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.<p Connor said she hopes to
aid thesHWroine what levels of expo-
t>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.