The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 1

I An Rain likely Cloudy with 80 percent chance for rain. Morning low, 60. High. 70. De The NDIANAPOLIS TAR tails on Page 49.

MONDAY, MAY 26, 1986 "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty" II Cor. 3:17 tic tic tic coT25 Cents "tin Persistent rain postpones race Rescheduled for today I ill Sifyi 1 jtwtN V- Many of the drivers polled seemed to be happy with the decision. "I'm happy we didn't get the race started and have to call It at the halfway point." said Al Un-ser Jr. "I would prefer not to start unless we can go 500 miles because it wouldn't be fair to the competitors or fans." said George Snider. "A shortened race would be a further disadvantage to us.

I've got to think going in that I need all the time possible to get through to the front." said Mario Andretti. who starts 31st. "I feel relieved because we need 200 laps to get a good shot at It," said Josele Garza. "I hadn't felt good. I had a sinus headache so maybe I'll feel better tomorrow," said four-time winner A.J.

Foyt. At the same time, most of the starting lineup sympathized with the spectators, many of whom See RACE Page 8 By ROBIN MILLER STAR ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Sunday, for the first time In 71 years, the Indianapolis 500 was washed out and rescheduled for the next day. The fastest field in the history of auto racing never turned a wheel, as steady rains forced Indianapolis Motor Speedway management and United States Auto Club officials to call things off at 3:35 p.m. Rain checks will be honored today, and the 70th Indy classic Is again set to start at 1 1 a.m. Unfortunately, for the 400.000 or so spectators and ABC's live national television audience, today's forecast is bleak.

There's an 80 percent chance for rain. Even though it finally ceased raining Sunday afternoon at approximately 1:30, the track was still a long way from being fit for racing two hours later. "We basically Just ran out of time, and I'm satisfied we did the right thing for a lot of different That good old Tony Hulman weather that's what we needed, Page 8 Associated Press editor arrested at track, Page 8 Broadcasters on hold for "500" that wasn't, Page 14 More stories in sports section, starting on Page 25 More photographs, Page 50 reasons," said chief steward Tom Binford. "The pits were still soaked and a couple of the turns were still very wet. Optimistically, we were looking at starting the race at 5:45 or 6:15." Of course if the race would have gotten the green flag that late, there would have been no way to go 500 miles.

"It's supposed to be a 500-mile race, not a 50-mile race." Binford said. "We start the race at 6 and it gets dark at 7:30. "But too dark for whom? The guy running second wouldn't think it's too dark." Mil HwM H'f rf A IAj I I-1 I SSI'', i VV 1 WWX2'': jr' 'Pif wasn't only messy place By GEORGE STUTEVILLE STAR STAFF WRITER Ah, Race Day the greatest spectacle in raining. Through ankle-deep mud they slogged to get to the 70th running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and through ankle-deep mud they trudged back to their cars. The only race Sunday was a footrace for 400,000 fans who spent much of the day scrambling for rare dry spots.

Most fans after first get STAR STAFF PHOTO GREG GRIFFO fya in sun for spectators at i -i i. in i. ill. ill il ill I lL. Ji.i.M i.ll I I.

IJ,) imj.iIji.iv.i5iliij Hoosier hands 260,000 in state shoiv up for event aimed at 400,000 Several Westslde motels that were expecting occupancies today were back to their pre-race status of no vacancies at 4 p.m. "The fans planning to spend the night are taking all the extra rooms we had. We're full." said Annette Hill, desk clerk at Adam's Mark Hotel. Ik-Standing in the bog that was the infield behind the first turn, a man stirred a yellow some-See PIT Page 9 the north portico of the White House to a star-studded crowd of 10.000 at the gueen Mary's dock in Long Beach. where the last In line was a homeless family of seven.

The chain originally envisioned by the organizers was not unbroken some gaps were for By LYNN FORD STAR STAFF WRITER Dogged by rain and low turnout in some areas. Hands Across America took place Sunday in Indiana as Hoosiers Joined a nationwide human chain to raise money for the homeless and hungry. Indiana organizers said an es timated 260,000 people showed up for the unprecedented event ijthey had earlier hoped would draw 400,000 Hoosiers. Still, a spirit of unity pre- ting caught in a traffic jam that stretched from the track to Meridian Street sat for hours in cars watching as a steady drizzle dripped down their windshields and listening as radio announcers talked about the chance of showers and the long lines to the track. Others didn't care or were too impaired to care.

