Fire Destroys Room in Radcliffe Dorm

Three fire engines and a hook-and-ladder raced to a Radcliffe dormitory last night to put out a fire.

The blaze completely destroyed the contents of a room in Warner House, but did not get through the walls. The room's two occupants, Miss Katherine L. Vorhaus '69 and Miss Barbara R. Ogur '69, were not in the room when the fire boke out.

Miss Martha M. Babcock '70, discovered the fire and pulled the dormitory's fire alarm at 10:42. At the time, only five of the eighteen girls living there were in the dorm, and all five made their escape safely.

Fat Candle

Deputy Fire-Chief John Kenney, who rushed to the dormitory when the alarm sounded, said the fire was started by a fat candle the girls had left burning under the bed "for a long time." The heat from the candle apparently dried out the mattress and reduced its ignition point.

Since the room's windows were closed, firemen had to break through to get at the burning furniture. They then proceded to throw the furniture out the window.

There were about 28 firemen on the scene, and a ladder truck and engine car were called from the Taylor Square fire house. The rest of the equipment came from the main fire station next to Memorial Hall.