The Pittsburgh Press du lieu suivant : Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 3

The Pittsburgh Press A3 Saturday. April 2. 1988 j. Evidence backs comet theory Robots succeed in finding gulf mines '4 PASADENA, Calif. (AP) Two years after an Iowa physicist nearly mined his reputation by suggesting that 10 million small, speedy comets hit Earth's atmosphere annually, a NASA scientist has found evidence supporting Louis Frank's theory.

"I'm happy, but it's been a long two years," Frank said yesterday, adding that he was met with "total disbelief" and "lost a lot of friends" after proposing that billions of water-bearing comets could have provided enough water to fill the seas during Earth's early history. Other scientists said they remained skeptical of the new evidence, which came from telescope observations by Clayne Yeates, a physicist at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Jet Propulsion Laboratory here. Frank proposed the theory after ultraviolet photographs of Earth taken by NASA's Dynamics Explorer 1 spacecraft between 1S81 and 1986 revealed countless dark spots that appeared to be tiny holes in Earth's atmosphere. He theorized that about 10 million comets, essentially 30-foot-diameter fluffy snowballs with a dark coating, plunge into the atmosphere each year, forming holes, then breaking up and vaporizing. Yeates said his observations on the 36-inch Spacewatch Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona make him believe that at least a million such comets hit the atmosphere annually at a speed of 22,000 mph.

,4 A At 1 in mi. mm i ii in milium i mmumi jl mm OPEN SUNDAYS I uwways accepted Associated Press MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) The Navy says it has succeeded in using underwater robots to locate mines in the Persian Gulf for the first time since mine-sweeping operations began last year. A spokesman for the Florida-based U.S. Central Command said the Navy found two mines in the so-called Farsi channel of the northern gulf, where the U.S. mine-sweeping operations have been concentrated.

The spokesman asked not to be identified. On Monday, the mine sweeper Fearless used its new "Super Sea Rover," as the submersible is known, to locate a mine tethered to a seabed anchor in 90 feet of water, he said. On Wednesday, the Fearless' submersible robot found another mine, this time by following an anchor and cable to the explosive, the spokesman said yesterday. Both mines, covered with a layer of marine growth indicating they had been in the water a long time, were detonated by Navy divers. The Navy also said yesterday that it has found and destroyed 41 mines in the gulf since its sweeping operations began.

The updated figure doubles the number of mines previously reported to have been destroyed by the Americans. In November, after the Navy's Korean War-vintage ocean mine sweepers went into action and quickly found 15 mines in the northern gulf, commanders reported the mine threat was "under control." When asked yesterday about the current situation, the Navy spokesman said "our mine countermeasure force is well-suited for the requirements at hand." U.S. officers have refused to say whether they have found evidence of any recent mine-laying activity by Iran, which is believed to have planted the explosives. $170,000 bail set in assault WILLIAMSPORT (AP) Bail has been set at $170,000 for a man who police say carved crosses and foot-long cuts into his girlfriend's back and buttocks with a knife, then left her bleeding. Randall L.

Probst 34, was arraigned Thursday on an attempted homicide charge and two counts of aggravated assault before District Justice Allen P. Page III. Probst is accused of cutting Nicole Diemer, 25, and leaving her on the floor for what may have been as long as 16 hours last Sunday, according to an affidavit. Attorney General Edwin Meese III said yesterday at Justice Department that he won't quit. Independent counsel may criticize Meese AIDS cases in state up 100 in past month HARRISBURG (AP) The num-ber of AIDS cases continued to grow in Pennsylvania in the last month, with an increase of nearly 100 confirmed diagnoses and 44 more deaths reported by the state Health Department.

As of March 30, 1,558 cases of AIDS had been documented since January 1981, up from 1,462 in February. The department also reported 914 deaths linked to the disease, according to statistics released yesterday. The update shows 89 percent of the cases involved either homosexual or bisexual men or drug users who share needles. Since 1981, there have been 47 cases contracted through blood transfusions, 43 people who were infected through heterosexual contact and 40 victims who are hemophiliacs. Since the reporting program began, 22 cases have been reported in children 12 years old or younger.

No new pediatric cases were reported during the last month. Philadelphia and Allegheny counties continue to report the most cases. Philadelphia has 841 confirmed cases, while Allegheny County reported 154 cases. 1 killed, 12 hurt in LA shootings LOS ANGELES (AP) Police combed a neighborhood today for a carload of gang members who fired on pedestrians as they drove by, killing one and wounding 12 others, including a 4-year-old boy, authorities said. The gunmen indiscriminately shot at people standing on a sidewalk last night in a gang-ridden area of south Los Angeles, said Deputy Police Chief William Rathburn.

