Christening Blair Hall, awry sprinklers cause severe damage

Several of the much-awaited, newly renovated rooms and facilities in Blair Hall suffered considerable water damage during the final weeks of summer, University fire marshal Bob Gregory said.

"One of the sprinkler heads activated in entryways four and five," Gregory said. "The cause has not been determined. It didn't seem to me to be any type of vandalism, but the proper authorities are investigating."

University architect and code analyst Bob Allen said the damage was significant. "You get 40 gallons a minute from a sprinkler head. It went off on the fourth floor so everything down to the basement was damaged," he said. "Walls were buckled and sheet rock on the ceiling fell down."

The damage was repaired by the University, and students faced only minor inconveniences, Allen said. "By working around the clock we got everything back to normal," he said. "The University was able to shuffle students' belongings around and get things fixed."