Battalion/Page 9 May 6, 1982 state/national ax management amed as cause f mining disaster Dusty Farlow’s ‘Dallas’ ranch being sold by Texas oilman United Press International j’ALMER, Tenn. — Federal estimators say lax manage- ntand a coal miner’s “stupid stake” of lighting a cigarette ise® Tennessee’s worst min- ; disaster — an explosion that tHl3 men last December. A U.S. Mine, Safety and alt) i Administration report eilsed Tuesday said Grundy ning Co. officials refused to ^nte workers from their No. mine despite repeated warn- ■ of a lethal pocket of :thane gas. ! ^ne report also cited the mpany for failure to ventilate : mne section properly. Also, 5 company did not perform legally required pre-shift irch of miners for smoking it®rials, the report said. Tlu explosion was ignited len a coal miner flicked on a [arette lighter. “To smoke underground is a stupid violation of the law,” MSHA spokesman Frank O’Gorman said. “It is a stupid mistake because they were in an atmosphere of grave danger. “But you could not have had the explosion unless there was a failure on the part of manage ment to properly ventilate the mine.” Mine officials were warned at least three times of very danger ous concentrations of methane gas beginning as early as five hours before the explosion, the report said. The report said a safety lamp, designed to show the level of methane concentration, flared “like a Christmas tree” in a test before the explosion. O’Gorman said two other tests with hand-held methane readers showed 5 percent con centrations of gas. Federal law requires mine operators to eva cuate workers if readings show concentrations of more than 1.5 percent. “Any time you have methane gas remotely in that range you get the miners out in a hurry,” O’Gorman said. Officials stopped production while they worked to ventilate the mine, but they ordered workers to stay jn the area, O’Gorman said. He said investigators were un able to find out why workers were ordered to stay. Five lawsuits seeking a total of $55 million in damages have been filed because of the dis aster. Grundy Mining Co. has been cited for 36 federal safety viola tions, including five linked to the explosion, O’Gorman said. The company could be fined up to $10,000 for each violation. United Press International FORNEY — It’s not as famous as South Fork — the fictional residence of J.R. Ewing, televi sion’s archvillain in the show “Dallas” — but the Southern Cross, home of rival Dusty Far- low, is more palatial and is now available. Dallas oilman Norris Harris is selling his 500-acre Bar H ranch, used by Lorimar Productions as the set for Dusty Farlow’s home, for $2.9 million. The ranch, 20 miles east of Dallas, and consist ing of three Spanish-style houses, was the west Texas site of numerous lustful encounters between Farlow and Sue Ellen, J.R.’s estranged wife. Real estate agent Marilyn Hoffman-Hipps, hired by Lori mar in 1981 to find an impress ive location for the Farlow ranch, said the notoriety of the TV show has not hurt getting prospects for the spread. “Wouldn’t you like to sleep in Sue Ellen’s bedroom?” she said. The new owner will continue to have the filming agreement with Lorimar, which generally spends only 10 days on the loca tion a year, Hoffman-Hipps said. Harris donated to the Forney library the $l,000-per-day fee he received while the company was filming in his house. [dentist to research fects of microwaves hoto by ImcISBjnited Press International v TULSA, Okla. — Dr. Mary len O’Connor has launched a ■000 research project for ina, TesiBdivironmental Protection md so qepcy to determine what dan- ither. an( l animals might ,Brom microwaves. [TIip project involves dozens pregnant mice and a specially Bructed copper room, t * ■ nnor I he University • Hulsa psychology professor ' Khe uses pregnant mice be- I we the tissue of unborn mice very sensitive. ■icrowaves are used to heat H in microwave ovens, and after rulJpre that part of the electro nit futurt a gnotic spectrum used for mldbeallflp and for various types of feinumications. the l.

