Society Says Columbus Proved World Is Flat By JEFF WILSON “At the time Columbus made his “The average person believes the “Most live in the United States, but tion TV movie,” Johnson said. “We voyage, everyone believed the world world is round because modern claims,” Johnson said. “Peopledon’t LANCASTER, Calif. (UPI) - we have many others in 167 coun- aren’t accusing the government of was a ball — except for Columbus. He science says so,” Johnson said, “but condemn us.” Charles K. Johnson swears he is on tries. We publish the Flat Earth anything. The whole thing is a plot by But how is it that one can go the level. was not one of them. They were it’s just not true. Columbus did not Quarterly with the objective to Nazi German scientists. They are the “around" the world? afraid they would fall off the edge of fall off so that proves it.’ restore the world’s sanity,” Johnson The president of the 1,500-member nucieus of the U.S. space program. “Simple,” Johnson said. the earth because it was round, not Johnson was born and raised in said. International Flat Earth Society flat. “The movie ‘Capricorn One’ “Magnetic north is the center of Texas. His family moved to San “We consider this the world’s most proved that the moon shot did not world and a ring of ice surrounds the spends his time trying to prove the “Columbus is one of our heroes Francisco and then to the Southern superstitious age. From integration world is “flat as a penny.” happen — that it was faked. land which is fioating in a sea of flat because he didn’t fall off — gravity California desert. to going to the moon, the world is a wasn’t invented yet. Gravity was in- “The idea that the earth is round water. It has nothing to do with the Still, one of the society’s super- Indeed, from his porch on the san- vast and complex place. We try to get comes from Greek superstition.” earth being a ball. It's like going heroes is Christopher Columbus, vented by a priest in England. There people to use their minds iogically.” was no gravity in Columbus’ day. dy, parched desert floor near Surprisingly, the flat earth concept around an island. whose day is today. But what about the space shots? is usually met with poiite interest, “Every year around Columbus Edwards Air Force,Base, the world “Ships disappear on the horizon, Millions remember live pictures rather than rudeness or hysteria. day,” Johnson said, “there is a great does look flat. but it’s oniy an opticai iliusion. After “Contrary to the history books, we from space showing Earth spinning “There is a iurking sanity in the controversy’’ about the earth’s a ship goes six miles it doesn’t dis- claim Columbus proved the world Johnson’s Flat Earth Society in the distance. American public’s mind, no matter flat,” said Johnson, 54. shape. appear over a hump of water. I can boast” 1,500 members worldwide. “The whole thing was a science fic- what the American space program prove that with a teiescope.” The Weather .ft. WHArS Partly sunny today with highs in the 50s, around 13 C. Fair and not so cold tonight; .K Haitrl|PBtpr iEtiPitiitci H m lows 40 to 45. Partly sunny and warmer Tuesday with highs in the 60s. Rain probability: 10 20 Cents Per Copy percent today; near zero Vol. XCVII, No. 7 — Manchester, Conn., Monday, October 9, 1978 A Family ISEWSpaper Since 1881 tonight; 10 percent Tuesday. 3 New Numbers National weather map: page | New telephone numbers for the town’s municipal and educational buildings will go into effect tomorrow. The new phone system was installed this weekend. All schools and town offices are closed today for the holiday. A complete listing is contained Mar in an advertisement on Page 2 of today’s Herald. BEIRUT, Lebanon (UPI) — Sniper "M y confidence in the effec- Record Lows fire marred a Syrian-engineered tiveness of the cease-fire worked out cease-fire in Lebanon today while the in Damascus is very limited,” the 78- New Englanders making their presidents of Lebanon and Syria con- year-old Chamoun said. “In past traditional fall foliage tours cluded four days of political and cease-fires, when the fighting Columbus Day were greeted by military talks in Damascus ap- stopped, (the Syrians) reinforced mostly sunny skies but chilly parently without reaching full agree- their positions and started fighting temperatures, including a touch ment. again.” of frost in some areas. Although the cease-fire was gneral- “There will definitely be more Early morning temperatures ly reported holding in most of East fighting,” one Christian commander today were in the low 30s in many m Beirut, its suburbs and adjacent said. “This cease-fire is nothing.” sections — with the thermometer mountain areas, Christian right-wing The current cease-fire was the bottoming out at a record low 29 radios said