European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 20, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes . Friday May 20. Smigun makers sued Over by the los Angeles times san Francisco survivors of four victims killed in a rampage at a san Francisco High Rise filed lawsuits wednesday against makers of the semiautomatic weapons used in the shooting spree a a the suits a new tactic in the War against guns Are similar to Legal actions brought by smokers against cigarette  suits charge a that the gun manufacturers were negligent in Selling the deadly weapons to the Public because they have no legitimate civilian use. A that the Sale of the Tec-dc9 assault pistol to the general Public cons i tuts an a abnormally dangerous activity a a and that the manufacturer should be in the stars and stripes 10 years ago May 20,1984 a a panamanian registered Tanker reportedly hit by a missile Sank near Knarig Island Ais. The persian Gulf Tanker War Between Iran and Iraq threatened Oil shipments to the West. 20 years ago May 20,1974 a a sixth body was found in the charred rubble of a sym ionese liberation army hideout but the los Angeles Coroner s office said it was not that of missing newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst. 30 years ago May 20,1964 a More than 40 secret microphones were found in the american embassy in Moscow when . Security officials Tore apart the building s Waits in april the state department said. 40 years ago May 20.1954 a president Eisenhower said it might be possible to form a United front against communism in Southeast Asia without Britain a participation. 50 year Sago May 20,1944 a powerful forces of b-17s and b-24s struck heavily in Daylight at Berlin and Braun Schweig Germany to renew the Allied air offensive on hitlers Europe. C world War 11 50 years ago today May 20 19�4�4 a German v-2 missile on a test flight Falls about 75 mites East of Warsaw and Poi is resistance fighters cart it away before nazi soldiers can locate it the parts will be slipped out to Britain. In Western Italy free French troops attack Pico canadians assault. Ponticorvo and poles attack Piedimonte san Germano. In the Pacific . Troops capture inso emar Island off new Guinea. Source 2194 Days of War w h. Smitti publishers inc. The world almanac of world War if Bison books corp. Fast a held strictly liable for damages to those injured by its guns. Selling such assault guns is negligent because they have no legitimate civilian use and Are designed for crime the suits contend. Gian Luigi Ferri the assailant in the july 1 shootings killed eight people and wounded six others at the Law firm of Pettit amp Martin before killing himself Ferri left a rambling letter blaming food additives lawyers and others for his problems. The survivors suits Are being handled by four of san Francisco a major Law firms working free of charge with the Center to prevent hand ii n violence chaired by Sarah Brady she is the wife of James Brady the White House press Secretary disabled during the 1981 Assassin Tori attempt on president Reagan. A if we did no to think we could win this suit we  be doing it a said Dennis Henigan an attorney for the Center. Two similar lawsuits failed after they were filed in Louisiana and Connecticut against Gurt makers in 19s9. But Henigan predicted the California Case will fare better for a variety of reasons including new statistics that he said show such guns Are disproportionately used in crime. A a it a a Tough lawsuit but not without Merit and one Worth trying a said Gene Erbin a lawyer familiar with gun liability issues. A it is going to be very very expensive. The manufacturers and the Era National Rifle association Wilt defend it  v. It he said a san Francisco court probably would be receptive to the claims. A i am very confident this will riot be dismissed Erbin said. A a a a gun Industry lobbyist predicted the suits would fail but acknowledged they posed a a Little different twist from previous litigation. Richard Feldman lobbyist for the american shooting sports Council said the guns Are used in sport for target fac lice. A. A a. A a i own four of them and i like to shoot them a said Feldman speaking on behalf of two of the manufacturers named in the suit. A they Are fun guns to  named As defendants Are intr acc which manufactured the two guns used by Ferri Usa magazines inc which manufactured the. High capacity ammunition magazines hell fire systems inc. Which made. The. Trigger system and super Pawn the Las vegas store where Ferri purchased one of the assault Wear a on. A a a a. A. A astronomers get ready for come bombard Washington apr scientists worldwide Are gearing up for one of the largest coordinated astronomical observations in history the sight of Large Comet pieces smashing into Jupiter.  20 or so fragments of the Slio maker Levy 9 Comet one perhaps As much As 2vi Miles wide will hit Jupiter with an estimated Force of 1 million Megatons of Energy. Astronomers everywhere with telescopes and satellites poised Are in High anticipation of what is a once in a million year celestial show. Quot virtually every Telescope in the world will be pointed toward Jupiter in july a Lucy Mcfadden a University of Maryland astronomer said wednesday at a news conference at the National aeronautics arid space administration. Starting july 16, the fragments will smash Jupiter like succeeding slugs from a cosmic machine gun. A this is the first time in history we be been Able to predict a major Impact and then prepare to observe it scientifically a said Gene Shoemaker a . Geological Survey scientist who is co discoverer of the Comet. Just what will happen at Impact is an open question. Some scientists predict that each Impact will produce an explosive Flash and an erupting fireball. Others say cometary dust could form another ring about the planet. Chemical reactions May form Clouds creating Wispy scars that May last for years. Or it could All be a Dud Shoemaker said. Jupiter though some u times larger than Earth is mostly Gas. Objects falling in could just disappear. But the Speed of the Comet More than 100,000 Mph is expected to release enough Energy to produce at least some reaction. A the worst Case would be if they All just disappear and there is no effect a said Shoemaker a but i will really be astonished if we Don t see something / the Comet was discovered March 23, 1993, by a shoe a maker led team that conducts an search of the heavens for comets at the Palomar Observatory near san Diego. The team includes Shoemakers wife Carolyn and David Levy from the beginning Shoemaker Levy 9 was seen As a strange object Carolyn Shoemaker called it a a squashed  it was not a single Point of Light with a Long Tail the image of traditional comets. Instead it was a series of objects playing follow the in adar across the heavens. It took an improved and repaired Hubble space Telescope to determine that there were at least 21 major pieces the largest perhaps a Miles across. Evolution of the brightest of it not in tit Bie space Telescope wide Field planetary Camara a Nasa photos taken from the rubble space Telescope show the evolution of the Comet Shoemaker Levy 9 on its trip toward Jupiter. Dod official assails budget cuts for c-1 7 Washington a the defense departments. No. 2 official decried House plans to slash the budget for the troubled c-17 cargo plane tuesday. A the department does not see the logic  proposed cutback Deputy Secretary John Deutch told the House armed services committee. The committee earlier this month approved a $263.3 billion defense budget for fiscal 1995 that included a $500 million Cut to $2.5 billion in spending authority for the plane. The panel also reduced from six to four the number of c-17s that the Pentagon is authorized to buy in 1995, and instead provided Money to convert commercial aircraft for use As military transports. The c-17, being built by Mcdonnell Douglas corp. Has been beset by Cost overruns and technical and managerial problems. Both the Pentagon and Congress have threatened to terminate the  there also is a wide consensus that building a new transport is essential i the c-141 cargo plane goes out of serve and. As the United states reduces i forces overseas. Earlier this year the Pentagon reach an agreement with Mcdonnell Dougl whereby the company agreed to War $1.2 billion in claims against the Gover ment and both sides committed be Money to improvements in the program. A we believe strategic Airlift is the me essential capability for the new world v face a Deutch said