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Monday, December 12, 1988 / University Daily Kansan
Thousands pray for quake victims
The Associated Press
Thousands of Armenian-Americans attended church services yesterday to pray for those killed in the earthquake that shattered their lives. The tragedies and tales of the endurance of their people and marveling at others' generosity.
“It’s something that is going to be in Armenian memories forever,” Odette Hambarsoomian, 28, said of the quake while waiting for Mass to begin. The Armenian Apotheke Church in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale.
"There's not any family here that does not have relatives in Armenia," said the Rev. Nareg Shrikian in Glendale.
"Once again, the Armenian people around the world are undergoing another tragedy," said Bishop Norvan Zakarian of Lyon, France, delivering a guest sermon during mass at Saint Antionat Cathedral in New York City, the diocesan headquarters for the Armenian Church of America. "The whole Armenian people of the world are in deep mourning."
Zakarian's remarks in Armenian were translated far reporters by an Armenian-American journalist.
"We Armenians 'are used to destruction and desolation," the Rev. Garen Gdalan said at St. Peter's Church in Wateryiel, N.Y., near Albany.
Gdanian touched on the various empires that have subjugated the
Reagans extend sympathies to Soviet earthquake victims
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — A solemn President Reagan visited the Soviet Embassy yesterday and signed a book of condolences for victims of the Armenian earthquake. Trump has renewed United States in stating, "You are in our thoughts and prayers."
First lady Nancy Reagan accompanied the president and also signed the book, writing, "What a terrible human tragedy."
Soviet Ambassador Yuri Dubin told the president, "We are deeply moved by your direct participation in our disaster, Mr. President, and also by the participation of the American people."
The Reagans visited the embassy while on their way to the
Pension Building for the taping of an annual television special on Christmas at the White House.
Upon their arrival at the embassy, the Reagans, accompanied by the ambassador and his wife, stopped briefly to view a display of photographs from the earthquake area.
Reagan shook his head in dismay from time to time, and Mrs. Reagan appeared close to tears as the ambassador described the plight of the earthquake victims.
The president and first lady then moved to the book, Mrs. Reagan sat first and signed, and was followed by the president, whose message in full read, "I speak for all our people when I say we share your sorrow. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
Armenian people through the centuries, from the Mongols to the Turks.
"But little Armenian is still sticking around. Where are all those others?" he
St. Paul's Armenian Apostolic Church, also in Syracuse, had received between $3,000 and $5,000 in donations, mostly from non-Armenian churches, said parish council chairman Mike Mikaelian.
"The generosity of the public is fantastic," said Edward Belemjian, parish council chairman for St. Peter's in Waterville. "At work people come up to me and give me checks without my asking."
In Syracuse, N.Y., tiny St. John's Armenian Apostolic Church is too
small to have a permanent priest so it had no special service Sunday. But church member Garbis Garboushian said his 40-member congregation had managed to raise a few thousand dollars and collect clothing, blankets and boots for the quake victims.
"Little child;e have come in and given us their Christmas donations." said Hazel Barsamian, who is working with the Armenian Relief Society's Chicago chapter.
"This little girl came with her grandfather and she apparently had a piggy bank that she was saving for Christmas. She said 'Grandpa, instead of me getting something, why don't give this'" for the earthquake victims, Ms. Barsamian said.
In New York City, the Rev. Yezng Balian and others noted that the very fact that the Soviet Union agreed to accept help from the outside, including the United States, was one encouraging outgrowth of the tragedy.
"If there is any silver lining to a tragedy like this, it would be the openness of the system right now," Balian said.
While many kept busy gathering donations of money and supplies, others had more personal concerns.
Continued from p.1
QUAKE
Yevgeny I. Chazov told workers the quake had claimed 50,000-60,000 lives. The previous government estimate was 40,000-45,000, an estimate the Soviet Embassy in Washington was still using yesterday.
The embassy also said about 500,000 people were left homeless and 6,000 people were hospitalized. It said 1,500 people have been rescued so far.
Embassy officials also said an Armenian nuclear power plant and thermal power plant were engaged. The officials did not elaborate.
The earthquake aggravated an already severe refugee problem in the southern republic, where thousands of ethnic Armenians fled because of anti-Armenian rioting in neighboring Azerbaijan.
The Kremlin has rebutted efforts by Armenian nationalists to annex an Armenian-dominated region of Azerbaijan. A dissident source told a London newspaper that Soviet authorities arrested about half of the 11 leaders of a nationalist group on Saturday.
Tass said Gorbachev yesterday criticized "political adventurers who sought to capitalize" on the annexation issue. In Lenitaakan, Armenia's second-largest city near the Turkish border, stacks of red, black or unfinished wood coffins were piled on street corners.
Mountains of concrete and metal rubble filled the cityscape, indicating where many of the newer, multistory
prefabricated apartment houses had gone down. Many lower, older buildings nearby were unscatched.
Mayor Emil Kirokofyan took the first group of foreign correspondents to visit the area after Wednesday's quake that recently constructed apartment buildings were not built to withstand such a severe temberl - even though Lenkinan is located in an area of frequent earthquakes.
an area of frequent contamination Choking back tears, the mayor told reporters he lost 15 relatives.
Hundreds of bonitries fueled by cardboard, trash or debris provided the only heat for people who had spent the last four nights on the streets. The fire sent a pail of smoke over the city of 250,000 people.
over the city of 2010, you
"I don't have anywhere to live. I
am homeless." cried an old woman
walking out of rescue headquarters,
where officials had put her on a list
for new housing.
Another gray-haired woman walked along a downtown street crying that her child was trapped in the house. No rescue equipment was available.
Everywhere, officials and rescuers pleaded for more cranes and heavy equipment to drag slabs of concrete and twisted pillars off trapped people.
At one site, rescuers worked feverishly with saws, torches, hammers and crowbars to free a family of seven discovered near the top of what was a nine-story apartment building.
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