ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 1, 1996 TAG: 9612030144
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: 5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: COX NEWS SERVICE
Q: A memorial platform will be built to honor victims of ValuJet Flight 592 at the Everglades crash site. My sister-in- law was among them. How can I send a donation to help with the cost?
A: Make out your check to ValuJet Memorial Fund and send it to United Way, 1 S.E. 3rd Ave., 20th Floor, Miami, Fla. 33131.
Q: That recent TV program about the Titanic mentioned that it had a sister ship. Is that true? If so, what happened to it?
A: The White Star Line's Titanic had two sister ships, described and photographed in sumptuous detail in John Maxtone-Graham's 1972 book ``The Only Way to Cross.'' The first was the Olympic, launched in 1910; it was sailing when the Titanic was launched in 1911. The Titanic was followed in 1914 by the Britannic (which, Maxtone-Graham wrote, might have been named the Gigantic if it hadn't been for the sinking of the unsinkable Titanic, which made the name seem presumptuous).
The Britannic was completed too late for peacetime mail service on the Atlantic and was taken over by the British government immediately after its sea trials. By November 1916, the Britannic had completed five voyages between Britain and the Mediterranean. Outward-bound on its sixth, it took on coal as usual in Naples, Italy, and put back to sea during a violent storm. Two days later, four miles west of Port St. Nikolo in the Aegean, it struck a mine, sinking within an hour. Compared to the Titanic disaster, the toll was small: 28 people lost their lives.
The Olympic was sold for scrap in the 1930s.
Q: I'm fascinated with the architecture of the home on the TV series ``Savannah.'' Is that a real house, or just a Hollywood set?
A: It's not an actual house in Savannah. Exterior shots were filmed in Alpharetta, Ga., and interior sets were constructed in an old building in Lilburn, Ga., both Atlanta suburbs, and a real Atlanta house was photographed to represent the house shared by the three women roommates. A spokeswoman for Warner Brothers in California wouldn't divulge the precise locations.
Q. I know the American Red Cross is leading a drive to help refugees in Central Africa. Are any other agencies involved?
A. Yes, a number of other relief organizations are joining the ongoing effort, including CARE (to donate, make checks out to CARE, designate the funds for ``Crisis in Central Africa,'' and mail to: CARE, 151 Ellis St., Atlanta, Ga. 30303, or call 800-521-2273 to charge to a major credit card). For those who have access to the Internet, InterAction, a Washington coalition of more than 150 nonprofit humanitarian aid groups, has a list of participating agencies posted at www.interaction.org . If you don't have Internet capability, call 202-667-8227, extension 117, for the list.
Q. What is the G-2 section of the Central Intelligence Agency?
A. There's nothing called G-2 or anything similar, a CIA spokeswoman said. You might be confusing it with a military classification, she added. G-2 refers to intelligence in a military unit of division level and above. G-1 is personnel and administration, G-3 is operations, G-4 logistics and so on. .
Q. Is the new movie ``Ransom'' based on an earlier film starring Donna Reed?
A. Yes. The current Mel Gibson hit is a remake of ``Ransom!,'' a 1956 drama about an industrialist who debates whether to pay the ransom when his son is kidnapped. In addition to Reed, it starred Glenn Ford and Leslie Nielsen.
Q. Pilots dump fuel during in-flight emergencies before attempting to land. What happens to it? Does it pose a threat to people below?
A. No. Fuel dumping is done under controlled circumstances (even in an emergency situation) and the velocity and height of the plane will cause the fuel to be atomized, rendering it harmless, said Preston Hicks of the National Transportation Safety Board. A person is more likely to be struck by a bolt of lightning than showered in dumped aircraft fuel, Hicks added.
LENGTH: Medium: 77 linesby CNB