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Wednesday, January 10, 1979
College Station, Texas
News Dept. 845-2611
Business Dept. 845-2611
Spring registration starts at A&M
Registration for spring semester
classes at Texas A&M University
began this morning.
“We’ve pre-registered 22,000 and
expect a total enrollment between
28,000 and 29,000,” said Associate
Registrar Don Carter.
Registration will be held in the
Exhibit Hall of the Rudder Com
plex. Drop-adds will be in G. Rollie
White Coliseum.
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1 United Press International
SHINGTON — In an attempt to
iBhe civilian government in Iran,
nled States has shifted its policy to-
the shah and agreed that he should
the country permanently, officials
sec! Tuesday.
y said that the policy change was
oiled to U.S. Ambassador William
in, who talks almost daily to the shah
iran. His former instructions were to
icommital on the subject of the shah
g or staying.
new instructions, the officials said,
to agree, if asked, that the shah
I leave the country. Sullivan was also
ed not to volunteer the recom-
ition to the shah.
he present situation, it is regarded as
ly that the shah would return to
^eleven a short “vacation would be*
pount to a permanent departure,
^wer, a U.S. Task Force, operating
^■ndersecretary of State David
pm, came to the conclusion that a
^fcrnment would have a much bet-
Hce of giving a credible image of
endence if the shah were not in the
I
iw’licy change followed a practically
op debate within the administration
/pears to mean that the State De-
snt has come to the conclusion that
» has no future in his own country,
ver the outcome of the current
aking sides
confine war
United Press International
JHINGTON — Americans like to
sides, whether they’re watching a
Hard contest, a political race — or a
nost Americans are hard put to
^^__.ho to support in Southeast Asia
e Vietnam troops reportedly are
past the capital deep into
bibring Cambodia.
^ i State Department has had its own
ems sorting out the good guys from
■ §§ in the conflict. When the dispute
I for the United Nations, the de-
icnt found itself in a very difficult
oil over which it had little or no con-
e country — Vietnam — had invaded
_ei’s territory. The other — Cam-
■ — had apparently practiced
ide against its own people.
■department concluded the higher
Clayton
third
term as speaker
Five Missouri-Pacific Railroad tank cars contain
ing vinyl chloride gas that derailed Friday were
moved out of Bryan Tuesday. Dow Chemical and
Battalion photo by Lee Roy Leschper Jr.
railroad workmen righted the cars after placing
them on a set of replacement wheels; the cars had
remained on the tracks over the weekend.
Investigation proceeding
in Friday train derailment
ed for a I pie is territorial integrity, and has
;h for the ed that as repugnant as they find it,
(ilvertheless will support Cambodia
photo by Paifi debate.
——^M^gbest U.S. diplomatic efforts are
titrated on trying to keep it from
ing the next level — confrontation
gin China and the Soviet Union,
!|at some point could involve both
nunist giants in other parts of the
| and in other relationships, ulti-
y affecting the United States,
ina has strongly supported the Pol
OdGH 6 ®' 1 " 6 * n Cambodia, and the Soviet
Saias been a supporter and supplier
'ijary assistance to Vietnam,
te Department officials report a fur-
...,/uildup of Chinese aircraft and troops
33S6Q Wlietnam’s northern border. They could
DtiflQ FOOlT rrn re P orts °f a Soviet troop build-
igChina’s border, but sources said
!S laX. nited States is concerned the Soviets
Jither create, or threaten to create,
-afTy border incidents to divert
10 /lUUr esc troops.
.partment spokesman Hodding Car-
II said Monday Vietnam’s invasion
1ES0AY's the danger of wider conflict and
a SPECIAL epartment concerned “that the re-
Fried Sled
m
conflict could involve other
Q rav ,, e United States already' has sup-
d U.N. Security Council action on
Potatoes at conflict, and Hodding Carter
if one othe'badowed the position America will
etable * n the debate when he told reporters:
iread andf nam is guilty of aggression. ”
g or Tea e apparent collapse of the Pol Pot
rnment, however, has thrown into
t any U.N. action. The Vietnam-
;d People’s Revolution Council says it
total control of the country and would
se any U.N. action.
By DOUG GRAHAM
Battalion Staff
An investigation is proceeding to dis
cover the cause of Friday' s derailment of
five tank cars filled with flammable and
potentially explosive liquified vinyl
chloride gas.
