Fire Devours Part of Home By Radcliffe

It was grey outside Radcliffe's Bertram Hall yesterday morning, even though the sun was shining. As residents of the Annex dorm left for their 11 o'clock classes, billowy clouds of black smoke poured forth from windows and doors of the house across the street.

At 10:54 a.m. a second story room in 27 Shepard Street burst into flames. Celling, floor, walls, furniture and books were severely damaged. The Cambridge Fire Department would not reveal the cost of the losses.

Cause Unknown

Cause of the fire is as yet undetermined. Although it is thought that a short circuit may have been the origin of the blaze, the Massachusetts Fire Marshall's Office is investigating the situation.

The first alarm brought six fire trucks roaring down Cambridge's streets. Crowds of students watched the battling firemen confine the flames to one room. Although the blaze could not escape the room in which it started, smoke oozed under doors and through windows and caused serious damage to other rooms. The fire brought no damage to nearby buildings.