K-f Serving the University community
I ;
)l 78 No. 53 USPS 0453110 14 pages College Station, Texas Monday, November 14, 1983
h-T— r —
'Vmtrack crash inquiry begins
United Press International
VIARSHALL — The National
^insportation Safety Board Sunday
s ned its inquiry into the cause of a
iding Amtrak train wreck that tore
400 feet of newly-laid track and
(a four dead and more than 100 in-
fed-
^Transportation Secretary Eli-
Veth Dole dispatched a seven-
^mber team within hours of the
Nh Saturday morning at the Wood-
lawn community about 170 miles east
of Dallas.
Meanwhile, state police identified
the dead as Sybil Fisher, 59, of
Mineola; Alma Helena Zahn, 69, of
Lacrosse, Wise.; Carol McDonald, 74,
of Richardson; and Dorothy Blask,
83, who was moving from Milwaukee
to Dallas.
As many as 100 passengers were
treated at hospitals in Dallas and
throughout East Texas, officials said.
The Amtrak Eagle, bound from
Chicago to San Antonio, jumped
tracks on a curve at about 70 mph,
within the speed limit, about 500
yards from the site of a 1981 derail
ment, railroad authorities said.
Five cars at the rear of the nine-car
train jumped the tracks. The train
pulled up 400 feet of track in its slide
500 feet beyond the point where the
train cars initially left the track.
NTSB spokesman Bob Buckhorn
in Marshall said Sunday the line was
reopened and the investigation team
would have a preliminary report to
release.
“They have basically opened that
line,” he said. “They worked all last
night.”
He said workers have righted the
cars and moved them into a Marshall
railyard, where investigators will con
tinue their work.
Passengers and crew reported evi
dence of broken or displaced rails just
before five cars at the rear of the train
jumped track.
“The only thing I know is that there
was a rail turned or a rail split or
something that caused the car to go
off,” said Missouri Pacific conductor
Boyd Pulliam, who was riding on the
train.
“‘When it dug the railroad up, three
cars behind turned over,” Pulliam
said.
Amtrak spokesman Arthur Lloyd
in San Francisco said the railroad had
no theories yet on the cause of the
crash.
He said Amtrak inquiries had
failed to confirm reports that crews
were seen working on the line just
before the crash.
ionfire “push” brings
Indents, stack together
by Clara N. Hurter
Battalion Reporter
dore than 2,500 Aggies are ex
act! to lend a hand in “push,” the
al week and a half of bonfire con-
uction, which began Sunday at
dnight.
Push week is meant to be a remin-
r of the original bonfire building
dition, when Aggies spent only two
eks constructing the tall stack of
s.
Now bonfire preparation takes
mths.
‘Push” is a 24-hour-a-day scramble
complete construction of the 55-
't-tall stack. Shifts are six hours
g but workers are not restricted to
t amount of time. A “push” day is
eduled for each class at Texas
:M For example, midnight
dnesday to midnight Thursday is
ignated as a work day for the Class
84.
Senior bonfire coordinator Albert
y says that during “push” there’s a
of camaraderie. Everyone who
iwslup at the site can help, he says.
‘It’s the one thing that brings the
rps and non-regs together,” he
Civilian bonfire coordinator Mike
Golladay said there is camaraderie be
tween Corps members and civilians.
“We give each other a hard time but
it’s all in good fun,” he said.
Women also show up to help dur
ing “push,” bringing hot cups of black
coffee, cigars, refreshments and mor
al support to encourage and comfort
the men working on the stack.
“Wherever there are more boys,
there are more girls,” Sherri Garrett,
cookie crew sub-chairman, said.
Golladay, the only off-campus
junior bonfire coordinator, said he is
disappointed in this years’ turnout of
off-campus students, but he expects
more recruits during “push.”
He said he hopes other groups will
come out for “push.”
The atmosphere during “push” is a
little different from that of the earlier
working days, Eby said.
