NATION

By The Associated Press
Arizona Daily Wildcat
April 12, 1996

1,000 evacuated, 55 hospitalized after chlorine spill

ALBERTON, Mont. (AP) - A railroad tank car containing poisonous chlorine gas derailed and ruptured near this western Montana town yesterday, forcing the evacuation of some 1,000 people and sending at least 55 to hospitals.

A cloud of chlorine gas hung over the area throughout the day, and emergency officials anxiously watched to see if the plume would dissipate or move.

Bill Reed, chief of the Missoula Rural Fire Department, said at midafternoon the plume was stable and did not threaten other nearby communities, including Missoula, about 30 miles away and at 45,000 one of Montana's largest cities.

Subway gunman victim seeks $50M

NEW YORK (AP) - Eleven years after he shot four black youths in the subway, Bernhard Goetz was portrayed yesterday as both a murderous racist and a haunted victim in opening statements of a civil trial.

Attorney Ronald Kuby, representing paralyzed plaintiff Darrell Cabey, told a Bronx jury that the white subway gunman, ''in a spasm of terror and violence,'' destroyed Cabey's life.

Goetz's lawyer, Darnay Hoffman, said his client had no choice but to fire in self-defense when four predators surrounded him on a train on Dec. 22, 1984. Hoffman said Cabey wants a jury to reimburse him for what was really a criminal act. He is suing for $50 million.

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