April 26, 1997

Special report, 126 Days, recounts ordeal of hostages who were held for four months at Japanese embassy residence in Lima by Tupac Amaru guerrillas; saga began last December 17, as several hundred prominent Peruvians and foreigners gathered for annual birthday celebration for Emperor Akihito; 14 masked men and women, led by Nestor Cerpa Cartolini, blasted their way into compound; scores of prisoners were released gradually over next few weeks and sporadic talks took place; photos; ordeal ended when Pres Alberto Fujimori ordered commando assault; one hostage and two soldiers were killed, along with all 14 guerrillas (L)

News analysis on whether volunteerism really does any good, in light of upcoming 'summit' meeting in Philadelphia; as many as 93 million Americans donate total of 20 billion hours of time each year in acts of service that enrich their communities and their own spirit; downside is that nonprofit sector where they labor is often inefficient, underfinanced and lacking in rigorous evaluation; only small minority of volunteers work on gritty social problems, with most gravitating to cultural venues such as theaters and museums, and concentrating on their own communities (M)

Jury in Timothy McVeigh's trial in Denver hears powerful testimony by survivors of bomb explosion at Federal building in Oklahoma City in April 1995; many in courtroom are moved to tears by accounts of panic and terror as those inside tried to get out and parents tried to reach children in day-care center; 168 people were killed and 850 wounded; retired Marine Capt Michael Norfleet tells of trying to get out after suffering injury that took his eye; Cynthia Klaver describes recording explosion during meeting across street; Helena Garrett recalls dying babies carried out, and burying her own 16-month-old son; Susan Gail Hunt describes trying to help others out of rubble; photo of Federal prosecutor Joseph H Hartzler (M)

High school seniors in Grand Forks, North Dakota, will have to substitute stories of great flood of 1997 for traditional memories of spring proms and socials before graduation; many are staying with relatives in other towns, scrambling to find telephone numbers for friends; photo of Christy Peterson, Janna Scheving, Maureen Maves and Katie Stinar in Maple Lake, Minnesota; school officials plan to hold graduation May 25, but are not sure where; North Dakota's graduates are always in demand among employers, who appreciate their high test scores and strong work ethic (M)

FAA's grounding of all 132 models of helicopter that crashed in New York's East River noted