European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 25, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday february 25. 1993 . The stars and stripes Page shuttle toilet called worthy of Groucho Washington a a Republican Congress Man likened Nasa officials to the Marx Brothers on tuesday because of a financial overrun that has raised the Cost of a new space shuttle toilet system from $8.2 million to $23.4 million. Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner jr., r-wis., ranking minority member of the House space subcommittee said Nasa is showing the same traits of insularity in competence and arrogance As the Pentagon in the 1980s when it got caught up in a procurement scandal. It would be a sure Relief o All of us he said at a hearing if the nameplates for our first panel of wit Nesses read Harp Chico and Groucho " one of the nameplates belonged to Nasa s new shuttle Boss maj Gen. Jeremiah Pearson Iii who con ceded that the Agency goofed on the toilet contract. This is an unfortunate event he testified. We did t do it right. There were mistakes made. We will fix  Pearson said Nasa will no longer allow programs to run Over Cost Over  but he defended the toilet system which was first flown aboard the shuttle endeavour in january and was described by astronauts As working Fine. The old shuttle toilet was considered inadequate for future Long duration  waste collection system is not simply a toilet but a Complete sewage collection and treatment Plant operating in a weightless environment contained in a space one half the size of a Telephone Booth and using the Power equivalent of four 100-Watt Light bulbs Pearson told the committee. Its design was a major engineering  the toilet contract was awarded to Rockwell inter National in 1987 and subcontracted to Hamilton Stan Dee Dubin is carried to a waiting helicopter after she and fellow skiers were found tuesday by rescuers near Taylor Park Colo. Marty Dubin left and Don Dublin right hug their brother Rob who was saved with his wife dec. Snow furniture firewood sustained skiers Aspen Colo. A skiers lost in the Avalanche Ridden wilderness for four nights slept in below Zero cold melted Snow on a Camp stove for drink ing water and burned furniture in a Ranger s Cabin to stay warm. All five members of the group were rescued in Good shape tuesday. Two skied into a trading Post and called authorities from a pay phone the others were rescued by helicopter after searchers spotted their distress signal an upside Down american Flag. There was no question in our minds at any Point that we weren t going tomake it said Ken Torp 50, of Den ver. It was just a matter of How ugly it was going to  the three men and two women set out with two other Cross country skiers Friday on what was supposed to be a two night trip in the rugged Back coun try. They lost their Way Friday night and got caught in a snowstorm sat  members of the group made it to safety saturday. Dozens of rescuers on skis and snowmobiles mounted search for the others who were feared caught in an Avalanche. Rescuers said Early tuesday that there was no More than a l-in-10 Chance of finding the five alive and they were considering calling off the search As another big snowstorm closed in. But shortly before noon Torp and Elliott Brown 43, of Golden reached the trading Post in Taylor Park 30miles South of Aspen and about is Miles from where they disappeared. Hours later Brigitte Schluger 50 Rob Dubin 38 and his wife Dee 40,were rescued by army helicopter at a Cabin where they spent monday night. All three Are from Denver. The five people we euphemistically referred to As Popsicle Are Here and i m thrilled sheriff Bob Braudis said. Rob Dubin said he his wife and Schluger spent saturday night in a fab Ric covered Snow pit sunday night in a Snow Cave and monday night in a government Cabin. He  two women suffered intensely from the cold and Schluger was so incapacitated that she had trouble skiing tuesday. During their 30 hours in the Cabin they burned furniture and kerosene to keep warm. The three had Only two sleeping bags because Schluger had dumped her Backpack and sleeping bag after having trouble keeping up Dee Dubin and Schluger were hospitalized with frostbite. Brown also suffered frostbite on three fingers but was t hospitalized. We just did what you do in the mountains to survive Dubin said. After the snowstorm hit Torp and Brown the most experienced skiers in the group split from the others to find a route out. Torp said he and Brown spent two nights in the open  shelter or sleeping bags but found a Ranger Cabin sunday night in the abandoned mining town of Dorchester near Taylor Park. Dard in 1989. By the end of 1990, the Cost had reached $22 million despite assurances by the contractor that a lid had been put on the Cost said Dan Germany another Nasa official. Robert g. Minor president of Rockwell s space sys tems division said his company and Hamilton Stan Dard recognized Early that engineering analysis of the system was incomplete. The original Hamilton Stan Dard system design was unrealistically Complex consist ing of More automation than was prudent he said. Frederick k. Morris vice president of Hamilton Standard said factors adding to the Cost were the de sign change to reduce automation added requirements negotiated with Nasa and underestimates of material and labor costs. This toilet has 4,000 parts versus 85 in the toilet in. My Home. We anticipated 175 drawings would be required the actual number was 500," Morris said. Judge denies mistrial in King Case los Angeles a a judge wednesday denied mistrial motions in the Rodney g. King beating trial and rejected an Effort by one defendant to have his Case severed from the others on grounds his lawyer had a conflict of inter est. The rulings by . District judge John g. Davics resolved at least for now last minute snags that arose tuesday and threw the Case into turmoil. After a secret session in Chambers Davics ruled that defendant Timothy e. Wind had previously agreed to accept his attorney even though wind knew that there could be a conflict. The judge also ruled that evidence Given by a excused juror alleging prejudice by a Black juror now seated in the Case was not sufficient to require removal of the seated juror. Lawyers had argued that the woman juror should be brought in and questioned about the allegations. The judge said he still might consider that after re viewing Legal cases on the Issue. But he ordered selection of alternate jurors to go Forward in the meantime Clearing the Way for opening statements As Early As today. A mistrial would have forced the Selec Tion of a new jury. Davics visibly irritated by developments that stalled opening statements held two secret hearings and put off Rul ing on the mistrial motions until wednes Day. This is the Lith hour and 59th min Ute the judge said in exasperation at one Point. Three White policemen Laurence m. Powell Theodore j. Briseno and Sta cry c. Koon and wind a White Rookie who was fired after the beating Are charged with violating King s civil rights. The Black Motorist was clubbed and kicked by police in 1991 in a beating videotaped by an onlooker. Three alternate jurors had yet to be chosen when defense attorney Ira Salz Man said a White prospective juror who had been excused from the Case called him to allege that a Black woman on the jury had made disdainful comments about defense attorneys barring Blacks from the jury with this new information 1 cannot accept this jury As constituted said Salz Man who represents Koon. This is an attempt to provoke a mis trial after the jury is sworn because the defense is unhappy with the composition of the jury said assistant . Attorney Steven Clymer