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Refinery
blast kills
four in
Illinois
ROMEOVILLE, Ill. (AP) - An ex-
plosion rocked a Union Oil Co. refinery
last night, killing four people and in-
juring 16 others as it knocked out
power, shattered windows for miles and
ignited a fire that raged out of control,
authorities said.
The 6 p.m. blast at the sprawling
refinery that straddles Romeoville and
Lemont knocked out a 138,000-volt tran-
smission tower and up to 10,000 homes
in the area lost power, according to a
Commonwealth Edison spokesman.
Power was restored to nearly all the
homes within two hours, he said.
WILL COUNTY Coroner Robert
Tezak confirmed that four people were
killed in the blast.
"We're about 15 miles away here and
we thought it was an earthquake," said
Sgt. Paul Dixon of the Will County
sheriff's office in Joliet. "There was a
loud explosion with it, a loud rum-
bling."
The explosion occurred in the
refinery's coke plant, said Stephen
Clancy, assistant fire chief at
Romeoville, a town of 15,000 people
located about 25 miles southwest of
Chicago.
"TO THE BEST of our knowledge we
felt one explosion," Clancy said. "But
there could have been two, one inside
the other."
The explosion blew out windows
withing a five-mile radius and cracked
building foundations, Dixon said.
"You could see pieces of debris
falling from the smoke cloud," said
Phil Keefer of Lockport, who lives
about a mile away from the refinery.
EIGHT people were taken to Silver
Cross hospital in Joliet, and one was
listed in critical condition.
The University of Chicago Hospital
burn center said two burn victims were
being flown there by helicopter. Five
people were being taken to Good
Samaritan Hospital in Downers
Grove.
"The fire that's on right now doesn't
seem like it's stable," said a Union Oil
Co. employee who refused to identify
himself. "It's out of control."
THIRTY-FIVE miles away, Lou Len-
zie of Morris radio station WCSJ said
the station was flooded with calls after
the explosion. Residents said they
heard the blast, which shook their
homes, she said.
Asocated Press
Bodyguards shield Agapito Aquino, second from right, younger brother of assassinated opposition leader Benigno
Aquino, from possible harm as police disperse thousands of anti-government demonstrators in downtown Manila
yesterday.
Police clash with Philippine protesters
MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Soldiers used tear gas to governing party. Although Marcos lifted martial law in 1980
disperse an estimated 18,000 anti-government demonstrators after eight years, he retained powers that permit him to
yesterday as President Ferninand Marcos asked his op- legislateby decree.
ponents in the new National Assembly to help him avoid a The attack by some 2,000 anti-riot troops at a downtown
"gruesome future" for the Philippines. plaza several miles from the assembly building left several
Several hundred riot police and soldiers guarded the opposition leaders reeling from the effects of tear gas.
assembly in suburban Quezon City. Fire trucks stood by.
Police also lined up for several miles along the main route THE FLEEING marchers burned a military jeep. About
leading to the assembly. 1,000 demonstrators later rallied in a churchyard, denoun-
MARCOS delivered his State of the Nation speech to the cing the assembly, Marcos' 19-year-old authoritarian
opening of the assembly in which his opponents hold their regime, U.S. involvement in the Philippines and the nation's
largest minority in 13 years. economic ills, including a $26 billion foreign debt on which no
Marcos said the re-imposition of martial law was not "im- payments have been made for nine months.
minent," and drew applause when he said he would not use Four hospitals reported treating 13 of the protesters for
his sweeping powers without the approval of a caucus of his minor fractures, bruises and inhalation of tear gas.
Merehants, artists
prepare for art fair
(Continued from Page 1) They "try to make it fun as well as
Wright. work," said Woinowsk.
Several vendors were also out Many of the merchants along the
yesterday preparing for the four-day streets that have art fairs have put out
extravaganza. Russell Woinowsk their sale signs in anticipation of the
who is a volunteer with the thousands of visitors and potential
southeastern Kiwanis, started set- customers.
ting up a food stand yesterday along The three art fairs that make up the
South University. The food stand is four-day festival begin at 9 a.m.
the largest fundraising event for the tomorrow morning and will last until
local Kiwanis group. late Saturday afternoon.
UA W, GM negotiate over contract
(Continued from Page 5)
giant GM could not afford to see wages "increase significan- of more than $6 billion this year. Ford made $1.87 billion last
tly." year and could double that this year. Both companies also
After the handshake, the bargaining room doors were paid their top executives millions of dollars in bonuses for
closed and the four dozen company and union bargainers 1983.
seated at the huge mahogany table exchanged outlines of
their positions in the talks. They will give each other detailed THE AVERAGE GM autoworker has had his base hourly
demands in coming weeks. wage frozen at $9.63 for more than 2 years, although cost of
BIEBER PRESENTED GM with a list of demands that in- living increases brought that to $12.64 an hour this summer.
eluded increases in pension coverage, cutbacks in overtime Ford workers make a penny an hour more.
and better working conditions, areas he and UAW Vice GM and Ford complain that wages are high enough, and
President Donald Ephlin said were neglected in the past few that health costs alone cost several hundred dollars per car.
years. They peg the total cost per hour for a production worker at
"We had a beautiful takeoff this morning, but everyone $22.
knows the most important part of the flight is the landing," "We'll be prepared to strike if that becomes the only way
Ephlin said. we can resolve the issue," Bieber said. "Now, we don't want
The backdrop this year is far different from 1982. GM made it. We want to avoid that. We'll do everything we can to avoid
a record $3.73 billion profit in 1983 and is on its way to profits it.
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