The Leaf-Chronicle from Clarksville, Tennessee • 1

Z-JHO WARMER JJ" 11. mmmmm ntm-m 1 ipWaW grswwww COPYRIGHT 1977 LEAF CHRONICLE CO. 1 Tennessee's Oldest Newspaper-Established In 1808 nr 28 PAGES newspaper 90 CENTS A WEEK 15 CENTS SINGLE COPY Clarksville's low tonight should be in the mid-20s, with a high Thursday in the law 40s, accompanledby- Grain Blast partlycloudy skies; Details, Map, Page 26 Kills Eight A Insids yaMSMssMasaaaisMwiMqiiwwwM ityWlWfjl Deaths. 4 Editorial ..6" Comics 14 TV Movie 15 22-25 2fr-27 ByROBWOOD Associated Press Writer GALVESTON, Texas (AP) -Rescuers dug through the rubble of a grain elevator today seeking survivors of a thunderous explosion that ripped through the structure, killing at least eight people and injuring 23. A man and a woman were pulled from beneath the twisted steel and hunks of concrete shortly-after midnight, but police said eight more people' were believed ''missing.

Choking con-' AP Laserphotos I sr, 1 "rmurn in i iiaiM- 'ti -in i -wiwrtnriwii wiiwit win'io tut7 RESCUED-Rescae workers pull a buried by rubble after an explosion rip-woman onto a backboard Wednesday ped through a grain elevator at morning after pulling her from Galveston, Tex. wreckage and grain. She had been Galveston, grain elevator. Seven people lost their lives and another 23 were injured. crete dust and smoke hampered search efforts, overcoming at least 15 rescue workers.

"There may be others in there and our search goes tin," said Galveston Police Lt. D. K. Lack. Two victims died at John Sealy Hospital, and there were six in the Galveston County morgue, Tony Salano of the medical examiner's office said.

Authorities declined to speculate on what caused the blast, the second explosion at an American grain elevator in five days. An explosion hit an elevator complex in New Orleans on Thursday, killing 34 people, and searchers are still combing the rubble for a missing man. The cause of that explosion has not been determined. Authorities said the blast here ap-, parently occurred in a tunnel that connected the elevator to a loading dock. Two ships were unloading grain at the time but were towed away by the U.S.

Coast Guard. Grain elevators such as the one at Gllveston contain highly volatile grain dust that can ignite and explode from even the smallest spark. State and local police, fearing other blasts might be triggered by a still-smoldering fire, closedoff the north end of Galveston Island. "It's still a dangerous situation," Fire Chief Hugh O'Donohoesaid. Officers had reported earlier that 10 bodies had been recovered but later said several had been counted twice.

The facility includes 40 silos and has a capacity of 3.5 million bushels of grata. interstate Spreads GRAIN ELEVATOR RUBBLE- Concrete and steel in twisted wreckage after an explosion ripped through a Farm 6y The Associated Press 4 After a slow start, the agriculture strike movement spread across Tennessee in the past 10 days with the aid of strike leaders from Kentucky and West Tennessee. And, in their demands for full-parity, some strike leaders are now talking about asking for the support of farm-related merchants. "What we plan on doing is going around trying to gain more support through the merchants," said Bob Gib son, a Dyer county affrier who has helped organize strike movement in Death For Market The death penalty will be sought against Maxwell Douglas Wheeler, charged with first-degree murder in the shooting of a 19-year-old Clarksville woman Friday. V-Assistant Attorney General Wade Bobo said today he has "every intention" of asking for the death penalty in the case.

Mark Rassas, Wheeler's attorney, said in court this morning during arraignment that five eyewitnesses failed to pick out Wheeler from a line-up et the Criminal Justice Complex Tuesday. A One of the eyewitnesses identified another person who happened to be in ihe line-up because he was in ail as the murderer Rassas added. said that he would prefer not to "comment on Rassas report in court to Penalty By New Year? JAa Suspect Sadat Won't Agree To Security Page 2 People Still Marry, But It's Different Page 18 Govs face Dandy Dons Page 22 Arabian Bid On Lance Stock Strictly Business Page 12 Completion missioner, said, "If it doesn't rain or daytime temperatures don't fall below freezing, we hope to have traffic on the road before the New Year's holiday." The paving of shoulders and concrete work on medians still to be done cannot be completed when the surface is wet or when temperatures are below 35 degrees. National Weather Service forecasters this morning were predicting a gradual warming trend for the midstate area, with no significant possibilities of rain. "Because the governor wants us to get holiday traffic on the interstate," Shaw said, "the department has decided against holding any ribbon-cutting ceremony.

As soon as the contractor finishes his work, we'll have crews out up signs and removing barricades." Remaining work, including installation of guardrails, will be com-' pleted while traffic is on the road. This section if 1-24 is the last com-, pleted section in the state, and Is the last "'city-to-city Interstate finished in Tennessee, according to Allen. There will be exits on the new section at Tenn. 49, New Hope Road, U. S.

431; and Old Hickory Boulevard. The section between Clarksville and Pleasant View was opened In Sep, tember 1975. When construction bids were solicited in June 1972, estimated completion in late 1974 or, early 1975 of the entire 44-mile stretch between Clarksville and The cost of the (Section between Pleasant View and Nashville was $31.3 million. i Un $228,266 Collected 83 there ybe State 100 percent i About two weeks ago Dyer County farmers were the first in the state to open a strike office after strike leaders from Mayfield, helped organize them. 7" Since then, the Dyer County farmers have helped organize offices in the neighboring West Tennessee counties of Crockett, Hardeman and McNairy and Franklin and Knox counties in East Tennessee.

