European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 22, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes monday May 22,1989 poor powder storage called suspected Iowa blast Factor Norfolk a. Up improperly stored pow Der charges that were aboard the battleship Iowa could have contributed to the fiery explosion that killed 47 sailors a published report said saturday. The powder charges were stored on barges at the Yorktown naval weapons station for five months in 1988. According to a copyright article in saturday s virginian Pilot and Ledger Star. Navy regulations being followed at the Lime of the Accident said the powder should have been stored Only in approved magazines on Shore. The Navy investigation was focusing on whether the months the powder spent sealed in the barges caused it to become unstable a spokesman for the naval sea systems come told the newspaper. That s an area that came to the attention of people looking into All of the possible reasons Why the event might have occurred said the spokesman who was not identified by newspaper. That storage was not As i understand it in Accord Ance with All of the provisions for appropriate storage that we have in place the spokesman said. An internal investigation by the Yorktown weapons station shows that from mid april to mid september 1988, a period in which the Iowa was undergoing work at the Norfolk naval shipyard in Portsmouth the powder used in the battleship s guns sat in three barges at piers on the York River. Investigators have found that during that time there was no monitoring of temperature or humidity on the barges factors that Navy munitions manuals say affect the stability of the powder charges the news paper reported. Also station personnel estimated that the Sun on the aluminium covered barges often raised temperatures inside 25 degrees higher than outdoors. According to the naval sea systems come the chemical Stabilizer used to make the powder charges Ligh Cal crated at temperatures above 110 degrees. From july 29 through aug. 20, temperatures hit 90 degrees and above in Hampton roads every Day except for three when the temperature reached 86, 87 and 88, National weather service records show. Although Navy officials have declined to discuss the investigation until it is completed the probe also includes a criminal inquiry examining the possibility of foul play related to insurance policies on some of the crewmen killed and the level of training of those operating the guns. A grand Chance to get 2 grand students at Dallas . Pinkston High school smile Over their school s selection last week As the first to Lake part in the $1 million Pepsi school Challenge. Under the Pilot program the students from left Sharonda Wailes Cedric Crawford James ilium and Yolanda Lee und their class males could receive up to $2,000 each for education and training after his school. To earn credits Stu dents must attend school maintain a c average and slay drug free. Stateside brother of Alger Hiss Dies at 82 of cancer St. Michaels my. A Donald Hiss who with his brother Alger was accused of being part of a Washington espionage ring in the 1940s, has died or lung cancer. He was 82. Hiss died at his Home Here. Hiss retired 13 years ago prom the Washington Law firm of Covington & burling which he joined in 1945 after holding posts in the Federal government. In 1948. Donald and Alger Hiss were identified As spies by whip Akcer Chambers a time Magazine senior editor and admitted former communist in testimony before the House in american activities committee. Donald Hiss who denied the allegations was not prosecuted. Algor Hiss was convicted of perjury and has devoted much of his life to unsuccessful efforts to overturn that judgment. Computer firm freezing employees salaries Maynard mass. Up digital equipment corp. Will freeze the salaries of All its employees when its new fiscal year begins this summer the computer maker has confirmed. The Maynard based company which last year be came the largest private employer in Massachusetts and new Hampshire said the freeze would take effect july 2, the Start of its 1990 fiscal year. The freeze will affect 73,500 digital employees across the country and remain in effect indefinitely the company said. Analysts said the computer business was slow and any actions to Cut costs were seen As positive Ford names its lineup for 90 Driver air bags Detroit up Ford motor co. Has named the car lines it will produce with Driver s Side supplemental air bags As Standard equipment beginning with the 1990-Modclycar. Ford chairman Donald e. Peterson at an annual meeting of the trustees of the Midwest research Institute in Kansas City. Mo., said the no. 2 car maker will equip the Ford Mustang Taurus and Crown Victoria As Well As the Mercury Sable and grand Marquis mod Els with the safety device. The German made Merkur Scorpio luxury Sedan also will have the device As Well As the Lincoln town car and Mark Vii for 1990, Petersen said. The Lincoln Continental Ford s flagship Sedan already has a Driver Side and passenger Side air bag As Standard equipment for 1989. It will continue that Way into 1990, the automaker said. Unions ratify contract with Northwest airlines St. Paul Minn. Up Northwest airlines has announced that members of the Union representing reservation agents customer service agents and clerical employees have ratified a three year contract. The Carrier said 57 percent of the International association of machinists members approved the con tract. The contract provides a wage increase of 2.72 per cent this year 3.01 percent next year and 3.5 percent in 1991 along with modest pension increases. There s a new collegiate craze a room dancing Providence . A a new generation of College students has discovered something old that s new to them ballroom dancing and in the Best intercollegiate tradition they re turning it into a Competition. You get to dance in someone else s arms and you gel to get dressed up. It s something we never did said Lara Maiu Ione 19. President of Brown University s ballroom dance club. Other generations grew up with it but it s new for  the Competition in Newport Over the weekend pitted students from 14 Ivy league and other northeastern colleges against one another in doing the Fox Trot Cha Cha and tango. Man inc a Sophomore and her part Ner Are one of about 30 student couples from schools competing at the festival such As Brown Princeton University in Princeton . Dartmouth College in Hanover . The Massachusetts Institute of technology in Cambridge the University of Massachusetts in am Hyrsl and the University of Connecticut in Storrs there also was an adult Competition. In All some 100 couples were Tak ing part in the fast. The collegiate dance craze began at the Ivy league schools but has filtered through to other campuses said skip Jones president of friends of ballroom dancing sponsor of the festival. Nearly 30 colleges in the United states have ballroom dance clubs about half in the Northeast he said. Brown started its club this year and already has 60 Mem Bers Manzione said in the last three years interest in ballroom dancing has tripled said Jones who is also the United states Amateur ballroom dance association s new England College coordinator. I think what is happening to Ball room dancing in general is that the younger generation sees Rock has reached its Peak and is starting to fade said Jones. In particular the Yuppie crowd is starting to attend Charity balls and Dis cover that their music in t  a renewed interest in formal weddings also has prompted some to Lake dance lessons he said. Joe Bouthillier who teaches social dancing for Brown s physical education department said musical styles play an important role. What s going to make a big differ ence is if we gel a change in popular music he said. Still he said he uses music by contemporary artists in his classes including sad the Miami sound machine Lionel Richie and Ste Vic wonder Brown will begin offering lessons in competitive dance next year he said. Competitive dancing is the same dances and the same Steps they would use As in social dancing except for being a lot More structured he said. Manzione said the dance association has offered used gowns Complete with sequins and feathers for the students to Wear at the competitions. The used dresses sell for about $80, while new out fits Cost $200 to $500. Does the revived interest among Young people signal a return to old times we re Well on our Way Jones said