Peoria (LST 1183) - Naval Cruise Book

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Four U.S. Navy vessels sail from Persian Gulf Associated Press MANAMA, Bahrain - Three U.S. mine sweepers and a support vessel steamed out of the Persian Gulfyesterday in the biggest pullout of American warships from the re- gion since the Iran-lraq cease-fire 7V2 months ago, The tank landing ship Peoria sailed through the Strait of Hormuz as escort for the mine sweepers Fearless, lnflict and lllusive, bound for U.S. East Coast ports. Navy sources said the 8,450-ton Peoria will escort the three depart- ing sweeps', back to the East Coast and will return to its port in San Diego. The departure of the four ships left I0 Navy ships in the gulf, in- cluding three mine sweepers. With a nine-ship carrier battle group in the north Arabian Sea, the U.S. fleet was reduced to fewer than 20 ships for the first time since the massive Western naval buildup of mid-1987. The Fearless and Illusive are based at Charleston, S.C., and the lnflict at Little Creek, Va. A Navy official said the with- drawal of the three mine sweepers was decided after consultations with our friends in the gulfw and is consistent with the reduced threat to shipping since the Aug. 20 cease- fire. The United States sharply ex- HOUR LITTLE BROTHERS panded its force in the gulf to pro- tect U.S.-flag shipping and to escort ll Kuwait-owned oil tankers that were re-registered under the Stars and Stripes. Kuwait's shipping was being targeted by lranian gunboats because of its support for Iraq. The 720-ton, wooden-hulled mine sweepers were built just after the Korean war in the early 1950s and are the oldest U.S. Navy ships on active duty. Derided by critics as too old and outmoded, the U.S. mine sweepers outstripped the more modern Euro- pean mine sweepers in disposing of mines.

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.L L,7.Y-., Y, T, ..-.1-1-- - USS Peoria raises 51,500 for fire victims' families Sailors on the USS Peoria have raised 31,500 for a memorial fund for the families of the nine people killed in a fire on the Near North Side two weeks ago. Ninety-six crew members on the tank landing ship contributed to the fund. Ensign Mike Elliott said Saturday in a telephone interview from ltaly, where the ship is docked. APR 23 1989 Sailors from three other ships accompanying the Peoria on an around- the-world journey - the USS Puget Sound, the USS Vulcan and the USS Sentry - also contributed to the fund. The contributions came in the midst of the Navy's twice-annual Naval Relief fund-raiser, which raises money for sailors having financial hard- ships, Elliott said. The crew ofthe Peoria heard the news of the April ll fire at 1002 NE Glendale through a news summary routinely read over the ship's intercom, Elliott said. Seven children and two adults were killed in the blaze. Three other people escaped the fire but were injured. The First National Bank of Peoria established the memorial fund to assist families of the victims and to help pay the medical bills of the survivors. The Peoria recently completed a tour of duty in the Arabian Sea, at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. Victims Of Peoria Fire l-Iad Little warning Smoke detector did not work PEORIA, Ill. QAPJ - Seven children and two Women W110 died in a house fire apparently had little warning because a first-floor smoke detector in an empty apartment didn't work, authorities said. The victims were sleeping on the second floor, said Gregory Joos, Peoria's fire administration manager. By the time they were aware their home was on firef, he said, the fire had gotten a very good start and their means of getting out of the structure had already been cut off due to the heat and smoke. Fire swept through the rented, two-story dwelling about 2 a.m. Tuesday, killing nine people and injuring two adults and one child. Three families lived in the house in a working-class section of Peoria, population 130,000. 'fl came home and I saw the lights and awakened my hus- band, said neighbor Maria Diaz. We came running out and by the time we came out, the house was already engulfed in flames. Later Tuesday, police arrested Joe Pickens, 34, and charged him with criminal trespass for living in the first floor of the building without permission, said Fire Chief G. John Parker. Pickens was at the building Monday night, and left at 11:30 p.-m., Parker said. Pickens, who was not charged in the fire, was apparently homeless and some- times stayed at the house, the fire chief said. Pickens was being held at the Peoria County Jail. Smoke detectors were found in the building, but the first-floor detector was powered by elec. tricity, which had been cut on the first floor April 4 because bills went unpaid, said Central Illinois Light co. spokesman Tom Flana- gan. Electricity worked on the building's second floor, Flanagan said. Officials were unsure whether the second-floor detec- tor had sounded. J oos said local and state codes require smoke detectors in apart- ments and homes. Landlord and tenant both share the responsibility of mak- ing sure that not only the smoke detector exists, but making sure that they work and are function- ing correctlyf' he said. The fire started on the first floor near the door, and investi- gators were examining a gas heater, said Parker. At this point we still don't have any indi- cation that this is a suspicious or an arson fire, he said. Parker said as many as 15 fire- fighters will undergo psychologi- cal counseling to help them cope with stress linked to the deaths. We're going to try to talk to all the guys and see if there's any problem, he said. lf we find out they're suffering, we WOI'l,t have them back Cyetjf' The cause of the deaths .ap- peared to be smoke inhalation, said Assistant Fire Chief Sam Sisk. A The crew joins Together to lend ci helping hand. OH9 proud ship, full of quality people.

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