Roughly 250 people were evacuated
from their homes. Two of the Missouri-
Pacific cars remained upright, but three
overturned in soft mud beside the track.
The accident happened around 3 p.m.
one half mile west of the 1200 block of
College Avenue. Nearby businesses,
homes, and an apartment complex were
evacuated, but the residents were allowed
to return to their homes by Friday night.
Willard Schultz, Missouri-Pacific’s re
gional public relations manager, said that
no injuries occurred and that the tank cars
were undamaged and no gas escaped.
The cause for the derailment has not yet
been determined, Schultz said, but he
suggested probable cause was equipment
or human failure. A spokesman for the
vinyl chloride manufacturer, Dow Chemi
cal Company, said that if an explosion had
occurred, “It would be a terrific force.
The only damage that did occur, Schultz
said, was to the track. Approximately 140
feet will have to be replaced, he said. The
cost would be around $1,500 he said,
excluding the cost of the construction
crews needed to right and place the cars
back on the track.
The train. Local 966-04, consisted of 50
cars and was waiting to join a second train
from Valley Junction. The combined train
was destined for Fort Worth to deliver 4
cars of raw petroleum derivative to
Diamond Shamrock, who could use it to
make anything from PVC pipe to rain
coats.
However, the Valley Junction train was
30 minutes late and Local 966-04’s crew
decided to back up to stop blocking street
crossings. Schultz said the derailment oc
curred while the train moved backwards at
4-5 mph.
Jack Heard, Dow’s spokesman, said that
Dow sent four experts to Bryan upon
learning of the derailment. Two were from
Dow’s Oyster Creek plant, which loaded
the chemical, and two were from the Dow
complex in Freeport. One of the men was
an expert in chemical effects on ecology,
he said, and another knows about handling
vinyl chloride in dangerous situations, he
said.
That individual helps^ local fire depart
ments in emergencies, he said. “People
are not as familiar with these products as
we are,” he said, adding, “after all, we
make the stuff.
In addition, Missouri Pacific, Schultz
said, carries computer print-outs with
every train that lists which cars carry
dangerous materials and the precautions
and methods used in the event of derail
ments or fires. “It used to be the firemen
used to say, ‘we don’t even know what it is
that we re fighting,’ he said. “Now that
isn’t the case.”
He said both the engineer and conduc
tor carry copies of the list in case one or
the other can’t be reached.
Forty-two percent of derailments in
1976 are the result of track failure, Schultz
said, with 21 and 23 percent the fault of
equipment failure and human error, re
spectively. Other causes account for the
remaining 14 percent, he said.
“So if you made the right-of-way per
fect,” he said, “you’d still have 60 per
cent.
Schultz said railways have a superior
safety record to trucks which also carry
hazardous materials “through the center of
town.
The regional director of safety for the
Federal Railroad Administration, Robert
Johnson, said his agency would not probe
the derailment.
The FDA investigates rail accidents,
Johnson said. But it does not investigate
unless a fatal or serious injury, serious
danger to a community, or derailment of
40 or more cars occurs, he said.
The agency would investigate the acci
dent if a serious accident occurred in the
near future in the same place.
Friday’s derailment was the first in re
cent Brazos County history, said Raymond
Janac, Bryan’s fire marshal since 1959. He
and his firemen drew compliments for
their cooperation from Schultz. “We re
ceived a wonderful response from the
Bryan Fire Department,” he said.
The two upright cars were on track by
Friday, and the overturned ones were
ready to roll by Saturday.
By ROLAND LINDSEY
UPI Capitol Reporter
United Press International
AUSTIN — Speaker Bill Clayton easily
won re-election to an unprecedented third
consecutive term Tuesday, and warned
lawmakers it will take a miracle for the
1979 Legislature to resolve conflicting citi
zen demands for tax relief and additional
state services during the 140-day session.
Clayton’s supporters turned back at
tempts to force a secret ballot on his bid to
become the first speaker in Texas history
to serve three consecutive terms, and the
Springlake farmer was elected with only
eight dissenting votes. There were no
other nominations.
The move for a secret ballot in the
speaker’s race was the opening round of an
expected hassle concerning a series of
rules proposals aimed at diluting the
power of the speaker and giving individual
House members more control over com
mittee assignments and the handling of
legislation.
Debate on the rules will not begin be
fore today, when the Legislature will meet
in joint session to hear Gov. Dolph Bris
coe’s budget recommendations and
farewell address.