“There’s a lot more cussing and
screaming,” Eby said. But all of the
yelling is just a part of the morale
boosting, he said.
Working with heavy logs and
swinging 40 to 55 feet above the
ground on the stack can be dan
gerous.
Accidents are rare but can happen
during “push,” junior bonfire coordi
nator Jeff Wagnon said.
“Most of the accidents occur at cut
ting sites,” he said. “It’s harder to con
trol safety there.”
There are fewer accidents during
“push” because of a safety plan and
the thorough coordination of stack
building, Eby said.
Both Eby and Golladay said they
expect the bonfire to stand past mid
night.
“It will last past midnight and prob
ably burn for two to three weeks,” Eby
said.
An “open house” is scheduled
Thursday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at
Duncan Field.
“It’s always open house out there,”
head civilian Mark Hackfeld said.
“This is a special opportunity to
answer questions that people have ab
out bonfire.”
Hackfeld, a senior accounting ma
jor, encourages parents to bring their
children to the open house.
“It’s always been a big hit with the
kids and most students enjoy having
them come,” he said. “There are a lot
of things going on that kids and pa
rents alike will enjoy.”
four ends
Reagan wraps up symbolic trip to Asia
United Press International
IEOUL, South Korea — President
igan Monday ended his symbolic
) to reaffirm U.S. defense commit-
nts in Asia — a journey highlight-
by a dramatic foray to stare into a
rth Korean encampment and chal-
ige communism face-to-face.
Presidential spokesman Larry
cakes said Reagan accomplished
fundamental objectives on the six-
y trip — establishing “an agenda
r progress” with Japan and reaf-
ming a 30-year-old commitment to
: defense of South Korea. Secretary
Stale George Shultz rated the trip
n outstanding success.”
Reagan, however, skimmed over
ugh issues facing the governments
Japan and South Korea — Tokyo’s
ntinued limits on American trade
id Seoul’s crackdown on opponents
the authoritarian regime of Presi-
:nt Chun Doo Hwan.
New charges of human rights
•uses, including the detention of
wernment critics during Reagan’s
inside
Ground town
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forecast
Kigh today of in the upper 60s
vith a low tonight of 34.
visit, prompted White House concern
about the outcome of the trip.
Chun planned to accompany the
president and Mrs. Reagan to Kimpo
Airport for a brief ceremony before
Air Force One took off on a 15-hour
journey home.
Earlier, the two presidents issued a
joint statement of unity and friend
ship, saying they “took note of the
strong and myriad bonds of friend
ship and cooperation that have linked
the United States and the Republic of
Korea and judged those ties to be in
excellent condition.”
The presidents made little mention
of the human rights issue, saying
merely they had “affirmed the im
portance of defending and streng
thening freedom and the institutions
that serve freedom, openness and
political stability.”
A Jewish survivor of several World
War II Nazi concentration camps, in
cluding the infamous Buchenwald
camp, will present his views on human
rights Monday in Rudder Theater at
8 p.m.
When William Samelson was 11
years old, the Germans took him from
his homeland of Poland and impris
oned him in a Nazi forced labor camp.
Samelson was shipped from camp
to camp for more than two years.
Then in 1942, the Germans sent 13-
year-old Samelson to Buchenwald, his
home for the next three years. Samel
son was rescued in April of 1945 by
the U.S. Army.
He migrated to the United States
in 1948. By 1954, Samelson had
served two years with the U.S. Army
Intelligence Corps, had received a
master’s degree from Kent State Uni
versity, had begun working toward
his doctorate in literature and philo
sophy, and had become a citizen of
the United States.
Samelson became an instructor of
foreign languages at the San Antonio
Reagan and Chun dedicated them
selves to principles of freer trade and
greater economic cooperation and to
the 30-year-old defense pact linking
the two nations.
They also charged that the Oct. 9
bombing in Burma that killed 17
South Korean officials was a “deliber
ate act of state terrorism,” committed
by North Korea.
