Room at the top
NFL picks
KU cornerback in third round of draft.
See page 11.
SINCE 1889
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
雷电
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 1986, VOL. 96, NO. 144 (USPS 650-640)
Stormy
Details page 3
Soviets evacuate cities near atomic plant
United Press International
See related stories p. 9, 10
MOSCOW — The Soviet Union sought help from the West yesterday in extinguishing a fire at a giant atomic power plant and acknowledged mass evacuations and two deaths in the disaster. One unconfirmed report from the area said the death toll might have surpassed 2,000.
A Soviet diplomat in Helsinki, Finland, said the accident at the sprawling Chernobyl nuclear power complex 80 miles north of the Ukrainian capital of Kiev was the worst of the world, but did not elaborate.
Reagan administration sources said U.S. intelligence agencies had concluded that a chemical explosion of some kind caused a reactor meltdown and that an adjacent facility housing another reactor was in danger.
"The roof was blown away, the walls were crumpled and it was clearly still on fire." one source said yesterday morning.
Allan Bromley, a nuclear physicist at Yale University, said that a reactor melted was highly unlikely and that details from the Soviet Union
Radiation from cloud poses little danger
By Russell Gray Staff writer
The nuclear reactor accident in the Soviet Union may have Soviet citizens concerned, but two KU professors say U.S. residents probably don't have anything to worry about.
The accident Monday in the Ukraine sent a radioactive cloud into the sky. Some U.S. officials are afraid the cloud will reach the West Coast after going over the North Polar region.
"I don't see a problem, yet, to anyone outside the Soviet Union," said Robert Bearse, professor of physics and astronomy. "They used to blow bombs off in the aftermath all the time, and we're still alive."
The cloud probably contains fission products, such as iodine and strontium. Bears said. The two
are common materials, but are radioactive in this case.
Iodine is attracted to the human thyroid gland, he said. Strontium is a substitute for calcium, and there is a reason that it could get into the food chain.
The dust likely will reach the United States, Bearse said. When Mount St. Helen erupted, it sent dust around the world, and a similar occurrence will happen with the reactor accident.
The cloud probably will pose no danger to the United States and will only be detectable in the air, said Russell Meleser, professor of chemical and petroleum engineering.
Mesier was the supervisor of KU's nuclear reactor, which was shut down in 1894.
"The people in Scandinavia aren't in any danger either," he
about the accident's cause were sketchy.
The measurements taken in Scandinavia, about 150 miles away from the reactor, showed the radiation in the air had increased by only about ten times, Bearse said. The radiation becomes dangerous when it increases thousands of times.
said.
The Soviets reported two fatalities as a result of the accident. Any fatalities or injuries produced in this area around the reactor, Meerl said.
The official Soviet news agency Tass said that two persons were kill-
The reactor was built before the Sovietts thought containment was necessary, he said. Containment limits the release of radioactive material by surrounding and containing the area around the reactor.
dured during the accident and that the inhabitants of the nuclear power station's settlement and three nearby populated localities had been
Wolf Creek, like other U.S. nuclear plants, is contained, he said.
It also is moderated and cooled by water, Mesler said. The Soviet plant was graphite-moderated, and the fire in the reactor is thought to have been a graphite fire.
Graphite slows down, or moderates, the neutron, he said. Without it, there would be no nuclear reaction.
Air probably reached the flammable graphite, which was probably hot enough to burn, he said. The high temperature from the nuclear fuel allowed the nuclear fuel to melt and be released into the atmosphere.
There is a plant in Washington state that is similar to the one in the Soviet Union. The plant was used to produce plutonium, Mesler said, whereas the Soviet's was for electricity.
the report of only two deaths. He said he understood that there was a lethal area at the site and that the Soviets had evacuated an 18-mile radius of the city.
Kenneth Adelman, head of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, dismissed as postoperative
evacuated.
plant.
A Kiev resident with close contacts to hospital and rescue officials said by telephone that 2,000 people died, more were hospitalized with radiation sickness and 10,000 to 15,000 were evacuated by bus and military aircraft from Pripaty, site of the Chernobyl power station
"Eighty people died immediately and some 2,000 people died on the way to hospitals," the Kiev resident said. "The whole October Hospital in Kiev is packed with people who suffer from radiation sickness.
"The people were not buried in ordinary cemeteries but in the village of Pirogov, where radioactive wastes are usually used," she said. "It is so horrible and sad. The whole city is covered with radioactive waste is being done to help the people."