So after spending their day racing for dry places, many just ended it racing for a mudless dry place to rest. $50 million for the nation's homeless and hungry. The chain began with a 6-year-old homeless girl named Amy Sherwood in New York's Battery Park, overlooking the Statue of Liberty. It stretched across 16 states and the District of Columbia where it crossed Prayer Lord, we give You thanks for all of Your brave persons who have given their lives in service of our great country. Let us remember them by striving to keep our freedom strong.

Amen. Chuckle Cocktail party: Where sandwiches and acquaintances are cut Into small pieces. VOLUME 83, No. 355 CARRIER DELIVERED ll.M PER WK MOTOR DELIVERED $1.25 PER WK --j vailed along the 323-mile Indi-' jana route that stretched through 1 7 counties from Hammond Wlp -w I Umbrellas and mud replaced j- i STAff sTAFF PHOTO ROB GOEBEL safety, others opened where there were not enough volunteers to cover the ground. Some appeared the result of confusion, since a few blocks from some gaps the line was two people wide.

Two people on the line were See HANDS Page 8 mous said, "I am in a position to assure you that all the gossip about the release of any hostage is without foundation at all." The Beirut newspaper as-Sa-fir said Saturday that eight Frenchmen would be released during the next nine days. The same day, the pro-Libyan Beirut magazine al-Shlraa said three American and three French hostages would be freed soon. The source said, however, 1 the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. i State turnout as patchy as the weather, Page 8 Neighbors meet neighbors on "Hands" line, Page 8 Line didn't make it, but people made "Hands" a success, Page 33 More pictures, Page 50 than anticipated turnout in Marion and Hamilton counties, but a virtually complete line wound its way through Lake. Porter, St.

Joseph and Marshall counties in northern Indiana. "We're not sure what happened in the Indianapolis area." said Hands Across America spokeswoman Kathryn M. Reith. "Either it was the weather, or people thought they'd rather hook up in rural areas." "Indiana still can be proud." said Senden, who monitored the event via a statewide communications network of more than 300 amateur radio operators. Gaps in the line led some hand-holders to solicit help from passing motorists.

"Get out of your car! We need you!" participants yelled at cars along Franklin Road in northeast Indianapolis. Some motorists showed sup-See HOOSIER Page 8 "When he did. he was surprised that the Elysee asked him how true were the reports about the imminent release of the hostages. He said he knew nothing of the sort," the source said. As-Safir reported a breakthrough early last week in backstage contacts in Syria, Lebanon and Iran to free the French hostages.

The newspaper has not See HOSTAGE Page 16 Wearing colors of a nation united. Hands Across America participants (from left) Candy Morgan, Louann Pollak and Eva Fazekas use a banner to link a human chain along Franklin Road. Millions join hands to help nation's hungry in Lake County to Just north of Lawrenceburfi In Dearborn County. No Incidents or Injuries were reported In Indiana. Huddling under everything from umbrellas to bedsheets.

participants ranging from youngsters to senior citizens sang We Are the World. Hands Across America and America the Beautiful. The Indiana portion of the 4.125-mile New York-to-Callfor-nla link was about 60 percent complete when the event began at 2 p.m.. according to J. Bradford Senden.

the project's Indiana director. Organizers reported lower that although French hostage negotiator Omran Adham was in the capital of neighboring Syria, he was on a "private business visit this time." In the past six months, Adham made frequent trips to Syria to help free the hostages. When Adham checked Into his Damascus hotel, he found four messages asking him to call President Francois Mitterrand's Elysee Palace, the source said. French hostage negotiator visiting Syria Report says Americans may also be released FROM STAR WIRE SERVICES Millions of people Joined hands and burst into song Sunday in a broken but enthusiastic chain stretching 4,125 miles across the United States. It was the culmination of the Hands Across America drive to raise Index Arts.

Leisure 22,23 Bridge 35 Classified Ads 39-43 Comics 19 Crossword 49 Oata Bank 36 Doonesbury ...34 Editorials 20 Finance 36-38 Graham 35 Heloise 18 Horoscope 49 Jumble 49 Dr. Lamb 17 Landers 18 LifeStyle ...17.18 Movies 22 Obituaries 38 Sports 2532 Statistics 49 TV-Radio ...14,15 Weather 49 Phone numbers Circulation 633-9211 Main office 633-1240 Classified Ads 633-1212 Scores after 4:30 p.m. 633-1200 Copyright 1986 The Indianapolis Star By FAROUK NASSAR ASSOCIATED PRESS Beirut, Lebanon A French hostage negotiator was in Damascus, Syria. Sunday as reports swirled out of Lebanon that some of the 14 French and American hostages held In Lebanon by Moslem extremists soon would be released. But an informed source, who insisted that he remain anony.