The trip had begun with attention
focused on trade disputes between
the United States and Japan. It ended
with an unequivocal pledge of sup
port for Chun, despite new allega
tions of human rights abuses.
Reagan was concerned almost sole
ly with promoting the military might
of the United States, Japan and South
Korea arrayed against the Soviet Un
ion and North Korea. His repeated
denunciations of communism came in
the context of the Soviet downing of a
Korean jet Sept. 1 and the Burma
bombing attack against South Korean
government officials.
College in 1956, where he is now pro
fessor of foreign languages and chair
man of the department of foreign lan
guages.
In 1968 the Texas Legislature
proclaimed Dr. Samelson an honor
ary citizen of Texas and named him
admiral of the Texas navy.
William Samelson
WWII labor camp
survivor to speak
Friday was Veterans’ Day and a spray of
flowers was placed at the Westgate
Memorial by members of the Armed
Forces. The memorial is located at the
entrance to campus facing Wellborn Road
Bus service to continue
by the Grove. It stands as a memorial to
Aggies who died in WWII. Veterans Day
is a national holiday and federal workers
had the day off, but classes went on as
usual at Texas A&M.
Employees still
United Press International
PHOENIX, Ariz. — As a noon
Monday deadline approached, strik
ing Greyhound employees Sunday
planned rallies and symbolic “walk
aways” to show disdain for the com
pany that intends to resume bus oper
ations Thursday — with or without
them.
Amalgamated Transit Union offi
cials have said locals around the coun
try plan to group at Greyhound bus
facilities for the noon deadline to re
turn to work. Company officials have
said they will begin hiring replace
ments once they know how many em
ployees will return to work.
One striking employee called the
company’s half price fares advertised
nationwide Sunday “an invitation to
suicide,” claiming new drivers will not
be sufficiently trained. The company
said it would hire only experienced
drivers.
About 12,500 employees went on
strike Nov. 3 after Greyhound prop
osed a 9.5 percent pay cut and reduc
tions in other benefits.
The company said it must cut labor
costs to become competitive with re
gional air lines and other bus com
panies.
Across the country, union mem
bers pledged to stand firm in the face
of losing their jobs.
“I think every one of us in Fresno is
prepared to begin new lives,” said
Robert Baker, a Greyhound driver
for 20 years.
In Dallas, union officials said strik
ers and their families would be at the
bus station for the deadline, at which
time they would throw Greyhound
letters about the deadline in the trash.
Tom Jeser, local chairman in El
Paso said members of his local would
meet at the Greyhound facility
Monday 1 .
“We plan at 10 minutes after 12
noon just to turn around and walk
away from them, to tell them that we
don’t need them,” Jeser said.
Greyhound gave a similar message
to strikers Sunday, placing larges ads
in newspapers across the country stat-
ing operations would resume
Thursday.
“Greyhound is back at half price,”
the ad said, adding “Greyhound is
rolling again at half price, with the
high standards of safety and service
you’ve come to expect from the
leader.”
The ad said the half price fares are
striking
in effect until Dec. 15.
“Greyhound’s half price offer is an
invitation to suicide,” said Robert
Powers of Baltimore, a Greyhound
driver for nine years. “There would
be drivers who only have been trained
two weeks.”
Another Baltimore driver, Richard
Wisner, said normally drivers are
trained 10 weeks.
“Anybody who would ride
Greyhound during this time is crazy,”
Wisner said.
But company spokeswoman
Dorothy Lorant denied that new driv
ers would not have sufficient training.
She said Greyhound will hire only
drivers with intercity bus experience,
and she said even in normal circumst
ances experienced drivers are not re
quired to go through the longer
program.
“Yes, the training school is shorter
in duration, but there is no sacrifice in
safety training,” she said, saying time
was saved by sparing the trainees de
tails of paperwork and nationwide
routes.
“In these circumstances, all they
have to learn is the route between
point A and point B,” she said.