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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 17, 1983)
- Page 8/The Battalion/Thursday, November 17, 1983 SIS-’tius-'-’xiwaw B) ^ Big Bird’still soars in Valley United Press International HARLINGEN — Eight years after police first reported a large feathered creature gliding streets of through the darkened streets neighboring San Benito, sight ings of the legendary “big bird” are continuing in the Rio Grande Valley. Residents have reported seeing a flying creature de scribed alternately as an ex tremely large feathered bird or a shadowy pterodactyl-like silhouette. Wildlife biologists say they are puzzled at the prolonged re ports and would like to get a first-hand look themselves. ‘Big birds” have also been spotted during the past four years in the Big Bend area of Texas, 650 miles northwest of where the first sighting occurred. In a recent sighting, Harling en Emergency Medical Service technician James Thompson re ported seeing a pterodactyl-like bird 10 feet long glide like a model airplane across the road four miles east of Los Fresnos. Thompson’s description was similar to that given by three San Antonio school teachers in 1976 during a flurry of sightings. The lid they ’ three teachers said they were driving from one campus to another and spotted two large birds circling some cattle south of San Antonio. ing earlier this month near the remote mining ghost town of Terlingua near the Texas- Mexico border. But the birds spotted in the Big Bend area all have feathers, said Lucille Muchmore, a cor respondent for the Alpine Ava lanche who wrote about a sight- A1 Schriver, assistant mana ger of the Laguna-Atascosa Wildlife Refuge near the Texas Coast, said he and other biolog ists have pondered the reports in an effort to determine what people have been seeing. N\ Toxic fire still rages following derailment 111 sm §im The Air Force presently has positions available for Clinical Psychology Internships. To qualify, indi viduals must be presently enrolled in their last year of a program leading to a PHD in Psychology. Applications must be in by 2 Jan 1984. Interested applicants should contact Capt Ellis or MSgt Thompson (out-of-town, call collect) at (713) 954- 6762 or 6763. £> A great way of life United Press International LATEX, La. — One person was missing as four engines and one rail car, which was filled with a toxic chemical, burned out of control Wednesday in a train de railment near the Louisiana- Texas border. One man was missing and six others were injured when the Kansas City-Southern Railroad freight train was mistakenly di verted into a lumber yard where it crashed into parked flat cars loaded with logs. Richard Bunn, head of the hazardous material response team of the Caddo Parish Sher iff s Office, said the missing man could be at a hospital. Residents in the sparsely populated area 10 miles west of Blanchard were evacuated after the train derailed and exploded. Four engines and at least one boxcar loaded with 55-gallon drums of the toxic chemical cypernethren burst into flames. Officials said another chemical laden boxcar also could be ablaze. An estimated 9,000 gallons of diesel fuel that spilled from the locomotives was burning, Bunn said. “It’s a terrible mess,” he said. “It could have been much worse had the train been traveling at a higher rate of speed.” ot at ‘When I looked back, all I could see was a big ball of fire. ’ YOUR FOOD AND DRUG... AND MORE...STORE WEEKEND SPECIALS PRICES EFFECTIVE THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY NOVEMBER 17, 18, 19, 1983 TAYLOR CALIFORNIA CELLARS 1.5 LITER BOTTLE Burgandy Chablis, Rose, Rhine, Chemin Blanc or French Colvinbard REGULAR OR LIGHT LOWENBRAU 6 PACK 12 oz. N.R. BOTTLES 301 S. COLLEGE COLLEGE STATION S&W BEVERAGE Bunn said authorities had de termined that five locomotives and up to four boxcars had de railed, but the number could be higher. Officials were held back from scene by intense heat and smoke. “We’ve got a piggy-back car behind a rear locomotive that we believe contains cypernethren, a flammable, and the piggy back has ruptured and the barrels were on the ground and have been on fire for some time,” he said. “We don’t believe there’s a great danger, but we’re approaching it cautiously,” Bunn said. He said officials were unsure of what caused the 75-car train to reel into the lumber yard ab out 3 p.m. Give her a kiss and a Krugerrand. For all the golden moments she’s given you There’s never been a better reason—a better season!