Honolulu Star-Bulletin from Honolulu, Hawaii • 1

INSIDE HAWAII I Long-time friends and amateur astronomers hang out at the summit of Mauna Kea. A-8 1 I i PEOPLE I Esther Kakalia Westmoreland's memory of an eclipse more than 65 years remains vivid In her mind. A-8 I Photographer Mark Shuler found lava rocks got in his way as he rehearsed for the big event. A-9 The moon gave a stellar performance but for some it was better on television Stor-Buiietm staff For some, the eclipse was elating. For others it was On the Big Island, considered the top viewing site for the total solar experience, the thousands who had spent a lot of money to see the blotout found their views partially blocked by high clouds.

"Too bad it didn't live up to the logo," said Carwil James, 15, of Cleveland, pointing to the Bishop Museum logo on his T-shirt "But 1 saw it on TV." Meanwhile, about 140 miles away on Oahu, which experienced only a partial eclipse, good weather conditions this morning made the isle one of the best sites to view the event "This is a real happening," said John Howard, 46, of Los Angeles, watching at the Bishop Museum. Clad in a tie-dyed eclipse T-shirt, Howard said, "If this was the '60s, everyone would be running around naked." Two thousand pairs of eyes at the Waikoloa Stables turned hopefully, even pleadingly toward the sun at totality this morning, but the clouds obstinately refused to part. From the "best viewing area" around Waikoloa to "the second best viewing area" in the Kau district on the other side of the island, the story was the same: some fine views of the partial -eclipse, but no view of totality. In Waikoloa, which many had considered to be a prime viewing -site, Kona resident Terry Tatsuga-wa turned out to be a prophet. "We were saying, 'Everyone's" coming to the island and it will probably be raining that he said.

Tatsugawa got dumped on by a heavy shower as he set up his observation spot on Queen Kaahu- manu Highway near Keahole Air-" port this morning. It was no big thing, though. He and the three others with him moved a few miles down the highway and found a dry, if cloudy, spot in the pre-dawn darkness. With him was his cousin Roy Ota from Honolulu. "This is supposed to be a once in a lifetime event," Ota said.

"But it's going to be rained out." Hilo had it even worse, with heavy clouds preventing even glimpses of the partial portion of the eclipse, said Civil Defense deputy Bruce Butts. Back in Waikoloa, Bishop Museum Planetarium head Ken Miller tried to raise spirits as soon as the clock showed the invisible totality had ended. Addressing the crowd over a loudspeaker like a cheerleader, he asked, "When's the next one?" But an obviously disappointed woman called back from the crowd, "When's breakfast?" Even the four chickens staked out under a tree, assigned to crow a second time in the morning following totality, seemed befuddled by the whole thing. They stood looking over their shoulders during the darkness of totality but didn't see anything to crow about as sunlight gradually increased through the clouds following it See STELLAR, Page A-9 SCIENCE Scientist sees his vision of Mauna Kea as an observatory hot spot become i reality. A-8 OAIIU Thousands of Oahu viewers ooh and ahh through a sometimes cloudy show.

A-9 The marriage of the sun and the moon during the total eclipse as seen from the summit of Mauna Kea at nearly 14,000 feet at 6:31 this morning. it, Star-Bulletin Mo; INDEX WEATHER Ammo clepoi blast roods Volume 80, Number 192 64 pages, 4 sections Astrology B-8 DearAbby B-2 Scoreboard D-2 Business C-l Donnelly B-8 Sports D-l. Classified D-7 Editorials A-18 Stocks C-2 A-17 Television B-2 B-8 Letters Comics B-1 7 jArea A enlarged Kuwait KuwaitT" City Explosion St U.S. JjELf bssa Crossword B-8 Obituaries D-6 Today shrapnel shooting in the air and a lot of smoke," said Sgt. Rodney Lewis, 29, of Peoria, 111.

"It was blowing out shrapnel, so we had to pull back and then boom it went off," said Spc. Mark Alexander, 23, of Norwich, who was hospitalized for smoke inhalation. The explosion tore the roof off the British headquarters and started a fire in the U.S. Army's 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment's ammunition holding area. The U.S.

camp houses about 3,700 soldiers from the 11th Armored Cavalry. They arrived in mid-June to replace the 3rd Armored Division, the last troops that saw combat. About 200 British troops are also at the base. 12 miles away, a U.S. spokesman said.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately known. But military officials discounted the possibility of sabotage, saying the initial fire was caused by an electric short circuit in a truck that hauls ammunition. Surgeons at Al-Sabah Hospital, where 34 of the injured were treated, said one soldier was not expected to live. Three others had serious abdominal injuries. The United States shares the base with British troops.

In London, a Ministry of Defense spokesman said six British sol' diers suffered minor injuries and were not hospitalized. "The sound was deafening and it shook all the buildings. You could see the Forty-nine troops are hurt in the explosion outside Kuwait City Associated Press KUWAIT CITY An explosion and fire tore through the ammunition depot at the main American air base outside Kuwait City today, injuring at least 49 British and U.S. soldiers, U.S. military officials said.

The explosion at Blackhorse Camp in Doha shot shrapnel and huge flames, igniting some buildings on the base and rattling windows in downtown Kuwait, WeStflGr: A few showers today, high in the mid-80s. A few showers tonight, low in the lower 70s. A few morning showers tomorrow, mostly sunny, high in the mid-80s. Tradewinds 10-20 mph. Details, Page A-2.

TcrT.CrrCW: Continuing coverage of the solar eclipse. To suSscrlisg: con 533-news Fifty percent of this newspaper printed on recycled stock. Copyright 1991. Gannett Pacific Corp. All rights reserved.

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