European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 07, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars stripes thursday november 7, 1985 millions in damage expected Horn blasts at Texas Gas vault stateside Mont . Texas a damage will run into the millions Tif dollars at a Salt dome Gas storage vault where a series of explosions killed two workers forced hundreds of people to flee their Homes a Petroleum com Pany spokesman said. About 200 firefighters worked almost six hours tuesday to control the Blaze fuelled by liquefied propane from three pipelines that could not be shut off because intense heat kept Crews away from the valves. A five foot underground pipeline ruptured at the War Ren Petroleum co. Refinery storage Plant whiff work ers were doing maintenance work according to Cul in Gram spokesman for Chevron inc. Which owns Warren the 300-Aerc Complex about 30 Miles cast of Down town Houston. Ingram said he charred area about 10 percent of the Plant would be closed for a few weeks damage would run into the millions. An investigation will go on for a week at least he said. This is a substantial fire a lot of damage. It will take Lime to get  mayor Fred Miller ordered an evacuation of the entire town of 1,200, fearing that the fire would spread through a network of Gas lines beneath the town. The mayor lifted the order tuesday evening for about half the residents but he refused to allow residents living near the Plant to return. The blasts occurred in a Salt dome used by at least 35 companies to store Gas products. Smoke could be seen 30 Miles away in downtown Houston. Explosions at the Salt dome Are nothing new. In 1980, about 820 million cubic feet of lethal hydrocarbon gases leaked forcing evacuation of More than 70 families some for As Long As six months. The leak was discovered when a dishwasher ignited Gas inside a Home. In 1984, a Dow chemical co. Pipeline ruptured. An explosion fire destroyed o j Home damaged four other buildings. Workers Irachas fireball rises after explosion tuesday in Mont Belvick Texas. A photo Gas vault strike at general dynamics cuts tank production by halt Detroit a tank production at two general dynamics corp. Plants has declined by More than half during a United Auto workers strike but the new tanks Are headed where they Are most needed officials say. Contract talks continued tuesday via conference Call after the Law cancelled membership meetings to give bar gainers time to decide whether general dynamics employees who were fired or disciplined for picket activities during the seven week strike should be Given Complete amnesty. However neither Union spokesman Bob Barbee nor company spokesman William Shiel would comment on tuesday s negotiations. They re still just continuing by phone Barbee said. The strike in Michigan Ohio Pennsylvania has idled 5,000 general dynamics workers who build my a Iai Abrams tanks under a contract scheduled for completion by 1991. General dynamics tank production was 39 tanks below Normal Levels in of her according to company figures. Shiel said the company produced 15 tanks at its Warren Plant 16 tanks at Lima during october. Normal production at each factory is 35 tanks per month Shiel said. Union members attending a tuesday briefing at the Law local 1200 Hall in Warren a Detroit suburb said they were told the company had offered a s2.000 one time payment similar to the $2,120 won by Chrysler corp. Workers late last month. They want to give us a $2,000 Lump sum up front like the Chrysler workers had my idea is it takes me More than $2,000 to live on s2.000 in one month is not going to Stop my Christmas problem Mike Davis a tank worker with 10 years seniority said As he left the briefing. So i would rather do without Christmas be Able to slay out Here with the rest of them he said. The Law s general dynamics Council on saturday rejected a tentative contract agreement that would end the walkout that began sept. 18. The Union said it would remain on strike until the company agreed to amnesty for at least nine employees fired arid More than 100 employees disciplined in connection with picket line actions. Art Volpe Public affairs officer with the army tank automotive come in Warren said the army had received about 3,000 of the 7,467 tanks included in the general dynamics contract. At the end of the program about half the army s tanks will be the m-1 series which has greater firepower Speed Maneule ability Crew Comfort than the older models i replaces Volpe said. Senate oks China envoy ending delay Washington a foreign policy Veteran Winston lord was confirmed by the Senate tuesday night As . Ambassador to China after his nomination was held up for months in a dispute Over funding for abortions in the world s most populous nation. The nomination which has been under consideration since july which