European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 13, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes tuesday May 13, 1986 missile fess inadequate Gao says j.   -.,. W. J. Washington a the Pentagon a pushing ahead with development of a new air to air missile be fore testing of the weapon is Complete a Genera accounting office report says. Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger recently asked for congressional approval to proceed with the weapon even though a new round of congressionally ordered flight tests has just Bircy begun the Gao said. The draft report from the congressional watchdog Agency was obtained Over he weekend. It tins not been released publicly. ,. The Gao report reviewed the Pentagon s Omraam advanced medium Range air to air missile a weapon that has run into a series of problems in recent years last fall. Congress ordered thai the Omraam be cancelled unless Weinberger notified Capitol Hilt by March 1 that its problems had been corrected and that t7,000 of the weapons could be purchased for no More than ss.2 billion. The weapon whose primary contractor is Hughes aircraft co., has been under development since 1981, and purchases were to have started last year. The pro Gram is chiefly for the air Force although the Navy wants to buy As Many As 7,000 of the missiles. The air Force Plant to buy 17,000. The Pentagon arguing that the problems Are now solved has asked for $795.9 million to Start buying the missiles in fiscal 1987, which begins oct. I. The Gao said it 13 too Early to fully assess the results of the flight test program because by the end of March Only tour of the 90 scheduled development flight test had been conducted. _ in his certification to Congress Weinberger assured capital hit Thiol the Omraam would meet Sis required performance specifications. But the Gao said that by March 1, not enough Jing had in completed to provide office no  of meeting desired performance criteria. The 0ao report is the second critical analysis this or by  of the weapon. In february the Sao released n separate  that evermore design changes might be needed. And in a dec. 17, 1985, memo John Krings head of the Pentagon s office of operational test and evaluation told Weinberger that More tests should be completed before Congress was reassured the program was on track. The memo was made Public in March by critics or the weapon. 15 in Auto accidents in 3 states by the associated press fifteen people were killed in car Acci dents in three states including seven people who died in a wreck in Utah after another Auto hit their car broadside and five who died in a collision in Texas authorities said. Witnesses told police one of the cars involved in the Magna Utah crash sunday evening went through a red if Ghi at 80 Man to 100 Mph before it struck the other car said sheriffs it. Daa Inson the adult male Driver a teen age girl and five younger children in the car that was hit died while a sixth youngster was critically injured. The other Driver suffered minor injuries Ipson said. The car containing the children was spun around at least four times and slammed into a Utility pole and the children were thrown out of the car he said. Several wit Nesses fold deputies the other car had been passing traffic when it struck a curb and clipped off a sign before careening into the intersection. Near Kirbyville Texas five people were killed sunday and four others injured in a three car Accident on . Highway 96, officials said. One car collided head on with a pickup truck. Dew through the air and burst into flames when it crashed an lop of another car the dead were a couple and their two Small children in one car and the Driver of the pickup truck police said. In los Banos Calif., three people were killed and several others injured sunday evening when a Van returning Crew Mem Bers to san Diego after a College rowing Competition drove off interstate 5 and rolled Over. The California Highway patrol in Merced said the Accident occurred at about 8 . Three Miles North of Santa Nella the Van was travelling southbound at a High rate of Speed police said. One of the injured students tray free Man who said he was a member of the san Diego state University Junior varsity Crew team said the Van was headed Home from the Pacific coast rowing championships in Sacramento Freeman said he Van was driving Over the Speed limit but not faster than the other traffic when it suffered a Blowout in the right rear lire went off the freeway and rolled Over several times. The victims in the California and Utah crashes were not identified. The Texas dead were identified a Charles Hilton 32, of san Augustine the Driver of the car Fiat hit the pickup truck his wife Vickie Lynn 31 their children Sarah Ellen 3, and Joseph Charles 13 months and Garroll White jr., 23, of Vidor the pickup s Driver. White s wife Grace 34, was in critical condition monday in Baptist Hospital at Beaumont Hospital spokeswoman Eton s Bohler said while their two daughters Ages 14 and 8, and the Driver of the second car also were hospitalized. La Library to use aerospace firm s facility vacuum chamber May save wafer damaged books Huntington Beach Calif. A books dam aged in the los Angeles Central Library fire were lowered into an aerospace company s vacuum chamber in an Experiment that could Speed their reiteration and save Money. About 20,000 books packed in cardboard boxes will have the moisture sucked out of them under