European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 30, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday april 30, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 5suit says Stark a anti missile system flawed Beaumont Texas apr a Federal lawsuit blames 11 defense contractors for the deaths of 37 sailors aboard the . Guided missile frigate Stark in the persian Gulf three years ago accusing them of failing to properly test a missile defense system in use on the ship. Twenty two relatives of the sailors who were killed and two survivors of the iraqi attack on the frigate which occurred May 17, 1987, filed the suit in Federal court. The suit filed on thursday Secks unspecified actual and punitive damages. In addition to the 37 killed 21 sailors were injured when an iraqi warplane fired two French made exocet missiles at the frigate. The Stark was on routine patrol in International Waters 85 Miles Northeast of Bahrain during the Iran Iraq War. Iraqi officials said after the attack that the planets Crew mistook the ship for an iranian target. The Stark did not return fire. The lawsuit contends that the defendants failed to conduct reliability tests on the vessels Phalanx and Aegis anti missile defense systems. That negligence is to blame for the sailors deaths the suit alleges. The suit accuses the principal defendant general dynamics of fraud by misrepresenting its products test results and hiding the actual results. General dynamics one of the nations largest defense contractors also failed to warn the sailors about the dangers of the ships defense system the suit alleges. Also named As defendants arc Raythelon co., fac corp., Hughes aircraft corp., Uniss corp., Martin Marietta corp., general electric co., Ria government systems division Honeywell inc., computer sciences corp. And Johns Hopkins University. A spokesman for computer sciences corp., based in Al Segundo calif., said the firm is unaware of the suit while Honeywell inc. In Minneapolis and general dynamics fort Worth office failed to return phone  finds Angling Success a few Miles from Home Alexandria a. Apr president Bush an avid Fisherman who has pursued the sport in Wyoming the Florida keys the Gulf of Mexico and off the Maine coast since taking office May have found a Lucky spot saturday just a few Miles from the White House. A what do you think a Bush said grinning broadly As he held up one of the 15 or so Large Mouth Bass his fishing party caught during a six hour excursion on the Potomac River just South of Washington. It was Bush a first try As president at fishing on the Potomac. A not bad at All. That a better than last week a Bush said referring to the fishing trip in the Florida keys he took following a meeting at key Largo with French president Francois Mitterrand. The president sidestepped a question about whether the Potomac fishing was better than Maine. He has fished extensively from his Powerboat in the Atlantic and in a River near his vacation Home in Kennebunkport. Fishing guide Glenn Peacock president Bush and Washington Post outdoors writer Angus Phillips display part of saturdays catch from the Potomac River. A depends on what you re trying to do. You re not going to get me into that Quot he said. The presidents fishing party included arc to news Anchorman Jim Vance and the Washington posts outdoor sports writer Angus Phillips. The group first tried its Luck in a Cove on the Maryland Shore. They fared better later at a spot on the Virginia Shore just Down from Alexandria. Bush who wore a Khaki jacket decorated with a picture of swimming fish piloted the boat on the six mile return trip. Before throwing the fish Back into the River the president said he thought he had reeled in three or four. A i done to know. We done to do it that Way. Its a team  asked if he was surprised at the Large number of bottles paper cups and other trash floating in the Potomac Bush said he was a a delighted that the once heavily polluted River has a come Back As far As it  California rattled by 2 earthquakes san Francisco apr about 40 Homes in the City of Alamo were damaged and a few Homes were declared unfit for habitation after two earthquakes rumbled through Northern California officials said saturday. Damage included broken Glass toilets knocked off foundations ruptured water and Gas lines and broken furniture according to san Ramon Valley fire department spokesman Mary Raymond. Several Homes were deemed uninhabitable by inspectors with the Contra Costa county building department after the temblor Friday night Raymond added. Two jolts in Contra Costa county on the Concord fault produced preliminary Richter scale readings of 4.6 and 3.9, according to the University of California seismographic station in Berkeley. The . Geological Survey measured the temblor at 4.6 