Humoring a volcano.
. . . or click on the link here for Audio Player – CBS Radio News – May 18, 1980 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection.
35 years ago today, on May 18, 1980 the infamous Mt. St. Helens in Washington State blew and threatened communities surrounding the mountain with thick clouds of ash and an anticipated lava and mud flow.
One report said lava was already starting to flow, but it wasn’t substantiated. At news time (12:00 noon Pacific), all the action was in the sky. The initial blast registered a 5 on the Richter scale; enough to jostle people out of bed, but no reported injuries. The story was developing.
Meanwhile, Europe was contemplating economic sanctions against Iran, as the U.S. Embassy hostage crisis was still grinding on. The Common Market had chosen a set of sanctions considerably weaker than the ones proposed shortly after the crisis began. Only those contracts which had been signed after the Embassy seizure would be subject to embargo.
In an interview, Pakistan‘s President General Zia was quoted to have said the U.S. should take advantage of Pakistan’s “island of stability” as a means of preventing the Soviet Union’s expansionism. He went on to deny Pakistan was developing a nuclear weapon.
And curfews were imposed on portions of Miami as well as bans on liquor and firearms sales, in light of rioting which had taken place earlier. The rioting followed the acquittal of 4 former Miami Police officers, accused of killing a Black businessman. The case caused an uproar and the Justice Department was seeking Civil Rights indictments against the four White policemen, acquitted by an all-white jury. At news time, 9 persons were known dead and over 120 injured from the riots.
All that, and much-much more for this May 18, 1980 as reported by George Herman and the CBS Hourly News.
The post When The Mountain Blew – Mt. St. Helens – May 18, 1980 appeared first on Past Daily.