European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 14, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday december 14, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 3indonesian quake deaths hit 1,232 x Burma China \ x \ i Quot a a. Philippines Thailand \ Vietnam re it j \ c a \ a a Ltd v a. I Quot v a it / v earthquake a ? Malaysia f Indonesia 500 pm Indian Ocean Jakarta wok Maumee Jakarta Indonesia apr rescuers dug through devastated villages searching for survivors and victims sunday As the death toll from a powerful earthquake reached 1.232. The government said. Quot some 1,120 of the deaths from saturdays quake occurred in the town of Maumee on the Remote Island of Flores in Indonesia s lesser Sunda islands said the governor s office of Hast nusa Teng Gara province. Quot hundreds of others were injured in the quake officials said. Many people drowned or were swept away when Large Ocean Waves triggered by the earthquake inundated coastal areas. Hendrik Nai a spokesman for the Rescue team said about so percent of the buildings in Maumee were destroyed. Whole villages in coastal areas were wiped out by the seismic Waves he said. The Waves called tsunamis were As High As so feet and swept As far As 1,000 feet Inland he said. Nai said bad communications were hampering the task of gathering information from some parts of Flores which is about 1.000 Miles East of Jakarta. The earthquake measured a preliminary 6.s on the Richter scale according to indonesian officials. The . Geological Survey in Menlo Park calif., measured it at 7.5 on the Richter scale. A quake of that strength is capable of causing extensive damage. Flores gov. Hendrik Fernandez visited Maumee on sunday and was shocked by the devastation spokesman j. Gadi Djou said. A fall our development efforts for the last 25 years have disappeared in just one Day a Gadi Djou quoted the governor As saving. Aftershocks every five minutes or so hampered Rescue work until Midnight saturday Nai said. Quot most people remained away from their Homes to avoid falling beams and spent saturday night in open areas without tents in a pouring tropical rainstorm. The quake destroyed government buildings schools mosques churches and shops in Maumee and i Ara Tuka on the Eastern part of Flores. Most of the buildings on the Island Are single Story structures made of Wood and Brick. The Island is a poor mountainous area that exports copra dried Coconut meat and grows Maize and Rice. The quake struck Hast nusa to Nugara province at 1 20 . Officials said it was entered about 19 Miles Southwest of Maumee. Which has a population of 40,000. Palestinians say they kidnapped israeli Soldier Jerusalem apr Muslim fundamentalists said they kidnapped an israeli Border policeman sunday and threatened to kill him unless their spiritual Leader was freed from prison. The army said a sergeant major Nissim Toledano was missing and might have been kidnapped. Arab reports said two masked palestinians delivered a statement sunday to the International red Cross office in the West Bank town of Al birth. Signed by the military Wing of the Hamas movement it demanded the release of Hamas Leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin a for the Soldier will be  the incident came during an escalation of violence that has swept the occupied territories in the past week resulting in the deaths of eight palestinians and five israelis. The surge coincided with palestinian observances of the fifth anniversary of their uprising against israeli occupation in which nearly 1,000 palestinians have been killed by israelis. Arabs rioted in the Gaza strip for a second Day and four of israelis 17 Cabinet ministers renewed their demand that Israel consider withdrawing from the crowded rebellious territory. A we have no Long term interest in being in Gaza a health minister Haim Ramon said. Israeli troops in Gaza shot and killed a palestinian and wounded 17 in Stone throwing clashes Arab reports and . Officials said. The army said an israeli Soldier was killed and two were wounded when their jeep was shot up by a passing palestinian car in the West Bank town of Hebron late saturday. Alabama keeps rebel Flag under wraps in ceremony make Way for the army police in Winthrop mass., let army vehicles through saturday on streets otherwise closed to traffic by flooding. Massachusetts was one of several northeastern states battered for three straight Days by a Tierce Atlantic storm that began moving out to sea sunday. Sec Page 11 for other details on the weather. Montgomery Ala. A police banned Confederate Battle flags saturday at the rededication of Alabama a Capitol gleaming after a $28.5 million face lifting but mired in a dispute Over the rebel Banner. T he Capitol was Bare of flags but gov. Guv Hunts plan to later put the Flag Back on top of the building where Jefferson Davis was sworn in As president of the confederacy prompted a Boycott by Black groups. Officers seized a Large Battle Flag irom Alan Gilliland who said he was told it was illegal. It was returned after opening speeches. Police and Hunt spokesman Terry Abbott said the Flag was blocking the View of the podium. Several people carrying Small flags on the Capitol Lawn were told to leave because the Sticks were danger Ous Abbott said. Alabama a 24 Black legislators boycotted the ceremony to protest Hunts insistence that the Flag be returned to display on the dome. The red Flag with a Blue a  normally flies beneath the Federal and state flags but All three banners were taken Down in the Spring for renovation work. Business leaders who also oppose Hunt say the Flag often displayed by the Kun flux klan symbolizes racial oppression. A crowd police estimated at 2,000 lined up on a brisk sunny Day for Tours and festivities leading up to an evening fireworks display. A today just two Days shy of Alabama s 173rd birthday Alabama s Capitol must stand As a Symbol of that Hope and Unity for the future a Hunt said. Wow Metropolis mourners find Superman coffin empty Metropolis Iii. A in a ceremony befitting a Man of steel residents of this Southern Illinois town paid their last respects saturday to one they Call their own Superman. But when a charcoal Gray casket was opened for 200 fans Superman was nowhere to be found. In his place was a note a greetings f friends ill see you in the comics.  Metropolis an Ohio River town of about 7,000, billed itself As the Home of Superman for decades. The City even has a weekly newspaper called the Metropolis planet which printed a Black Stripe in its nov. 18 edition so residents unhappy with do comics decision to kill the hero could fashion Arm bands. The Tongue in Cheek ceremony was organized by residents trying to raise $130,000 for a 15-foot Bronze statue of the crusader. A steady trickle of people filed past the closed casket in the Massac county courthouse hallway. The Cape Christopher Reeve wore in his first Superman movie covered the coffin. When the casket was opened it revealed Superman a Green tinted Power Crystal borrowed from the first Superman movie. So Superman is missing but that does t Surprise his followers.  comics already has hinted it May bring the hero Back although it won t say How or when