Fhe Battalion
ol.73 No. 1 Tuesday, September 4, 1979 USPS 045 360
4 Pages College Station, Texas Phone 845-2611
Weather
Mostly cloudy to partly cloudy with a 40% chance
of rain today and 20% tonight. Winds will be 10
m.p.h. Warm and humid with no specific change
in temperature.
TV
it tuning,
)avid weakening,
lits Florida coast
.•'Y v
V
United Press International
APE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Hur-
ne David, no longer the “diabolical
that killed at least 650 persons in the
libean but still a formidable storm,
med slowly up the Florida coast today
course that threatened Georgia and
Carolinas.
ismany as 37,000 people fled to evacu-
ncenters to escape the storm’s wrath,
lurricane warnings were posted from
tonaBeach, Fla., to Charleston, S.C.,
hurricane watch extended to Cape
(eras, N.C. The National Hurricane
iter in Miami said it might be neces-
extend the warnings farther north
morning.
It5a.m. CDT, the center of Hurricane
id was located near latitude 29.6 north
longitude 80.8 west, about 35 miles
theast of Daytona Beach. It was mov-
north at 10 mph and was expected to
that course and speed during the
morning, keeping the center over the
water close to the coast.
Highest winds in the storm, which
thundered through the Carribean last
week with 150 mph winds that devastated
the islands of Dominica and the Domini
can Republic, were estimated at 90 mph
over water.
Residents and tourists along the Georgia
and South Carolina coasts began leaving
the beaches Monday as the storm moved
up the coast, pushing strong winds and
high tides ahead of it.
Winds up to 85 mph left considerable
damage along the Florida coast from Palm
Beach to Melbourne Monday and drove
hundreds of thousands from their homes
to inland refuge, but no deaths or serious
injuries were reported.
In Nassau, Joe Edwards of the Bahamas
News Bureau, said, “We re digging out
from the debris. Most of the damage
seems to be confined to light poles and
trees. A number of boats went down, but
we don’t have a count yet. ”
Edwards estimated the highest winds
that hit Nassau were 80 mph. “It (David)
had quite a reputation as it approached the
Bahamas. It was bad enough, but not as
bad as we anticipated.”
Bahamaian officials estimated 25,000
tourists — a capacity crowd — jammed
Nassau resorts for the Labor Day holiday.
Most were unaware that David was com
ing until Sunday morning.
“There were no problems with the
tourists and most of them seemed to enjoy
it,” Edwards said.
In Washington, President Carter today
declared Puerto Rico a major disaster area.
The action will enable an estimated
1,500 homeless families to get financial aid
in recovering from the effects of the hur
ricane.
i abor day speech critical
n
lements: interest conflict?
United Press International
IIDLAND — Gov. Bill Clements has a
Jict of interest that taints everything he
sordoesin connection with the Mexi-
oilspillthat has damaged miles of Texas
dies, the president of the Texas AFL-
)said Monday.
Harry Hubbard, in the text for a Labor
Day speech, said the governor clearly put
his personal interest above the public
interest by opposing filing suit against the
parties involved in the oil spill in Cam
peche Bay.
“Hi s own company, SEDCO, owned and
ell practice
n Kyle Field
yes;
no
By MERIL EDWARDS
Battalion StafT
lissing when the lights go out, telling
about Rock and Raquel and juniors
ng push-ups are part of another one of
ise Aggie traditions — midnight yell
:tice.
Friday at midnight the yell leaders and
k Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band will lead
e first yell practice of the season at Dun-
n Intramural Field.
Ml practice is usually at Kyle Field,
it due to the construction all midnight
1 practices are being moved to Duncan
ield this year, head yell leader Pete
reaves said.
Greaves said students should start form-
gon the plaza under the arches in front
the Corps Quad at 11:30 p.m. Then the
1 leaders and the band will lead the
ly.
We want all students to come to the
arch over because they’ll miss half the
a if they don’t, ” Greaves said.
A favorite tradition at A&M is kissing
lur date after each Aggie score at football
'•on Pol
games. At midnight yell practice, the
lights go off so students can practice for
this tradition. Freshmen without dates
light matches to watch and learn from
their upperclassmen.
Temporary lights will be set up on the
field to maintain this tradition. A loud
speaker and a flat bed truck for the yell
leaders to stand on will also be set up at
Duncan, Greaves said.
None of the usual midnight yell practice
traditions will be affected by the move to
the intramural field.
“We ll tell two stories at yell practice,
one by a senior and the other by a junior,”
Greaves said.
But preceding the regular midnight yell
practice,a short afternoon sample will be
given for the football team, Greaves said.
“We re going to enter through the main
ramp around 4:30 p.m. and just use the
lower decks out of the construction area, ”
Greaves said. “We re going to lead some
yells and sing about three songs, no stories
or anything. The short session is to pep the
football team up after their practice.’
leased the drilling rig to the drilling con
tractors. It was an old rig, which may not
have been suitable for use at the depth of
water in which they 7 were drilling,” Hub
bard said.
“Bill Clements represents SEDCO, not
the people of Texas, in his view of the oil
spill. ’’
He said Clements’ statement when the
oil began washing ashore in Texas that
widespread publicity was “much ado about
nothing” reflects an attitude typical of the
governor’s philosophy.
