European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 26, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 b the stars and stripes saturday october 26, 1991 fire damage estimate slashed by $3 billion officials worry that rain will trigger mudslides Oakland Calif. A a City official on Friday reduced by More than half the damage estimate from the Blaze that ravaged Oakland and Berkeley hillsides this week. The Blaze killed 24 people injured 148 others and destroyed at least 3,000 houses or apartments. But Oakland City manager Henry Gardner who initially estimated damage at $5 billion said Friday that the amount will probably be Between $1.5 billion and $2 billion. On the hillsides stripped of much of their vegetation the threat of rain posed the greatest worry. Workers began erecting Wood and mesh barriers thursday in an Effort to prevent Tain from triggering potentially disastrous mudslides. A fraction of an Inch of rain fell on Oakland overnight according to the National weather service. Forecasters were predicting More rain for Friday and today. A right now we re looking at the possibility of a half Inch a said meteorologist Duane Dykema. A it could be a Little More it could be less. Its hard to  if a half Inch of rain fell Over several hours that  pose too much of a threat Dykema said. But if it came faster it could be a problem he said. Searchers using dogs continued to look for the one person or two people authorities said were still missing the fire began oct. 19 As a Small Brush fire that was quickly knocked Down but flared up the next Day. Pushed by Strong winds it raced through the area of expensive Hillside Homes before it was controlled wednesday. Investigators Are looking into reports from residents that construction workers illegally burning Brush May have started the fire. Investigator sgt. Ron Hanson said that he interviewed building contractor Victor Allis and two of his employees and that they said they were not responsible for the fire. A photographer takes pictures of the burned out remains of former baseball great Reggie Jackson a garage in Oakland. A the fire did not Start on my property a Allis told the Sacramento Bee in a Story published Friday. The two men working for him Manuel Godinez 27, and Rafael Godinez 18, said they were laying tile in a bathroom when the fire started. Allis said he was converting a shed to a Cabin on property he was buying in the area. Oakland fire chief p. Lamont Ewell who has called the fire a suspicious Quot said investigators have ruled out natural causes but declined to elaborate. Meanwhile More residents returned to the scene of the devastation thursday. A this is All that a left of our address a big Zero a said Stuart Squair displaying the Metal number Zero from his Homes 6001 Claremont ave. Address. It was All that remained of the two Story English country Home built in 1930. The fury of the Blaze which reached temperatures of 2,000 degrees amazed even firefighters. A it was an awesome animal this fire a said firefighter Rich Medeiros. A a in be never seen anything like it. I know everybody a saying that but if you were there you d see that the fire was  sales of Scarlett top 5 million Atlanta a the sequel to gone with the wind sold More than 5 million copies worldwide in its first month and tops Best seller lists in 40 countries an agent said thursday. Film and television rights could be announced soon. Scarlett the sequel to Margaret Mitchells a gone with the wind was published sept. 25. It sold 1 million copies in the United states and Canada in 10 Days said Robert Gottlieb head of the literary department at the William Morris Agency which represents Scarlett author Alexandra Ripley. Publicist Karen Mcdermott of Warner books the novels publisher declined to give exact sales figures but said t thursday that there arc 1.4 million copies in print in the United states and Canada. Gottlieb said Domestic sales for Scarlett arc Between 35,000 and 50,000 copies daily. Other countries where it Heads the Best seller charts include Germany China Norway Spain and Ireland where much of the novel takes place. Scarlett has also boosted sales for gone with the wind. Barry Lippman president of Macmillan adult books said Between 75,000 and 100,000 hardcover copies have been shipped since the sequels publication and expects More than 200,000 to move by Christmas. Friday was the last Day that bids were to be accepted for film and television rights for the sequel Gottlieb said. He said that offers have been in the seven figure Range and that a decision might be reached As soon As Friday by Mitchells estate. Gottlieb said there have been offers to make it into a feature film a to movie and a to ministries. T. Hal Clarke the Atlanta attorney for the Mitchell estate said the family will look at producers and the amount of Money offered before making its Choice. Gone with the wind published in 1936, won the pulitzer prize and has sold More than 25 million copies worldwide. Patrol credited with a boat s sinking poin t pleasant Beach . A a. German submarine from world War ii found off the new Jersey coast May have been sunk by a depth charge from a civilian aircraft in july 1942. Henry Keatts professor of biology and oceanography at Suffolk Community College in Long Island n.y., said the theory advanced by a civil air patrol historian appears plausible. A i know of no other possibility a Keatts said. A a it a roughly in the location that this a boat was  in Early september a diving team found the a boat about 65 Miles East of Point pleasant at a depth of 230 feet. Divers pulled up two bowls and three dishes each with a 1942 stamp a nazi Eagle and Swastika. They also found a gun sight with a Swastika on it. Civil air patrol historian maj. Gregory Weidenfeld said an Atlantic City civil air base sent out a Grumman Widgeon plane after a sub was spotted about 40 Miles East of Atlantic City on july 11, 1942. The two pilots in the plane followed the sub for six hours and then dropped a depth charge that caused an Oil Slick to Rise to the surface Weidenfeld said. They dropped a second charge into the Center of the Slick. Keatts said the find is historically important. A it will add to world War 11 naval history a Keatts  poll finds dwindling esteem for Congress parties Washington apr the anti government mood of the country is reflected in a poll released thursday that shows Public esteem for Congress and the two major political parties declined in the past month. Just 50 percent of americans hold a favourable View of Congress according to a Gallup poll of 1,000 adults conducted oct. 17-20. That was Down 9 percentage Points from a september poll by the same organization. The latest Gallup poll also showed a 5-Point drop in the democratic party a favo ability rating a from an already historical Low of 63 percent in september to 58 percent this month. Republicans suffered a 4-Point drop from 69 percent to 65 percent. The Telephone Survey was conducted after the Senate hearings on supreme court Justice Clarence Thomas and revelations of congressional perquisite abuses a bounced checks at the House Bank unpaid House restaurant tabs and fixed parking tickets for members of Congress. President Bush a Overall approval rating stayed at roughly 66 pc ent through the tumultuous period. In fact 55 percent of voters in the poll said recent events in Washington would make them More Likely to vote to re elect Bush in 1992. The Survey had a margin of error of 3 percentage Points