conditions used to simulate space flight at the Mcdonnell Douglas corp space Laboratory. We know How the process works. It s just a question of How Long it will Lake said space Laboratory manager North Selvey. A Mcdonnell Douglas spokeswoman said the Cost would run into tens of thousands of dollars. The company is doing it Tor for and chief librarian Betty Gay called it on offer we could t  space Chambers have been used to dry oat books before but never White the books were packed in Bones. On saturday two  brought the books from a cold storage facility to the Plant 35 Miles Southeast of downtown los Angeles. Two dozen volunteers placed the boxes on wooden Flats at the Bottom of the chamber. When the chamber s machinery is turned on pressure in the 30,000 cubic foot room will be reduced to that found at 140,000 feet above Earth Selvey said the books will go through numerous Low pressure Tow temperature High pres sure High temperature cycles to help dry them out the company May bid Tor the Book salvaging operation expected to Cost More than $4 million Laid Mcdonnell Douglas spokesman Jeff Fister by Selvey said the Cham Ber was contracted out for much of the year and would to available Only for the next two weeks. The rest of the water damaged books Are in cold storage facilities around the City. Another 600,000 smoke dam aged Bola have been stored at the los Angeles Conven Tion Center where they will will be cleaned with a chem. Cal sponge. Up to 20 percent of the 60-year-old Library s 2 Hii Lilon volumes was destroyed in the april 29 arson fire Seattle s building a Tunnel trying to keep it quiet Seattle a construction of i 1.3-mile bus Tunnel through the heart of downtown is going to be hard to hide Over the next four years but Seattle is doing its Best. The cily has offered to provide earplugs install triple pane Glass and Board up win Dows to reduce noise during the project. We Hope people won t even know we re there says metro transit spokesman Jack Kent. But he acknowledges that the work will mean enormous disruption the project requires culling through Street to build five underground stations. Between he stations the Tunnel will be bored. Earlier this year metro transit received permission to exceed county noise standards in the residential areas at both ends of the Tunnel the foot of Capitol Hill and the asian american International District. La Between the Tunnel will run beneath Pine Street and third Avenue a commercially zoned District of stares offices the City s main shelter Tor the homeless and several Hundred units of Tow income hous ing. About 200 people sleep each night at the downtown emergency service Center on a portion of third Avenue that will be ripped open for a bus station. Director Ken Cole scoffed at the City s offers of noise reme Dies saying boarded windows would make the rooms Dungeon Lite and earplugs would make work impassible for the staff. Unless acoustical engineers Are sent in with better ideas he says the shelter will be forced to move. Once completed the Tunnel will help gel More than 500 buses through downtown daring Rush hours in Kii than half the 25 minutes now required. Buses will operate on diesel Power above ground and on electricity underground. The five stations will be covered with temporary decks to allow traffic to pass while work goes on below. Work la prepare or the my s million Tunnel is expected to Start in june or july when jackhammers rip open streets so underground utilities can be moved. Construction outside the shelter starts in 1987. Bui Cote raid workers already have been digging to find water Mains making so much noise that people inside the shelter could t stand three feel apart and hold a conversation. Earlier this year the is. Department of transportation agreed to release funds to cover about half the Cost of the project members of the state s congressional delegation said. Still Congress must appropriate the funds every year. Metro transit must decide by dec 31 whether to Promise to finish the project regardless of whether Federal Money pays for any More of it. But David Kalberer the project supervisor says he has no plans other Taan preparation for the Start of Actu Al construction of the Tunnel in january. Metro agreed to offer temporary window covers for night use install air conditioners and even move people out of their dwellings for a few years if health a Sanfac can reproved said Kalberer. Metro also has hired three people to Iroini ble shoot problems for businesses Kent said. While metro promised to Cut Back work considerably during the christinas shop Ping season the downtown Seattle association estimates thai major downtown Busi Nesses w 11 lose at least 20 percent of their retail sales while the City could Low ii s million annually in sales taxes. Ken Saunderson of the association Sayi the group will step up its marketing efforts with free shopping and numerous promotions possibly even a construction Parade with heavy machinery and armload of at Lorayes marching in  19 pupils Are injured when bus overturns Paw Paw Mich a a school bus carrying 39 elementary Ana High school pupils went out of control and rolled Over injuring 19 children aul homilies said. A 7-year-old girl was hospitalized in fair condition eighteen other pupils on the Lawrence in Noel District bus were treated for minor injuries after the Accident officials said. Driver Gloria Kendzior was looking at a disturbance in the Back of the bus an