DELAYED
REACTION
See Editorial Page
4F43U1
41P
GUESS
Hi-ic
See Today for details
Vol. LXXXVIII, No. 97 Ann Arbor, Michigan-Friday, January 27, 1978 Ten Cents 10 Pages
Rampaging blizzard rakes state,
Nat'l
Wicked
blizzard
bites East,
Midwest
ByAP and UPI
A devastating winter storm swept
over the eastern two-thirds of the
United States yesterday, crippling the
Midwest with drifting snow and
touching off floods in the East.
At least 12 persond died in weather-
related incidents east of the Mississippi
River. The National weather Service
said the massive storm front was one of
the most intense on record, and warned
stranded motorists to stay in their cars.
"BING LOST IN open country during
blizzard is almost certain death," a
weather service official said.
Traffic was paralyzed from Min-
nesota to western Pennsylvania, and
hundreds of schools and businesses
were closed.
Also, a tornado touched down at
Quantico, Va., killing a 3-year-old boy
at a trailer court and destroying
several duplexes at the Quantico
Marine Base.
MEANWHILE, flooding was re-
ported in the Northeast as heavy
rains combined with warmer tem-
peratures to melt what was left of
last week's heavy snow storm,
swelling creeks and flowing over
roads.
Extremely high winds were com-
mon. Gusts up to 80 mph forced the
closing of the Tappan Zee Bridge--a
major link with the New York
Thruway and New England north of
New York City.
A record low pressure system
whipped in from the Gulf of Mexico
and tore across the Southeast with
hurricane-force winds, heavy snow,
bitter cold and rain.
MATEWAN, W.VA., which suf-
fered a disastrous flood last April,
was under water again yesterday.
"Most everyone moved this morn-
ning," said resident Robert McCoy.
The water rose at the rate of about
seven inches per hour. The flood
wasn't nearly as bad as last spring's,
McCoy said, but the psychological
impact of this storm, coming only
months after the first, was worse.
The National Weather Service said
southwest lower Michigan was ap-
parently hardest hit, as six inches of
new snow fell on Grand Rapids
before daybreak and northwest
winds raked the area in gusts
exceeding 30 mph.
"Visibilities will be reduced to near
zero and roads will become drifted
over," the weather service said,
warning of "near impossible driving
conditions." Observers said some
roads were closed by drifts four feet
high.
Wisconsin authorities were flooded
with more requests for help than they
could handle. Hundreds of residents
were stuck in cars, but officials
didn't have the manpower to get
See WICKED, Page 2
Guard called
out;
'U,
closes
This view of State St. from atop the LSA Building shows the white curtain of
snow that draped itself over the city and much of the East and Midwest vester-
day, blinding pedestrians and motorists' aiike. Not everyone, however, was
crippled by the 19 inch outburst, as 15 West Quaddies (below) demonstrate.
Stay inside?9
Classes
begin
at noon
today
Winter dealt Michigan a cruel
arctic blow yesterday as' a severe
storm--fueled by furious winds and
the lowest barometric readings on
record--whipped parts of the' state
with over a foot and half of snow.
Governor William Milliken declared
a state of emergency, and ordered
the National Guard into five co nties
including Washtenaw, to help trand
ed motorists and assist in emergency
calls.
University classes will be
closed until noon today,
University President Robben
Fleming said late lat night.
The deadline for Drop/Add and
Pass/Fail has been extended
through Monday.
Milliken's declaration will allow
the state to seek federal help for
repairing and restoring public ser-
vices and-facilities damaged by the
storm.
Southeastern Michigan, according
to the National Weather Service, is
expecting one to two inches of
additional snow today and a high
temperature of 16 degrees. Fierce
winds, however, will continue to drift
snow and hamper the digging-out
effort.
THE UNIVERSITY, shivering
and sputtering under an estimated 19
inches 6f snow, cancelled classes
after 1 p.m. yesterday, and the
prospect for normal academic sched-
ules today remains uncertain. The
main libraries closed their doors at 4
p.m., food deliveries to the dormitor-
ies were curtailed, and many people
in the academic community decided
to remain at home, safe from the
swirling snow.