Adelman, who has access to U.S. satellite reconnaissance, estimated that 2,000 people lived in the village built to serve the reactor complex and that they were at the principal point of danger. He said there was an apparent explosion at the plant and a fire that could burn for days.
Adelman also speculated there could be serious problems with con-
See NUCLEAR, p. 5, col. 1
Todd Cohen, Alta Vista sophomore, and Jim Jesse, Olathe junior, KU The student groups participated in a debate and forum last night in the Big Democrats, show their disapproval at a remark made by a College Republican. Eight Room of the Kansas Union.
Politicians debate defense policies
Staff writer
By Abbie Jones
College Republicans and KU Democrats traded snickers and sarcasm last night during a debate on domestic issues and President Reagan's international policy.
Frank Partnoy, Overland Park freshman and a member of the College Republicans, said it was necessary to pump money into Reagan's Star Wars strategy if it protected people from just one missile attack. The present U.S. policy could not stop a missile headed for Watson Library, he said.
"There is nothing we can do," he said. "All we can do is say 'I'm sorry' to all the people at KU and our friends."
But Jim Jesse, Olathe junior and a member of KU Democrats, said a defense system would cost $1.6 billion.
The debate in the Big Eight Room of the Kansas Union drew a crowd of about 20 students, some of whom sat and laughed and others who interjected their opinions.
The United States now has the technology to counter about 80 percent of incoming Soviet warheads, Partnoy said. By the early 1990s, the US had a fleet of around 450 warheads with forceful capacity aimed at U.S. cities.
"The money could be used in a lot better ways," Jesse said. "To spend it on something that isn't going to work is utterly ridiculous. It would have to be a percent effective to have any deterrent effect at all."
Jesse said in his argument that such buildup would escalate the arms race, endanger U.S. allies, and violate the SALT I accords and a 1966 space treaty.
The United States must go ahead with some type of research to defend the country and protect its people.
"The answer is arms reduction, arms negotiation, talking to the Soviet Union. You're leaving what we believe is the fate of the United States in the hand of a computer."
Partnoy said the cost of Star Wars would be
"Why don't we let the scientific community decide," he said. "Let's give them the money and the power."
The debate between Partny and Jesse was one of four between representatives of the student organizations. Earlier in the evening Todd Cohen, Alta Vista sophomore and Democrat, debated Robert Powell, Overland Park senior, on the role of the United States in education. Partny and Jesse argued that overcoming racial bias and Jesse ended the debate on the United State's role in Central America.
closer to $60 billion, but only a small portion of that should be used for scientific research.
Jesse said no money should be wasted simply to find out whether such a system would work, even if increased defense spending caused economic stress in the Soviet defense system.
"It doesn't make much sense to say let's spend our money we'll bankrupt Russia," Jesse said. "Reagan's thinking in the short term again. He's looking at the symptoms instead of the cure."
Earthquake shakes Mexico once again
United Press International
MEXICO CITY — A major earthquake that measured 7.0 on the Richter scale shook all of central Mexico early today, sending panicky residents of the capital into the streets. The temblor apparently caused only minor damage and no inturies.
The quake struck at 1:07 a.m. and lasted for well over a minute, but by 2 a.m. in the capital radio stations back to bed — everything is calm."
Geophysicist John Minch at the National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo., placed the preliminary magnitude of the quake at 7.0 on the open-ended Richter Scale. An earthquake with that magnitude may be considered an "major" capable of causing widespread damage and casualties.
"It's (the epicenter) near the southern coast of Mexico, about 250
miles southwest of Mexico City near the town of Lazaro Cardenas," said Minch, who pointed out that the epicenter was in the same general area as the quake that devastated 40 cities of Mexico City last September.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from the epicenter.
"Mexico City is built on lake sediments which means that it shook sort of like a bowl of jelly." Michal said in explaining why damage in Mexico City would probably be minor.
Mexico City with its soft subsoil was rocked last Sept. 19 by a so-called "great quake" with a Richter reading of 8.1. The city felt today's quake strongly. High buildings and hotels swayed, plaster fell from the walls and thousands of residents, whose memory of the last quake and its hundreds of aftershocks was still fresh, fled into the streets.
Increase in sales tax mav curb budget cuts
Staff writer
By Mark Siebert
Two Lawrence legislators and two KU officials agreed yesterday that a last-minute sales tax increase approved by the Kansas Legislature might put KU and other schools of Regent schools from severe budget cuts.