—for giving her a Krugerrand pendant. Come see our whole glittering collection of Krugerrand jewelry. We have rings and cuff links for men too. Stop in today. Before the price of gold goes higher, wish all the special people on your Christmas list a merry Krugerrand! KRVQERRANP GPU? CQINS The wood’s b«t woy to own gold. TEXAS C&N 404 University Dr. 3202 A Texas College Station Bryan across from El Chico 846-8905 779-7662 “Somehow that train switched onto a spur line goes into this pulpwood plant and the train slammed into cars loaded with wood,” Bunn said. “We don’t know if it was pre meditated or if it was a mecha nical failure.” Tony Shomeker, a foreman at the Haughton Lumber Co., said he saw the train come roll ing into the yard. “I turned around and saw two of my men falling off the (log) car. I just ran for the tele phone and called for help. When I looked back, all I could see was a big ball of fire,” he said. Shomeker said the train erupted in a massive explosion. Ester Lee, who lives about a half mile from the scene, said the accident sounded like a bomb. Bunn said cypernethren is a toxic liquid with poisonous vapors. He did not know the use of the chemical, but officials said they did not believe there was an immediate danger from the che mical. Most of the other freight cars that contained hazardous che micals were not affected by the wreck, he said. Fire departments from sever al communities in east Texas and northwest Louisiana rushed to the scene. The derailment was about 25 miles from the scene of an Amtrak derailment in Texas Saturday which killed four peo ple. The cause of that derail ment is still under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. Enetgy a very bright idea Around town AScM vet to discuss h uman-pet bond Dr. William McCulloch, director of the Center for Com parative Medicine in the Texas A&M College of Veterinaij Medicine, will discuss the bond between people and their animal companions in a speech at 7 p.m. McCulloch will address the relationship between people and their pets, in cluding the health benefits possible from owning a pet. The free lecture will be held in 164 E. Kyle. McCulloch is a leader in the field of human-companion relationship. Visiting executive is former student J. Wesley Rogers, chairman of one of the largest under water service companies in the country and a Class of’69 Texas A&M graduate, will speak Friday to a management class as a part of the Visiting Executive Series. Rogers will discuss with students the operations of the Oceaneering Company and his duties as its chief executive. The Visiting Executive Series is sponsored by the Center for Executive Development and the Department of Man agement. The series brings business executives to the clas sroom to talk with seniors about the business world. Law student scholarships established Al lictn App the i ife si ups Honoring Joseph fessor emeritus at Texas A&M, have been established at Baylor University for Texas A&M students entering law school. The scholarships, which pay from half to full tuition,wiII be for one year and renewable for the second and third year as long as the student maintains a C average. Students who have done most or all of their pre-law study at Texas A&M are eligible to receive the scholarships. Reci pients will be chosen by Nance and five members of the Texas A&M faculty. Selection will be based on grades anil test scores, interest in legal education, and character. Nance has been a long-time advisor of the Pre-Law Sode- ty at Texas A&M. - College of Medicine holds art exhibit The College of Medicine is sponsoring an exhibit of 16 watercolor, collage and fiber works by Texas A&M student Rudy Vavra. The exhibit will run through Nov. 25 in the lobby of the Medical Sciences Building, and is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Vavra, who also created a work in the Rudder Exhibit Hall j this month, is as student in the Department of Environmen tal Design. He has exhibited works in Houston, Dallas, Col lege Station and Florence, Italy. Individual Aggielandphotos taken Juniors, seniors, veterinary and medical school students can have individual pictures for the 1984 Aggieland taken j today and Friday ancl Nov. 28-Dec. 2 at the Yearbook Associ ates office at 1700 S. Kyle behind Culpepper Plaza; andM I 5-9 at the Pavilion on campus. To submit an item for this column, come by The Battalion office in 216 Reed McDonald. Black Awareness CAHACf POLITICAL FORUM PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION '84 & a & H • 10-fpm. For Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center *IANT YUWf ads * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * REVEREND DISCOVER GOLF IN A&M STUDENT JACKSON MON NOV. 21 RUDDER AUD. zQrTTTemonicd Student Centerc 1:00 PM FREE BRYAN DISCOUNT WITH HI Green Fees *4. T:e Week Days 18 holes Two Players with cart Week Days Only $7.25 Each Player Bryan Gold Course 206 W. Villa Maria Bryan, TX 823-0126 00