stevens@teklabs.UUCP (Steven J Silberberg) (10/18/83)
A number of Russian supply ships are stranded in the Arctic Sea because an unusually cold summer froze them there. They carry supplies vital to the survival of many Siberian towns. Rescue missions have not been working. Air rescue crews cannot compete with 150 MPH winds and ice breaking ships are slow at best. This may be simplistic, but wouldn't it be something if the United States offered to give its assistance to these supply ships? Does anyone think the USSR would accept this help? Might that not ease tensions somewhat? One thing for speculation. If the money used to build the last Trident nuclear submarine were used for rescue, there would probably be enough money left over to bail out Continental. -- Steve Silberberg
zrm@mit-eddie.UUCP (Zigurd R. Mednieks) (10/24/83)
The Russians are probably more experienced with ice-breaking ships than we are. They are using the "Leonid Brezhnev" in rescue efforts. This is the same ship that broke all the way through to the north pole (!). Some rescues have been done with helicopters, but the weather has gotten worse. If all of the roughly 40 ships that remain stranded sink, it will be the worst shipping disaster since the Second World War. Among the stranded ships are three ice-breakers. For more details read this week's "Economist." Cheers, Zig