European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 29, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 c the stars and stripes sunday december 29, 1991flood water crests below expected level Wharton Texas a wary residents watched the Muddy Colorado River Inch closer to Homes in Low lying areas Friday but got some Relief when the rain swollen River crested lower than expected. Firefighters had airboat ready to Rescue people who might have waited too Long before fleeing the flood but Only a calf stranded on a Hill needed to be rescued. The River crested at 46 feet Friday afternoon about 2vi feet below earlier predictions said Wharton City manager Robert Miller. A it looks like we re Over the worst of it a he said. Miller said 90 to 100 residents were unable to return to their flooded Homes. A it May be a couple of Days before they can go Back. Its going to take awhile for the River to go Down Quot he said. But others in the Southern half of the state expected the worst to come to this week. Federal officials said 20 More counties May ultimately be declared disaster areas. The flooding caused by Days of heavy rain during the past week has killed at least 15 people across Texas swamped Farmland drowned scores of livestock and caused millions of dollars in damage. No injuries have been reported in Wharton. But More than a dozen streets were blocked and authorities estimated that 30 residences were uninhabitable because of water inside. A i Hope it does no to get any worse a Robert Phillips 51, said after inspecting his House. Quot it s now just Over the  City officials imposed a dusk to Dawn curfew barring non residents from the flood area. Miller said no looting had been reported. Miller said a preliminary damage estimate was $4 million for Wharton and $4 million for the surrounding county. Flooding also was reported along the Guadalupe Brazos and Trinity Rivers. President Bush who began his annual South Texas Quail Hunting trip Friday flew Over some of the flooded areas Bush approved Federal disaster Aid thursday for five Texas counties hit hardest by the flooding. Travelling with Bush was Grant Peterson associate director of the Federal emergency management Agency. He said eight More counties would soon be declared disaster areas Parker Waller Brazoria Austin fort Bend Wharton Victoria and Liberty. �?T132 willingly return to Haiti Miami apr a coast guard Cutter on Friday returned 132 haitians who gave up Hope of being granted Asylum in the United states and asked to be taken Back i it it their Homeland. The haitians had been living in tents at the . Navy base at Guantanamo Bay Cuba. A nobody in the military or none of the immigration folks asked them about it. They just came up and told officials that they wanted to go Back a said air Force staff sgt. Rick Fligor. Meanwhile the coast guard said it had intercepted 3o6 More haitians off the coast of Filiti. The of lilians who were returned to port a Prince were met by red Cross officials. The organization provided them with $15, bus fare Home and a food card. Thev were the fourth group of refugees to return voluntarily this month bringing the total to 362. More than 6,000 other haitian refugees still Are living in tent cities enclosed by concertina wire at the american base in Southeastern Cuba. Thousands of haitians have fled the Caribbean nation since president Jean Bertrand Aristide was ousted in a military coup in september. A court Battle is being waged Over whether they should be returned to Haiti As the . Government wants or allowed to seek Asylum in the United states. The . Government argues they want to come to the United slates for economic not political reasons the haitians and their supporters say they Are fleeing political repression. Reptilian Rescue in California firefighters George Bradley left and Jay Shoup Are All wrapped up in their latest a and most unusual a Rescue. The duo saved a 10-foot burmese Python and other animals when a fire broke out at the exotic pets and supplies store in Napa calif., on wednesday. Firefighters were Able to Rescue All of the shop s animals. Investigators believe the fire began with a heat lamp used to keep the animals  s son Dies of overdose Oklahoma City a gov. David Walters son has died 11 Days after taking an overdose of a prescription anti depressant. Officials ruled the death a suicide. Shaun David Walters 29, died late thursday said Randy Sachs a spokesman for Baptist medical Center. He slipped into a coma soon Shaun Walters after taking the drug. The governor and his wife Rhonda were at their songs bedside when he died. Police found Shaun Walters slumped Over in his car near the High school from which he graduated in 1990. An empty bottle of the prescription anti depressant Samelor was in his pocket. Sachs said the drug had been prescribed for the youth. A week before the overdose Shaun Walters had pleaded no contest to a Misdemeanour charge of possessing drug paraphernalia. Weeping icon returned to Church new York a an icon of St. Irene which worshippers said miraculously shed tears during the persian Gulf War was returned saturday five Days after it was stolen from a greek orthodox Church. The icon was mailed Back to the Church minus its jewel encrusted Frame. A a postal employee hand delivered the package to the Bishop a said police spokesman Scott Bloch. Quot Fie opened it up and there was the  a the screamed. He was very Happy. He was crying a said Constantina Hondros an assistant Secretary at the St. Irene Chryso Valantos Church in the Astoria Section of new York. The 20-by-30-Inch painting which with its Diamond studded Gold Frame was valued at about $800,000, was the Centrepiece of worship at the Church. The 72-year-old icon is believed by Many to possess Healing Powers and a year ago gained worldwide notice when some parishioners claimed they saw the portrait weeping a tears of grief at the outset of the Gulf War. Hondros said people at the Church did not care that the icon had been stripped of its jewels. Quot the jewels were just materialistic. They mean nothing to us a she said. A we just care about the  on monday As the Church was preparing for Christmas services three men and a woman invaded the Sanctuary beat and threatened a priest at gunpoint and ripped the icon from the Wall. The theft two Days before Christmas brought outrage. Rewards of up to $55,000 were offered for the icon. Train sped 42 Mph Over limit group says from wire reports Palatka Fla. A an Amtrak train that derailed this month and injured 55 people was going 72 Mph in a 30 Mph zone a consumer advocacy group says. Ross Capon executive director of the National association of Railroad passengers said Amtrak president w. Graham Clavton or. Told him at a Washington cocktail parly last week that the train was travelling 72 Mph. A a in a comfortable with the accuracy Quot Capon said. Quot there Are Only two possible explanations for speeding. One is Brake failure. The other is operator  the Silver meteor bound from new York to Tampa Fla., with 186 people on Board jumped the tracks around a curve three blocks from the depot dec. 17. The train hit two houses Ana caused an estimated $1.2 million in damage. Claytor did not return a Telephone Call Friday. Amtrak spokesman Clifford Black said evidence Points to speeding but he would not confirm the 72 Mph figure. Train Engineer Conrad Peterson and assistant Engineer Robert Moore who was at the controls were suspended after the crash in Palatka South of Jacksonville. In separate development officials in Philadelphia said rom one had set Mon f 1 l. J .4 it dirt Busy ton route. Fire marshal it. Joseph Lynch  say Why arson was suspected in the fire at the 30th Street station. He said authorities have no suspects. The fire broke out in a Remote part of the station that once housed a Bowling Alley and burned for More than four hours. Ten people were injured. Amtrak service on the corridor was halted for 12 hours affecting about 12,000 passengers