkes Public affairs officer for the command. Voluntary program this is a voluntary program. We want to try to give them a starting Point of common interests. We Are considering profession educational level religion if it is important to the individual family size. Children s Ages language capabilities hobbies and other interests. All we can Hope to do is introduce these people and ask our German volunteers to introduce their new american neighbors into the Home of a German family. We Are also asking the americans to invite Ger mans to visit them in their Wilkes continued. Several months ago army authorities sent new neighbor applications to local German organizations. German families did not waste any time enlisting for the Opportunity to meet the gis and their families. Plans . Vacation one German family for instance attached a typed note in English to their application explaining that they want to meet an american family because they plan a vacation in the . Soon. Another wrote Welcome to Obeck osterholz Schrambeck City. Please come and see me at my House. My Best regards to several germans said they want to meet gis and their families because they have relatives in the . One said he wants to meet fort Hood soldiers because he has a degree from the University of Texas. Army authorities said they Are pleased with the German response and believe More applications will be forthcoming. On punch cards Public affairs officials in Bremerhaven have turned the applications Over to the army s data processing installation at Carl Schurz Cavern in Bremerhaven where they Are being put on computer punch cards. We want to try to match families with similar interests said two Ronald w. Tillett commander of the data processing installation. But the selection of the families will be up to the Public affairs conversion rate London a Friday s closing rates of the . Dollar to european currencies. Figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other local currencies to dollars sept. 7 British Pound 1.93425 German Mark 1.9909 French franc 4.3525 dutch Guilder 2.1611 belgian franc 33.3950 italian lira 834.60 Swiss franc 1.61775 greek drachma 36.664 turkish lira 25.25 Spanish peseta 73.60 these Are commercial rates and can be related Only to the use of foreign currency by . Forces for official business. Sales of German Marks to . Personnel for personal use will be at the rate of 1.98 on monday which is based on Price fixing at midday and allows for Standard handling charge. Sept. 8 1.93835 1.9975 4.3707 2.1675 32.50 835.05 1.6270 36.661 25.25 73.90