“By refusing to admit that there was a
problem, he put off possible solutions for a
month and even now it appears that busi
ness people and employees in the Gulf
Coast vacation industry stand to lose hun
dreds of millions of dollars in lost income
and wages,” Hubbard said.
“By opposing the suit Clements opposed
fixing the blame for the disaster. He either
feared the blame might be traceable to his
own company, SEDCO, or feared loss of
future business in the lease of drilling rigs
to Mexico.
“Either way, Clements’ interests clearly
are in conflict.”
Hubbard said the governor should have
demanded that those at fault for the oil spill
pay for cleaning up the beaches and com
pensate the tourist industry in Texas for lost
revenue.
“The total cost will exceed $100 million,”
Hubbard predicted.
“Although the taxpayers are being asked
to bear a great deal of the cost burden,
there is no way it was our fault. We did
nothing wrong, yet we are having to spend
tens of millions to clean up someone else’s
mess.”
No-labor Day
The sun sets behind the steel skeleton of the
Academic Agencies Building being constructed on
the Texas A&M University campus. Construction
workers on the steel structure enjoyed a Labor Day
holiday Monday, but it was no holiday for Texas
A&M students who started fall semester classes
Monday.
Battalion photo by Lee Roy Leschper Jr.
Frederic’s winds diminish
as storm nears Puerto Rico
United Press International
CHARLOTTE AMALIE, Virgin Islands
— Tropical Storm Frederic swept around
the Virgin Islands today but headed to
ward Puerto Rico, threatening to pour
huge quantities of rain on the island crip
pled from Hurricane David’s onslaught
last week.
The storm steadily weakened Monday
night and was downgraded to a tropical
storm early today, with peak winds of 65
mph, the National Weather Service in San
Juan said.
The service lifted its hurricane watch for
the Virgin Islands early today but kept it
for Puerto Rico.
But the storm still posed “a definite
threat of locally heavy rains and floods” in
Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the
western Leeward Islands,” the weather
service said.
The storm packed enough punch as it
marched through the Lesser Antilles
Monday to topple a radio tower on the is
land of St. Martin and rip three roofs off
houses on Antigua. Barbuda was flooded
with 3 inches of rain, but reported little
damage.
At 5 a.m. CDT, the tropical storm was
located near latitude 18.5 north and lon
gitude 65.4 west, about midway between
St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands and San
Juan. It is moving on a course just slightly
north of west at 10 mph.
“Little change in direction or speed is
expected for the next 24 hours,” the
weather service said. “The storm will pass
just north of San Juan by late forenoon. ”
In San Juan, Mayor Herman Padilla said
residents were being evacuated from low-
lying coastal neighborhoods subject to
high tides.
Schools were closed today throughout
Puerto Rico, and the Water Resources Au
thority pulled the plug on a dike in Trujillo
Alto to prevent overflows during the
storm.
Gov. Carlos Romero Barcelo urged the
population to take the same precautions,
including storing up on canned food, as
were necessary during Hurricane David.
In Charlotte Amalie, capital of the U.S.
Virgin Islands, Gov. Juan Luis went on
radio and television and urged those living
in flimsy dwellings to move to a half-dozen
storm shelters set up in churches and pub
lic shools.
Electricity in St. Thomas was cut at 10
p.m. as a preventive measure.
President Carter declared Puerto Rico a
disaster area Tuesday in the wake of floods
and devastation that left more than 25,000
persons homeless and eight dead.
‘Killer rabbit 9 jokes
popular at Nixon parties
can
The Texas A&M football team got a chance Monday night to show its
spirit at All University Night in G. Rollie White Coliseum. Front row
screamers are, from left to right, Arliss James, Carl Grulich, Ed Pus-
tejovsky. Head Coach Tom Wilson, Jacob Green and Curtis Dickey.
About 7,000 students attended.
Battalion photo by Fat O’Malley
United Press International
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — In what
was billed as his farewell to California be
fore moving to New York, former Presi
dent Richard Nixon threw two parties dur
ing the Labor Day weekend, complete
with a jibe by John Mitchell at President
Carter’s “killer rabbit.”
Nixon hosted a party for 500 people
Monday, including prominent Republi
cans, his San Clemente neighbors and the
California Angels baseball team.
Nixon is an Angels fan and attended
many of their games in the six years since
he resigned the presidency and took up
residence on his estate on the Pacific.
Sunday’s party was described as a
gathering of about 200 of Nixon’s “inner
circle” to celebrate the 66th birthday this
month of Mitchell, attorney general under
Nixon.
Mitchell, who served a prison sentence
for Watergate offenses, joked to the group
that while the Nixon administration had its
problems, “We never had a killer rabbit
attack the president,” the Los Angeles
Times reported.
The Times quoted unidentified guests.
Mitchell was referring to reports Presi
dent Carter used a canoe paddle to “dis
courage” a rabbit that swam toward his
rowboat on a Georgia pond.
Nixon introduced Mitchell as “a man of
great loyalty” and led the guests in singing
“Happy Birthday,” the Times reported.
Those present included Nixon’s daugh
ter Julie and her husband David
Eisenhower, and former White House
staffers Dwight Chapin, Ron Ziegler,
Herb Klein, Robert Mardian and secretary
Rosemary Woods.
Nixon has sold his estate and he and his
wife Pat plan to move to New York by the
end of the year.