Sealed Cargo bates in disposal Air Freighted on Pan Am Clipper Cargo Airway bill 220-5095447 US Customs Ex-Bond-Airfreight Warehouse Now Transferred with other bales for Liquidation Proceedings. DF. I ATF APCIVftl. UNPAID DOCUMENTS Cargo Description: Extremely High Value Hand made: CARPETS: PERSIAN AND ASIAN, TURKISH, AFGANISTAN, ETC Certified as Qom Silk, Tabriz, Keshan Keysary, Milos, Bokhara, Shiraz, Kilim, Large Silk Tobris, Palace Carpet Silk Keysary, Turkoman, Many 1 00's more. In occordonce with USA Gov't, low each carpet will be labeled with country of origin, content, and certified genuine handmade.

All import duties taxes and freight poid. No liens encumbrances or outstanding charges. No delivery, goods released only for immediate disposal, payment removal. AT IMMEDIATE PUBLIC AUCTION evidence McKay had gathered during the 11-month probe and point out what the investigation had not been able to learn, the source said. Meese, meanwhile, hailed the prosecutor's announcement, saying he was "gratified by the action and the statement," adding that he had no plans to resign despite pressure from Congress following the departure this week of two top Justice Department officials.

"It is certainly my intent to carry on my duties as long as the president wants me to," Meese told reporters. A U.S. News World Report poll released yesterday said 55 percent of those questioned said Meese should resign, while 21 percent said he should stay in office. Those identifying themselves as conservatives or Republicans also favored Meese's resignation by wide margins, the magazine said. The nationwide telephone poll of 1,004 adults, conducted by The Roper Organization on Wednesday and Thursday, has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

WASHINGTON (AP) Independent counsel James C. McKay has not found sufficient evidence to indict Attorney General Edwin Meese III but could issue a sharply critical report about Meese's conduct, according to a source familiar with the case. McKay announced yesterday that he would not seek indictments of Meese in connection with the attorney general's efforts to help promoters of a proposed Middle East oil pipeline or his investments in telephone company stock "based on the evidence developed to date." If a final decision is made not to bring charges in a month or so, McKay said he will issue a report "covering all the matters which have been under investigation." McKay's staff is debating whether the report would state that he had probable cause to bring charges but dropped the case because it did not meet the Justice Department standard for probability of conviction, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Any report would detail what For Public Auction convenience, Transfer and from USA Custom Bonded Warehouse to: HARLEY HOTEL (PITTSBURGH) 699RodlRd.lxitlS,Rt376 Sun Apr. 3, 2:00 pm view 1 pm l.nnf: kiwu or vaia, tub, Persian Rug Gang rapes girl, 13, then steals $1 from her Corrections Amplifications An Associated Press story that ran in March 25 editions of The Pittsburgh Press carried an incorrect report on the cause of death of Robert Joffrey, director of the Jof-frey Ballet Company.

Pennie Curry, a spokeswoman for the company, initially said that Joffrey suffered from a liver ailment caused by medication he was taking for asthma and a muscle condition. However, Terrie LoCicero, a for New York University Hospital, where Joffrey died, has since said that Joffrey "died of liver, kidney and respiratory failure, period. Asthma medication had nothing to do with it." The hospital rarely makes such an announcement on the cause of a patient's death, she said, but did so in this case because the erroneous link between asthma medication and Jeffrey's death "frightened a lot of people." (If you have a correction or amplification, you may contact the reader representative at 263-1901.) youths drove by. The strangers threw concrete blocks at her and her two companions, who ran in different directions, she said. The four youths threatened her with an ax handle and force her into the car.

She said she was driven to a remote area, raped by all four, robbed of her dollar bill, then dropped off back in town, where she telephoned police. William Wright, 22, and Marc Banks, 19, were arrested Thursday night for investigation of kidnapping, sexual assault, sexual assault of a victim under the age of 14, robbery and possession of stolen property. Italy shooting kills 3 NAPLES, Italy (AP) Masked gunmen opened fire yesterday in a suburban Naples restaurant, killing three and wounding two. RENO, Nev. (AP) Four youths linked to a Los Angeles youth gang were defiant and almost boastful as they admitted raping a 13-year-old girl and stealing a dollar from her, police said.

The gang members also were accused of robbing a 17-year-old of his watch and wallet Thursday night, then looking for a girl to rape, Assistant Police Chief Richard Kirk-land said yesterday. "Last evening they said the sole purpose of them getting together was simply to commit a sexual assault," said Lt. Ron Glensor, who interviewed three of the four youths arrested. Police said the youths were defiant and almost boastful. The youths stole a car Tuesday, decorated it with graffiti, then plotted the crimes, Kirkland said.

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