Robert Cobb, executive vice chancellor, said he thought the 1986 session was constructive because the university helped finance higher education.
"I think that this year the universities came perilously close to getting no increase at all," Cobb said. "I think many people felt that we came perilously close to getting a substantial cut."
KU classified and unclassified employees did not receive the salary or benefit increases they had requested, but legislators and University officials agreed the session still was a success.
Cobb, Del Brinkman, dean of journalism and recently appointed vice chancellor for academic affairs; State Rep. John Solbach, D-Lawrence; and State Sen. Wint Winter Jr., R-Lawrence, were members of a panel discussion broadcast live over JKHK-FM.
The four-member panel discussed a "Crash course — KU's Financial Future" for about an hour in the Jawkah room of the Kansas Union.
Because the state was faced with a $200 million budget cut without the sales tax increase, Winter said, he thinks the Legislature passed a big test when it finally increased the sales tax.
Allowing Washburn into the Regents system also was discussed.
Unique housing finds home with KU students
Bv. Juli Warren
Staff writer
When Brad Mazon's friends shop downtown, they may drop by to visit. After all, it's only a flight of stairs away
"The apartment is really conducive for socializing," Mazon, Overland Park park, said.
Many students see off-campus housing as a choice between a house and an apartment complex. But some find unfamiliar places to their place.
Mazon and his two roommates live in an apartment above Massachusetts Street Delicatessen, m.t. Massachusetts St.
At the top of the stairs, visitors find a light, airy room lit by a skylight, with doors opening to other rooms.
Graphic posters decorate the white
walls, and the main furnishing is a white coffee table in the center.
"It's great when they have parades," Mazon said, pointing to the view of Massachusetts Street. "Except when they wake you up."
The aroma of baking bread floats in the from deli's ventilation system, and music often can be heard from the kitchen. Lawrence, 1928 $ Massachusetts St.
The smells don't tempt the three to run up their tab at the deli, Mazon said, because he and his roommates like to cook.
And the sights aren't the only advantage.
A narrow hallway in the back of the apartment leads to a redwood deck with a picnic table among the rooftops and ventilation units.
Some of the doors visible from the
deck lead to other apartments.
One neighbor lets them borrow the picnic table, he said, and another lets them use his barbecue grill.
"There's kind of a little community, even though we're not close," Mazon said. "It's kind of fun."
One downtown landlord said she had no trouble keeping her eight apartments full.
The florist next door gives them four hours to arrive. More said.
"I have calls several times a week for apartments," said Ruby Malot, landlord of the apartments above Malott's Hardware Store, 736 Massachusetts St. "You got one lady that's been here 25 years."
Another downtown landlord, Jim Connelly, estimated that there were at least 30 apartments in store buildings downstairs. Connelly owns
apartments above Silver Works, 715 Massachusetts St.
Some of the drawing points, Connelly said, are the proximity for people who work downtown and the continuing activity.
"It just seems like there's a lot more happening," he said.
His roommates hear the sounds of the street from their bedrooms in front, but they can sleep through it, he said.
With the activity comes noise, Mazon said, but the three cope with it.
The deli only gets noisy between 9 and 10 p.m., Mazon said, when workers are cleaning up with the help of loud music.
Parts of living downtown are humorous,he said,and others unfortunate.
"Parking is the worst thing," Mazon said.
And one unpleasant thing for his roommate to come home to, he said, is the frequent ticket under his windshield wiper.
Another time, Mazon said, they saw a homeless woman crawling down past their window after apparently spending the night on their
"She said, 'Is this an art museum?' " Mazon remembered. "She was so embarrassed."
Once, Mazon inadvertently left the front door open and a teen-aged girl came upstairs.
Maxon drives a moped, he said, his roommate has spent a lot of money on parking tickets. The apartmant has no reserved parking spaces.
"If you followed the progression of people that lived here, probably the people all knew someone else who had said he. 'Is it kind of like a family.'
For someone else to rent his downtown apartment is not easy, he said, because it usually passes from friend to friend.
Another set of roommates also heard from a friend about their unusual apartment.
The stone building, 1001 Kentucky St., was once a church, and the four mailboxes are labeled Matthew, John and John as well as numbered.
"It's kind of fun, the looks and stares you get," said Jennifer Newman, Leawood junior.
1
See DOWNTOWN, p. 5, col. 3