European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 05, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes wednesday october 5,1994 India expects to eradicate plague soon new Delhi India a the pneumonic plague epidemic sweeping India will end soon the government and world health organization said tuesday adding that no deaths were reported for the first time in two weeks. But officials said the less deadly bubonic for of the plague would take longer to eradicate. The country will be free from the plague Boslem by mid october health Secretary . A Alsaid. Although the pneumonic plague has killed at least 61 people payal said that nearly 95 percent of the people being treated for plague symptoms across the country have tested  pneumonic plague will almost be nil by mid october said or. Narayan Keshary Shah who s representative to , Shah also said in an interview that it probably will take longer to Stop the bubonic plague that has been spreading through the West Ern state of Maharashtra since August. So far no bubonic related deaths have been reported. Throughout India states have been handing out antibiotics that cure the pneumonic plague spraying Poison to kill rats and fleas that trans Mit the disease searching slums for people with plague symptoms and cleaning up Many Gar Bage strewn City  countries have closed their airports and seaports to planes and ships travelling to and from India to avoid the plague. I team helps Brief sailors on what s new in no by sue Palumbo Mediterranean Bureau Naples Italy the Navy will have Cut the num Ber of people on its payroll almost in half by 1999, but not by making career sailors walk the Plank according to a member of a Navy retention team. The military draw Down Calls for the Navy to shrink from 600,000 to 335,000. Military officials say the Navy already has passed the Halfway Point in its cuts. A lot of folks went into a panic said senior chief Petty officer David Dubois a career Counselor with the chief of naval operations retention team. They thought they were going to be released from duty and sent Home. Sure we had to reduce but what the Navy did was give those who wanted to leave an Opportunity to do so. That made downsizing far less devastating than if we went into work one Day and told everyone that s it ". Dubois was part of a six member team from Washington d.c., that gave about 200 service members the latest information on career stability and the Navy s future. Naples was the last Stop on a three week tour of the Mediterranean that included visits to Rota Spain Simonella Sicily Manama Bahrain and la Maddalena Sardinia. They also visited Raf Edzell Scotland and Nas Kcf Lavik Iceland. The team said rumours that the Navy will Cut the maximum length of service below the current 20 years for e-5s Are in True. No Early retirement Board is scheduled for fiscal 1995. Dubois said it  to Tell if the Board will be reconvened in fiscal 1996. If folks in the senior ranks Aren t leaving then it Means we can t promote to those ranks Dubois said. The Navy s 15-year retirement plan will remain open throughout fiscal 95. But Dubois warned sailors not to count on the program s Long term future. Incentives for leaving the services have been so successful he said the Navy May not need them much longer. Team members also told sailors about new initiatives before Congress and those which already have passed. Among the initiatives sailors serving aboard repair ships called tenders which typically go to sea for frequent but Short periods Only can expect to receive sea pay soon while those stationed in High Cost areas in the United states will get Cost of living allowances. Typically Only service members and civilians assigned overseas receive Cost of Liying allowances. An initiative working its Way through Congress will give single military personnel their housing allowances even while assigned to ships. Dubois said the measure got backing from the other services because for the first time they saw How it affected their own people. For instance the increase in joint operations be tween services which finds army members occasionally going to sea and losing their land benefits has Given army personnel a taste of the Navy dilemma another spokesman said. Our main focus is to show people that there is a Light at the end of the Tunnel Dubois said. Yes a lot of things Are changing but there is still a great future ahead for the  Baltic ferries welding shut front cargo doors Turku Finland a workers welded on images sent up from the wreck by under. F � � of f shut the front cargo doors on Baltic sea Fer Ries tuesday after investigators blamed a faulty door for the capsizing that killed More than900 people. _ eerie images of a gaping doorway in the sunken ferry Estonia Ted at least five shipping lines to order Bow doors welded shut on their ferries to prevent a similar disaster. Finland s National Board of navigation joined the bandwagon tuesday ordering Bow doors welded shut on All finnish ferries and cruise ships sailing but of Helsinki. Meanwhile pressure was building to raise the wreck Ana find the victims bodies. The Cost could run into the millions and swedish prime minister designate Ingvar car Isson has suggested that the Money could be raised by Public contributions. The government is under very great pres sure said Olof Forssberg a swedish member of the investigating commission. They would like us to find the lost rela Tives All the mothers fathers and children who went Down so that they can be Laid to rest in the  Only 93 bodies have been recovered. I the provisional toll stood at 137 survivors and 912 dead after one survivor died monday. The 60-ton front cargo door of the Estonia was ripped off after its locks failed during storm wednesday while crossing the Baltic sea letting water pour into the ship investigators said monday. The ferry Sank quickly and the Crew Proba Bly was helpless to save the people who died according to a preliminary conclusion based. Sea robots. There s really nothing the Crew coi ild be done said Tuomo Karppinen a member of the investigatory commission. It would be been too late.". Video clips of twisted Metal hinges Bro Ken  windows unused lifeboats and even fluttering newspapers flickered on a to screen As investigators described their find Ings from the wreck lying 230 feet under water. The commission said tuesday that part of the door s lower Latch was broken. It is hot known at the present time if the failure was due to Metal fatigue or an isolated overload condition it said in a statement. The findings were alarming for Northern europeans who depend on cheap reliable ferry transportation. Within minutes of the announcement Sev eral major scandinavian shipping companies including the Estonia s owner Estline said they would permanently Seal the front doors of at least two dozen ferries that ply the bal tic sea. V we Don t want to take any risks said Ronald Bergman whose company Nords trom holds a half stake in Estline. We Are convinced that it was a weak design that caused the Estonia  video shows locks failed on ferry doors videotapes sent up by robots from the wreck of the ferry Estonia showed a twofold failure the front cargo door was ripped off and the Bow s inner door was partly dislodged. Front cargo door the hinged door used for loading cars and trucks on the ferry had separated from the ship. The door has not been found Hydraulic lock visor operating Cylinder ramp operating Cylinder Hydraulic link mechanism inner Bow door this door which doubles As a ramp for vehicles had been partly dislodged. A Gap of about 3 feet along the top Edge allowed water to Rush into the car . Tail Hook whistle Blower recalls source International maritime organization. Sea link Las vegas a sobbing uncontrollably Paula Coughlin testified that Drunken Navy and Marine aviators trapped her in a hotel hallway and tried to tear her clothes off at the 1991 Tail Hook association convention. Somebody grabbed me from behind and was trying to pull my skirt off and my underwear off Coughlin told a Federal jury monday during the trial of her Law suit against the hotel. She said she tried to fight off the men including one she bit several times As he shoved his hands inside her Bra. But shews surrounded on All sides. I thought if i did t make if off the floor 1 was sure i was going to be gang raped she said. The former Navy lieutenant has sued the Las vegas Hilton and the Hilton. U hotel corp., claiming they failed to pro vide proper Security at the convention one is seeking unspecified damages she recently settled her lawsuit against the Tail Hook association for an unspecified amount about 90 women say they were sexually assaulted at the convention As they were forced Down a Gauntlet of Drunken aviators in the hotel hallway the Navy and Marine corps pursued 140 harassment cases but none led to a court martial. Coughlin testified that she finally escaped the Gauntlet through an empty suite and was taken to her room at. Another hotel by a Friend. The next morning she said she told her Boss rear adm. John w. Snyder jr., about the attack. Snyder has said that he did to know of the attack Uhitil two weeks later