and 4.3. The quakes were entered some 30 Miles East of san Francisco four Miles East of Walnut Creek seismologists reported. The shocks swept cans and bottles off supermarket shelves and knocked out Power to thousands of Homes in Concord Danville Walnut Creek and Alamo jostling the nerves of residents. The first hit at 9 41 . And another Shock hit six minutes later. Several quakes measuring 2.5 and smaller shivered through the area after that. The largest jolts were Felt from Vacaville to Marin county to san Francisco. A spokeswoman for the state office of emergency services said the shocks were part of the continuing series shaking the Region this month. Tremors of up to 5.5 on the Richter scale were Felt in the Bay area on april 6 and april 18. None caused any major damage. The 7.1-magnitude quake that hit the Region oct. 17 claimed 67 lives and caused some $7.1 billion in damage. At the Alamo Safeway employees closed the store and filled carts with bottled water and batteries to sell at the front door. Their floors were littered with broken bottles and scattered cans. Karen Allen Walnut Creek police dispatcher reported from her Post that a things fell off the shelves behind the  the Bay area rapid transit system was shut Down for 24 minutes while Crews conducted inspections to ensure the safety of passengers said spokesman Mike Healy. A a we re in Good shape a he reported. Brad Thomas a spokesman for Pacific Gas amp electric co., reported that the quakes left 1,300 Homes in the Concord area without Power and scattered outages in other areas. Mild shaking took place at the press Box at candlestick Park where the san Francisco giants were playing the St. Louis cardinals said sportswriter Brian Martin. A people who have been through them knew what it was a Martin said. A it was business As  at six Story mount Diablo Hospital in Concord nursing supervisor Mary Bacon said a there was a sudden crack and then a rolling that goes on and on. Some of the patients and some of the employees were Shook up and were sick to their  the Richter scale is a measure of ground motion As recorded on seismographs. Every increase of one number Means a tenfold increase in magnitude. An earthquake of 4 on the Richter scale can cause moderate damage in the local area a 5 considerable damage. A 7 Reading is a a a major earthquake capable of widespread heavy damage. Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. April 30, 1950 a Prince Regent Charles of Belgium dissolved parliament and called new elections in an attempt to break the 5-Ycar deadlock Over the proposed return of exiled King Leopold Iii. Fla. Man awarded $7.8 million of former wife a lotto jackpot30 years ago today. April 30, 1960 a the turkish government extended martial Law in Istanbul and Ankara for three months following bloody clashes Between police and students protesting against the government.20 years ago today. Stuart Fla. Apr a Man who sued his sex wife for half of her $31.5 million Florida lotto Jackpot is entitled to 25 percent of her winnings for his role in buying the ticket a jury decided saturday. Lewis Snipes a Mechanic who claimed he helped pick the six winning numbers and had agreed to share the winnings before purchasing the ticket rejected his former wife a offer of $ 1 million before filing the suit. One fourth of $31.5 million is $7,875,000. The jury deliberated for 2 a hours before ruling that Mary Ellen Snipes was the True owner of the ticket. Jurors also found that the couple had arranged to share the winnings and that Snipes was entitled to a one fourth share. Attorneys for mrs. Snipes vowed to Appeal and said lawyers for both sides would have to meet to determine the exact Cash amount. Snipes 55, of Indiantown said he and mrs. Snipes 54, had a Pool. He would buy 25 to 30 tickets a week and she would buy about 10 because she made less Money. He said they agreed to share any winnings. The couples 2-year marriage ended in 1982, but Snipes kept in touch and occasionally paid part of his sex wife a rent mowed her Lawn and repaired her car. Snipes still professes his love for his sex wife and she concedes it was an off again on again love affair a until the oct. 22, 1988, lotto drawing triggered the lawsuit. April 30, 1970 a the Pentagon announced the United states would Send advisers mount tactical air strikes if necessary and otherwise support South vietnamese operations in Cambodia a to save and protect american and other Allied lives.�?�10 years ago today. April 30, 1980 a Iran claimed two Carrier based . Fighter jets a started to shoot Quot at an iranian patrol plane Over the Gulf of Oman in the first confrontation since the american hostage seizure. The defense department said there was no shooting As two f 14s from the aircraft Carrier Nimitz made a precautionary intercept