The Senate quickly adopted its rules for
the session, voting for the first time to
open to the public executive sessions for
consideration of confirming appointments
by the governor.
Lt. Gov. William P. Hobby appointed
Sen. Grant Jones, D-Abilene, to succeed
the retired Sen. A.M. Aikin Jr., D-Paris,
as chairman of the powerful Senate Fi
nance Committee.
Senators meeting in closed caucus be
fore the session convened at noon failed to
agree, however, on whether the wife of a
Texas labor leader should be retained as
sergeant-at-arms. Marceil Hubbard, wife
of Texas AFL-CIO president Harry Hub
bard, was appointed to the position during
the summer, but must win Senate ap
proval to retain the job during the remain
der of the session.
The House must decide a challenge to
the re-election of Rep. Don Cartwright,
D-San Antonio, before moving on to other
business, and Clayton said he will not an-
Batt to return
Braving threats of ice, a few staff mem
bers produced this holiday edition of The
Battalion last night.
The newspaper will resume daily publi
cation Monday with the beginning of
spring classes.
Also scheduled for next week is Thurs
day publication of focus. The Battalion’s
weekly feature and entertainment sup
plement.
Clubs and organizations that want to
place announcements in the daily “what’s
up” column should deliver the notice to
the newspaper office at least two working
days in advance. Offices are located in
Room 216 of the Reed McDonald Build
ing.
Letters to the editor and questions for
President Jarvis Miller also should be sent
to The Battalion office. Letters require
name, address, telephone number and
academic classification for verification.
dentists to study cash, projects
_.i!!^rantsmanship — the art of securing
j^ls for research — is the subject of at
t one part of the annual meeting here
scientists in the Texas Agricultural Ex-
iment Station.
ome 500 scientists from the 13 re-
•'ch and extension centers and smaller
Y SPECIAM around sta * e b e g an a series of
meetings this morning that will run
ID EVEPjugh Friday.
RKEY Dll'hey will attend the grantsmanship
'ed with linar and other professional develop-
>rry Sauce tit sessions Thursday morning. Other
ad Dressinfes include national agricultural
Bread - Buries, trends in research funding and
3 0 r Tea methods to make projects
t Gravy re attractive for continued funding,
'hoice of afi ' Pe P J ac ’k Hightower of Vernon was
pnetable »h‘led to address the opening session
he conference this morning.'
exas A&M University President Jarvis
Vr was to introduce Hightower, who
represents the 13th Congressional District
in North Texas. Miller was director of the
Texas Agricultural Experiment Station be
fore he became president last year.
The current director. Dr. Neville
Clarke, also was scheduled to speak.
This afternoon, heads of departments
ranging from agricultural communications
to veterinary science will conduct sessions
across the campus.
Commodity and special interest sessions
are scheduled for the scientists Thursday
afternoon.
The scientists will receive out-of-state
advice Friday morning on trends in ag
riculture and how to protect their research
programs.
Dr. Perry L. Adkisson, vice president
for agriculture and renewable resources at
Texas A&M, also is scheduled to speak to
the group.
Stratospheric ‘sudden warmings'
Weather predicted miles up
United Press International
COLLEGE STATION — Snow
in Florida and budding trees in arc
tic Alaska could have something in
common. They might someday even
help predict what years Texans need
to invest in snow tires.
James McGuirk, a Texas A&:M
meteorologist, says there is a rela
tionship between certain kinds of
colder-than-usual winter weather
and a phenomenon known as
stratospheric sudden warming that
occurs miles above the earth.
McGuirk wants to look at the last
80 years of weather information in
the United States and Canada to see
if certain signs can warn of the kinds
of severe winters suffered na
tionwide in late 1976 and January
1977.
No one quite knows the whole
picture, says McGuirk, because
very cold winter weather is not al
ways tied to anything in the stratos
phere, the behavior of which is also
not completely understood.
Huge distortions in the jet stream
develop, explains McGuirk, and at
any one time it may warm Alaska to
the point where trees bud, while
snow falls in tropical Florida.
“These distortions, which accom
pany stratospheric sudden warming,
apparently have occurred in about
half the years since 1952. Perhaps
half of those have resulted in severe
surface weather and unseasonable
conditions,” he said.
By examining pressure and tem
perature data compiled since 1900,
McGuirk says he hopes to pin down
the relationship of stratospheric
sudden warmings and what is hap
pening on the ground.