was approved 16-1 by the Senate foreign relations committee was confirmed on an 87-7roll Call vote. Sen. Jesse Helms , voted no after vowing o prevent this nation from gelling into the business of endorsing or financing the termination of innocent human  Helms who had held up action on the nomination said he will continue to delay action on nominations he opposes. He said he finally permitted Lac Vole because president Reagan had offered personal assurances that his administration will or . Funding to  Lup Portwig programs of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization. Helms contended in a Senate speech that m. Peter Mcpherson head of the Agency for International development had refused to make such a pledge insisted on a More permissive interpretation of a Law drafted by Helms others. Helms said he had been unable to get lord to say at a hearing that he would support the Law on the abortion funding Issue. Lord Lesli fied that he is personally opposed to abortions in most cases will follow the administration s policy on the matter. But he also said he believes that China s prob lems with attempting to curb a huge growing Popula Tion also must be recognized. Lord said after the vote that he his wife Belle Are honoured to represent the american people to serve the  Landing at wrong Airport Sparks Drunken flying inquiry Fresno Calif. A the Pilot of a private plane who Houghl he was Landing at Oakland International Airport when he touched Down in Fresno 150 Miles away was arrested for investigation of Drunken flying police said. Norman t. Lawrence. 39. Of Oakland failed to radio the Tower at Fresno air terminal Laic Friday before he landed without lights nearly hit a charter plane approaching the runway said de Hammonds manager of the Federal aviation administration night standards office in Fresno. He thought this was  Hammonds said. He had All the Oakland frequencies dialled  Lawrence also carried an expired Pilot s certificate failed a sobriety lest Hammonds said. Lawrence said he was flying from Long Beach More than 200 Miles South of Fresno to Oakland near san Francisco. Patty Duke succeeds de Asner As head of screen actors Guild los Angeles a Patty Duke has been elected president of the screen actors Guild overcoming a Chal Lenge by Union members who objected to Liberal political stands taken by the outgoing president de Asner. Asner had endorsed Duke 38, an Academy award win Ner As the candidate of the Guild s Liberal faction. To actor de Nelson was the candidate of the conservative actors working for an actors Guild which opposed Alder s political activism. Duke took 10,838 votes or 56 percent of the 19,751 Guild members voting Nelson captured 7,419, or 38 percent Guild spokesman Mark Locher said. Stuntman Tony cd care got 735 votes actor Charles hold i got 289, Locher said. The Guild has 56,000 Mem Bers. The Guild s conservative faction led by Charlton Hes ton managed to gain one regional vice president s Post three of 13 seats open on the National Board of directors. Archaeology students practice grinding Grain at dig in Israel Austin Texas a some University of Texas students Are putting away the books on ancient Palestine this week trying their hands at grinding Grain with the ancient Stone tools found at an archaeological dig in Israel. We re going to Sec How Long it takes to grind enough wheat for a family of six for one Day said professor Harold Liebowitz who with co workers found the tools. When students can actually pick up one of these ancient tools work with it it s fascinating for them Liebowitz said. It makes everything much More  the grinding tools Are among hundreds of objects including pottery glassware Iron utensils found at Tel Yin am near the sea of Galilee. The Mound of ruins built up by cycles of occupation destruction has the longest known record of occupation of any site in Israel. Liebowitz said the area was occupied As Early As the neolithic period about 7000 ., until 500 a.d., i tic one break from about 3000  To 1300  Star studded gala at met raises $1.3 million for  research new York a dozens of stars danced Sang in the metropolitan opera House to raise $1.3 million show m the words of producer Barry Brown that caring concern arc spreading faster than ." an audience of nearly 4,000 gathered in the ornate Hill for the Best of the  an upbeat gala that included a ragtime Ballet with Mikhail Baryshnikov songs by Mari a inc caro1 Burn. Melissa Manchester pet Rallen Victor Borge the Harlem boys choir the new York Gay men s choir off color humor by Belle mid Ler Lily Tomlin. A no Vaiscy by Lac bin Ceil wil1 8� � Lac  med Cal foundation the  resource Center the Gay Wens health crisis three groups Active in treating in s8 a Curc for fixed immune deficiency syndrome. cripples the body s ability to fight disease is almost always fatal