eyonda lre are safe for humans, as it Roney■ and more people come in iolent afi contact with devices using t the /waves. ng alone,Hfhe research, she said, will i verdict. ,V() he exposing 18 pregnant lally everM to microwaves six hours a "seofartB f° r the 18 days their the deatkppnng are developing, i said. Bhe baby mice then will be hanged S e ty' ere d by Caesarean section in prisoaM examined for possible phy- B abnormalities as a result of Bain levels of exposure to mic- ovvaves. jf defects are found, O’Con- rlsaid, the tests will be repe- ll on larger animals such as abpits and guinea pigs. 'IP’Connor, who holds a doc- Orate in biopsychology from the University of Georgia, said she began building the testing facil ity a year ago with a $250,000 grant from the EPA’s medical research division microwave branch. The “oven” is a 10-by-10-foot copper room lined with plastic foam insulation and equipped to seal in microwave heat during testing. The mice are placed in half pint plastic containers and left atop conical loam perches for their six-hour-per-day expo sure. “We are looking at several different levels (of exposure),” O’Connor said. “The first is actually higher than what you would expect people to be ex posed to.” That level is twice the recom mended standard. She said, the second test would involve the standard level of exposure and the third stage would be a test involving only one-tenth of the recommended exposure limit for humans. The researcher said she already can anticipate some re sults of the test. “I expect smaller mice,” she said, indicating the microwaves would cause the infant mice not to develop to normal size before birth. The project should take two years, O’Connor said, and even then, not all questions will be answered. “All I will answer after two years is vyhether or not radio fre quency energy (at certain levels) will produce birth defects in mice when they are exposed for six hours a day throughout the entire gestation period,” she said. In honor of graduation, we 11 be open this Friday at 4 pan. Celebrate this special occasion with us. Choose from an exciting cargo list of entrees. Delicacies like Hawaiian Chicken, Alaskan King Crab, Teriyaki Beef Kabobs, Mahi Mahi, Australian Lobster, & Prime Rib. All including a visit to our generous salad bar. pelican*/ uihorf B 2500 Texas Ave. 693-5113. THE EARLY ■ ■■ PREPARE FOR: MCAT Join our “Early Bird” and Summer Classes In Preparation for Your Fall Exams • Permanent Centers open days, evenings and weekends. • Low hourly cost. Dedicated full-time staff. • Complete TEST-n-TAPE sm facilities for review of class lessons and supplementary materials. • Small classes taught by skilled instructors. • Opportunity to make up missed lessons. • Voluminous home-study materials constantly updated by researchers expert in their field. • Opportunity to transfer to and continue study at any of our over 85 centers. OTHER COURSES AVAILABLE GRE • LSAT • DAT GMAT • NMB • FLEX VQE • CPA • ECFMG KAPLAN Educational Center TEST PREPARATION SPECIALISTS SINCE 1936 Call Days Evenings & Weekends Call 696-3196 for de tailed information College Station - 707 Texas Ave. - 301C mom is love Mother's Day Sunday May 9 th Bealls MANOR EAST MALL Bryan POST OAK MALL College Station Give a gift that is personal for that special one, the Shuffle® desk with a hand painted name or design. THE SHUFFLE DESK AN INNOVATIVE DESIGN ON AN OLD IDEA ... THE LAP DESK. ;5£S<" Executive Size Lap Desk regular 23.00 ON SALE 16.88 Here is a nice big surface to use for either writing, reading, cards, or many other useful leisure activities. The size is 15 x 19 so you have plenty of work room, and the pretty prints are so colorful. Designer Lap Desk regular 18.00 11.88 ON SALE The designer is a size that is good for your writing or reading needs. It fits the lap so nicely and comes in many designer look prints. The size is 12 x 16 for your convenience. Come to either one of our stores Friday, May 7, between 11 A.M. and 6 P.M. or Saturday May 8, between 10 A.M. and 5 P.M. and let LuAnne Freazle or Jon Mondrick personalize your lap desk at no charge to you. Put a name or design on it and make it special for that special one.