three peopie were killed latest in a long series that began degrees at Bradley International and one other injured today by Syrian during the 1975-76 Lebanese civil war Airport in Connecticut. The sniper fire on the two key bridges between the CHristians and the previous record iow was 30 set in commanding the northeast ap- Palestinians, backed by Lebanese 1953. proaches to the capital. leftists. Some snow fiurries were Otherwise, both the state-run An Arab League peacekeeping reported in the western mountain j Beirut radio and the right-wing force, made up almost entirely of area of Maine overnight and an Phalangist radio said Lebanese Syrian troops, ended the civil war 23 inch or more of snow was citizens had “spent another calm months ago but stayed on and reported atop New England’s night, free of artillery and rocket became involved in new fighting with highest peak — Mt. Washington in shells." the right-wing Christians, who New Hampshire — where the President Elias Sarkis was leaving rejected Syrian control of their temperature early today was 11 for Saudi Arabia today on the first northern Lebanon strongholds. degrees. leg of a tour of Arab capital, Beirut Israel has threatened to intervene radio said. on the side of the Christians if the No Regrets Syrian President Hafez Assad in- fighting does not end. Observers \ dicated the Syrian-Lebanese summit believe such an action could en- Sgt. Roger Boucher left a good on the crisi in Lebanon had failed to danger the Camp David peace job at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft to reach agreement on all issues after agreements ' between Israel and become a poiice officer nine years four days of discussions. Egypt and could lead to another Mid- ago. He has never regretted it, “We are three-quarters of the way dle East war. although the money is not nearly down the road,” he told reporters in Rightist radio reports late Sunday as good. Boucher talks about his Damascus early today after four said two shells fell on the southeast experiences as a police officer hours of talks with the Lebanese Christian suburb of Hadath, two on and about the new radio com- Mrs. Lillian Carter, mother of the presi- Mrs. Grasse’s candidacy and the two were president, “and we are very op- the Karantina area of east Beirut and munications system. See Page 3. dent, and Gov Ella Grasso arrive arm in arm greeted by a crowd of over 200 at Democratic timistic.” five on the Christian village of at the Parkade in Manchester this morning. Headquarters. (Herald photo by Strempfer) Assad said “we were discussing Douar. Strike at VW Mrs. Carter was campaigning on behalf of r j , practical steps” to resolve the A right-wing radio roadcast said Lebanese crisis and he added that about 30 people were wounded while NEW STANTON, Pa. (UPI) Sarkis “wiil have to choose the most trying to cross the Karantina Bridge Volkswagen of America Inc. appropriate measures.” to escape from east Beirut Sunday. workers today set up picket lines The Syrian ieader said Sarkis “The fact that the refugees would outside the firm’s first American would return to Damascus after his brave fire to escape showed how assembly plant after Crowd of Democrats Arab tour and “we wili conclude desperate the situation has become,” overwhelmingly rejecting an in- these discussions” on a solution to one witness said. itial wage contract proposal. the Lebanese crisis. The state-run Beirut Radio said, Workers failed to report for the Accurate casualty figures from a “There were limited and isolated a.m. production shift and week of heavy shelling were impossi- violations of the cease-fire, which biocked the entrances to the West- Greets Miss Lillian ble to obtain. Right-wing “Radio were dealt with quickly in order to moreland County plant, the com- Free Lebanon” issued reports that stabilize the security situation in the pany said. By SUSAN VAUGHN in Plains (Ga.),’’ she said, “we Grasso spent most of the trip hooking said up to 1,300 people died and more country.” The employees, members of Herald Reporter wouldn’t have seven people.” a rug and Mrs. Carter commented, than 2,000 were injured in the “Radio Free Lebanon " quoted a Local 2055, United Auto Workers, Although Mrs. Carter downplayed “I go so darned tired of seeing her fighting. Red Cross officials said spokesman for Lebanese rightist MANCHESTER - Gov. Ella Sunday turned down by a 1,235-94 her presence, saying, “I just came punch at that thing." they felt these estimates were “sure- forces as saying they would reject Grasso and the president’s mother, vote a proposed three-year agree- behind Ella this morning,” it was In her straightforward down-home ly exaggerated.” any accord reached between Sartis Liilian Carter, were greeted by a ment negotiated last week.