If patterns emerge, they could
serve as warnings for scientists
about the likelihood of future
stratospheric sudden warmings and
the results they might have on the
surface thousands of feet below.
’5' <3-n*L*r''
In plotting weather summaries on
maps, McGuirk has demonstrated
that the 1977 reports of snow in
Florida, warm weather in Alaska
and dry weather in the West all had
similar counterparts during January
of 1958, 1963 and 1971 — times of
stratospheric sudden warming dis
ruptions.
His efforts have received support
from Organized Research, a special
fund established by the Legislature
to foster research of benefit to Tex-
nounce committee assignments until the
election dispute filed by Republican Kae
Thomas Patrick is resolved.
Rep. Bob Close, R-Perryton, pushed
the move to have the speaker s race settled
by a secret ballot, saying the secrecy was
necessary to avoid undue pressure on
members by the speaker.
Only one other Texan, M.D.K. Taylor
in the late 1800s, served three terms as
speaker, and no two of those terms were
consecutive.
“This is an era which historians will
write about,” Clayton said, noting the
state has its first Republican governor in
104 years, record budget surpluses for
three consecutive terms, and his election
to a third consecutive term.
“I know we will face some of the hardest
decisions ever,” Clayton said. “I know it
will take a miracle to accomplish all we
need to in 140 days, particularly in light of
the general attitude of our citizenry, tax
relief on the one hand, additional services
on the other.
“But you know, I believe in miracles.”
Secretary of State Steve Oaks, who
called the House to order and presided
until Clayton’s election, told the lawmak
ers the citizens of Texas are frustrated be
cause inflation and government excesses
are destroying the prospects for what he
called the American dream — home own
ership, providing education for children
and an opportunity for happiness.
“Where government has needlessly
complicated the lives of the citizens it
serves, it must cease and desist. Where
government has wrongfully intruded into
the lives of our fellow Texans, it must
withdraw at once. Oaks said.
“Texans are petitioning government to
address our common problems with com
mon sense, hard work and straight talk.
They want government to become less
concerned about perpetuating govern
ment, and more concerned about the
people it serves.
3 Texas A&M
regents’ terms
expire today
From staff and wire reports
AUSTIN — The six-year terms of three
Texas A&M University regents, including
the chairman and the vice-chairman of the
Board of Regents, are scheduled to expire
today.
Gov. Dolph Briscoe had been expected
to name the appointments before the
Legislature convened next Tuesday, but
failed to make the re-appointments or new
appointments Tuesday. The governor’s
appointments are subject to the approval
of the Texas legislature.
Chairman Clyde H. Wells of Granbury,
Vice-Chairman Richard A. Goodson of
Dallas and Mrs. Wilmer Smith of Wilson
are the Texas A&:M regents whose terms
are now expiring.
Briscoe also failed Tuesday to announce
three new appointments to the Board of
Regents of the University of Texas Tues
day, but a Briscoe aide said the reason was
due to a technicality.
Andy Kever, Briscoe’s appointments
secretary, said Briscoe’s decision to wait
and name the new regents later in the
week was based on an attorney general’s
decision stating that officially the regents’
terms expired on Wednesday. He said
Briscoe’s decision was not affected by the
UT Board of Regents current negotiations
to name a new president to replace Dr.
Lorene Rogers.
“The governor’s business is indepen
dent to that (the selection of a new presi
dent),” Kever said.
Kever said Briscoe would name the new
UT regents today or Thursday. Sources in
the governor’s office would say only that
the governor will make the Texas A&:M
appointments before he leaves office.
Allan Shivers and Ed Clark, both of
Austin, and James Bauerle of San Antonio
are the UT regents whose terms also ex
pire today.
By not announcing the appointment be
fore the Legislature convenes, the incum
bent regents can serve until the new ap
pointees are confirmed by the Senate.
“If an appointment is made prior to the
Senate convening, then that person can
serve immediately, Kever said. “If the
Legislature has already convened, then
the old regents serve until the new ones
are confirmed by the Senate.”
Buck Weirus, executive director of the
Association of Former Students at Texas
A&:M, said that since the decision of ap
pointment rests upon the governor, the
regents do not campaign or actively seek
reappointment. He said that it is his opin
ion that the three Texas A&M regents will
accept if reappointed to the board.
Both Wells and Goodson said Tuesday
that they would accept if reappointed.
Smith could not be reached for comment.
Wells has served for three terms on the
board, while Goodson and Smith are
finishing their first term.