September 30, 1997

At least 40 students from Thorne Middle School in Middletown Township are taken to hospital after fumes from bleach being used to clean teachers' lounge permeates school (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Clinton Administration plan to build $11 billion fleet of laser-equipped Boeing 747's that would fly above clouds and zap enemy missiles is under attack by Congressional investigators, who argue that work is so flawed that battle stations might fail to work in wartime; lasers are supposed to do what no weapon can do now: destroy missiles before they can deploy their warheads, letting debris fall back onto enemy territory; Air Force, which is building lasers, will not respond to specific charges but insists that program is making good progress; drawings (L)

Article on New York Yankees preparing for playoff series against Cleveland Indians; photo (M)

Article in occasional series The Warming World: Coping with Climate Change reports on efforts of scientists to bring issue of global warming and attendant changes in climate down out of stratosphere of scientific debate and global diplomacy into everyday world, where some local officials and citizens are starting to think more about how predicted changes might affect them; experts meeting in federally sponsored workshop at University of New Hampshire study potential impact of global warming on New England; chart shows projected shoreline losses in various parts of US; map shows projected loss of habitat for brown trout (L)

Mount Zion Memorial Fund, set up by Skip Henderson in 1990, provides markers for graves of Delta blues musicians who were laid to rest in unmarked or poory marked graves; is named for Morgan City church in whose graveyard its first memorial, to Delta blues legend Robert Johnson, was installed; later this fall, Sam Chatmon, son of slave, will become 10th Delta blues musician to be memorialized; list of blues musicians whose graves have been marked, and location of grave; photos of Henderson, Rev James Ratliff, Sonny Boy Williamson, Charley Patton and Memphis Minnie (Lizzie Douglas) (M)