Strike leaders at Crossville and Winchester, both Middle- Tennessee-farnv ing communities, were unavailable for comment Tuesday. Henry County fanners Joined the strike effort in full force Tuesday, opening a five-room office at Paris. Gibson plans to be in Union City Wednesday to help farmers there establish similar offices and a strike meeting has been set for Thursday night in Margin. "I will be in Brownsville on Thursday to open an office in Brownsville, Gibson said. "We have a (strike) meeting set up on the 17th of next month for-1 Shelby County to organize them." Last Friday striking Dyer County farmers rolled about 200 tractors and other farm vehicles into Dyersburg.

Stores emptied of Christmas shoppers and traffic halted as the parade lumbered past. A EXITS-Thli map thowi the exiU araDable to motorbta using the kmo-Uh be opened section of InUriUU 24 bet- Exit Strike several West Tennessee counties. "We are going around and talk to all the merchants in town and all farm-oriented businesses and grocery stores to try to gain their support." Gibson said the striking farmers are determined to keep their crops out of the market until they are guaranteed a fair price for their products. "Until we get something worked out with the secretary of agriculture, that's how long it will last," Gibson said. There are no definite figures on the number of farmers participating in the- strike statewide, but strike leaders say Will Be day because of continuing investigation.

Bobo did not attend the line-up, he Said. xs ft Wheeler, 21, of 314 Main was charged Monday night with the slaying of Patricia Crawford Johnson at the SDI Market on Greenwood Avenue Friday night Witnesses said a man leaned into the truck in which she was sitting and shot her once while taking her purse before runningaway. Both the purse, with more than $200 in it, and a revolver were later found on Woodmont Boulevard. Officials said today an analysis of fingerprints sent to a state laboratory have not returned. Authorities have reported that the Tuesday.

"Still, you have to look at it as a real problem for the U.S. and for Tennessee in particular." Hutcheson told a reporter the figures show a 10 percent overall in-' crease since 1975, and 1977 figures appear to be running about even with 1976. He said the 1976 figures are the' most, recent comparative data. Hutcheson said the number of reported cases of gonorrhea in the 15-137ear-old group was 277.4 per-: sons per 100,000 population in the state. "It would certainly make you will ask Insurance Commissioner Millard Oakley at public hearing Thursday to approve a 10 percent rate hike.

kr. Such an increase would generate an additional $2.3 million a year for State Farm, which Insures about 121,000 homes in Tennessee, according to Ken Murder In the number is growing each day. State Agriculture Commissioner Ed Porter said Tuesday his office was trying to keep its "ears open and listen to the pulse of the farmers," but he said he had no idea how big the strike is. "It seems to be spread out over the state but the intensity seems, to be a little greater in the western part," Porter said in a telephone interview from his Nashville office. "The participation is about as I had it would be scattered." "I support theoncept of the aimers' strike and I also support the concept of Asked gun used in the murder has been traced to a Guthrie, Ky.

pawn shop that was robbed Thursday night. Arraigned in General Sessions Court this morning on a charge of receiving and concealing four of the 12 guns taken in the robbery were Clifford Elliott, 23, and Richard Elliott, 20, both of 1403 Daniel and Jeffrey Glenn Stewart, 22, of 4960 Edmondson Pike, Nashville. All were placed on $10,000 bond this morning. v- Bond was not set for Wheeler, who remains in custody. A preliminary hearing for Wheeler has been set Jan.

18. Authorities said two persons-William Ogburn, 24, and Harold Collins, 25; both of Dumas Drive were being held for investigation in the case, but have not been charged. 1 think this indicates this group is sex-ually active," Hutcheson said. He said the only known way to transmit gonorrhea is through sexual activi- 1 ty. Hutcheson said' overall figures show 840.9 gonorrhea cases reported per 100,000 population in Tennessee for 1976.

Alaska reported 1216.2 cases per Georgia 942.8. He said more men than women are treated for gonorrhea in Tennessee but this could be because women can have the disease but show no j. notice the symptoms sooner and want medical help because of pain, HuWfceson said. Hike Asked Kern, Insurance department Information of fleer. In September State Farm was denied a 14.6 percent increase for homeowners insurance, which would have meant $3.5 million more a year for the company.

Tennessee Teens Led Nation In Gonorrhea Cases In 76 A three-year wait for completion of interstate 24 between Clarksville and Nashville is expected to end this week, state of ficials have announced. Paul Allen, information director for the state Department of Transportation, said the final 20-mile stretch between Pleasant View and Nashville should open by the end of this week. Eddie Shaw, department com- ween Pleaiaat View and Nashville. The nap was provided by the state Depart ment of Transportation, i I If NASHVUXE, Tenn. (AP) Ten- nessee teen-agers led the nation last year in per capital reports of gonorrhea cases, according to state Department of Public Health statistics.

For all ages; Tennessee's rate of reported cases of the most common veneral disease was third in the nation for 1976, behind Alaska 'and Georgia. "'y'fl'' "The reason for the high figures Is we have a lot of gonorrhea, but also because of better reporting of the disease," Dr. Robert Hutcheson, the chief the health department's communlcaDie disease Becuon, wiu 11 Homeowner Insurance it NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Many Tennesseans will pay more for homeowners Insurance next year if the state's largest underwriters of such policies get approval of proposed rate hikes. State Farm, the largest underwriter of homeowners policies in Tennessee, i i il 4 i..