Local hospitals reported many
normal operations, but at least one
facility, St. Joseph's, cancelled rou-
tine surgery, according to a spoles-
person. University Hospital, accord
ing to an official, maintained unhind-
ered in-patient care and supporting
services such as housekeepping and
dietetics, but was forced to close
many out-patient clinics. Emergency
services, the spokesperson said,
were "open and ready to go." The
only serious emergency procedures
involved auto accident victims.
A SPOKESPERSON FOR the
Fontana-Taylor ambulance service
said ambulances were answering
calls in the snow, accompanied by
fourwheel drive vehicles.
. See WHITEWASH Page 10
Snow
By JULIE ROVNER and
MARK PARENT
So what do you do on a Thursday af-
ternoon when the world outside looks
like.a Jack London short story and the
University has cancelled classes.?
Most folks looked forward to a Nor-
man Rockwell sort of day-a quiet time
in front of a fire with a mug of hot
chocolate, a book, or perhaps some cp-
zy company.
BUT A BAND of crazies from West
Quad's Williams House had other ideas.
"We're just trying to prove that it's
all in the head," said one inhabitant of
what the group calls "The Zoo,"
ignoring the knee-high drifts all around
him. He and his hallmates had stripped
down to t-shirts and shorts and were
dashing through a set of relays between
the steps of the Union and the
"Daedalus" sculpture across State
Street-barefoot.
"Actually, we took a wrong turn at
Albuquerque," reported another.
A slightly sauced crowd in front of the
Cariage House apartments threw the
day's big social event-"the first beach
party of the year." Lounging in drifts of
"sand." the snowbathers guzzled beer
and other booze, all day blaring sound
of the Beach Boys' "Endless Summer."'
way.
THE STORM wrought a strange sort
of havoc in the minds of the partiers,
causing them to voice concern "about
the guys skiing out there in the deep
water," as they gestured toward the
snow that swells far out on "Lake
Washtenaw." Others worried about the
"many people who are getting sunbur-
ned. They should be wearing lotion."
"If Robben Fleming can call off
See STAY, Page 2
Storm
bli t zes
By KEITH RICHBURG
As most of the state lay paralyzed
under 19 inches of snow, area media
scrambled to stay in operation and in-
form chilled residents. what had hit
them.
Some-including the Ann Arbor
News, the Detroit News, and the
Kalamazoo Gazette-didn't make it.
THE DAILY was threatened with a
shutdown when its Northville printing
plant closed, A series of phone calls,
however, salvaged the operation when
See STORM, Page 2
Daily photos by ANDY FREEBERG
SET FOR NEXT WEEK IN CAIRO:
Israelis say talks to resume
By The Associated Press
Israel opened the door yesterday
for the resumption next week of
Israeli-Egyptian' military negotia-
tions as Egypt launched a four-cont-
inent diplomatic offensive seeking
world support for its Middle East
stand.
Assistant Secretary of State Alfred
Atherton, acting as go-between with
the two countries, announced he has
Menachem Begin told reporters he is
concerned about a proposal by Sen.
Frank Church,(D-Idaho) for the
United States to freeze arms ship-
ments to the Mideast.
"I hope our dear friend Senator
Church will not promote this pro-
posal," Begin .said in Jerusalem.
"Israel has a long-standing commit-
ment from the United States about
supply of planes."
CHURCH, high-ranking member of
the Senate Foreign Relations Com-
mittee, said Wednesday that he felt
the whole question of Mideast arms
sales should be revised. The United
States is Israel's chief supplier of
military hardware and Egyptian
President Anwar Sadat has asked the
Carter administration to supply
Protesters call
Seafa rersuicide
By MITCH CANTOR
A group of fifteen demonstrators "committed to nonviolence as a way of
life" ignored blizzard conditions and gathered yesterday on Liberty Street in
front of the Federal Building to protest Project Seafarer, a military venture
which may be built in the upper peninsula.
' Y . f ., . .. .,_ .' .