Lightning hits Quad chimney, leaves damage

Quadrangle residents endured an electrifying experience yesterday afternoon when lightning hit the dorm at approximately 2:30 p.m. The direct hit caused no injuries, but damaged one of the chimneys of Cox Hall, which is located in the Spruce Street House section of the Quad. The damaged chimneys had been on top of the Quad for almost the entire century. According to Adjunct Legal Studies Professor Nick Constan, this is not the first time lightning has stuck the dormitory. "I believe a chimney has been hit by lightning in the Quad before," he said, adding that this refutes the adage that "lightning never strikes twice." Director of Residential Living Gigi Simeone said that there was no damage to the inside of the dorm as a result of the lightning. She added that Physical Plant went to the scene to take care of the situation. Because the lightning was not part of a rain storm, workers were able to tackle the problem immediately after it occurred. "They have done some work today to stabilize the situation, and there will continue to be repairs," she said. Associate Director of Residential Maintenance Al Zuino said the workmen removed all loose bricks from the roof yesterday. Superintendent of Operations Wayne Conner said workers covered the chimney by tying a mat around it with a cable. Their goal was to secure the chimney in order to insure that no one gets hit by falling bricks, he said. The area below the chimney was also blockaded off . Conner said he could not predict how long the blockade will remain in place. "Until we make a permanent repair I think it will be blocked off," he said. Conner added that engineers will be looking at the situation today to make recommendations. Zuino said the chimney served a purely aesthetic purpose. It has no heating or ventilation function. Several students were eyewitnesses to the incident. College freshman Melissa Donald said it sounded like cannons were shot across the Quad. "It was definitely the loudest thing I have ever heard," she said. "It beat all of the noises and fumes that the tent fiasco produced." Other residents panicked when they heard the boom. "We just heard a big boom," said College freshman Ritu Siani. "People thought a bomb dropped. Somebody hit the deck." "I saw a bright flash of light," said College freshman Carl Sipowicz. "It was the loudest thing I have ever heard in my life. I actually felt my heart stop." Several students who were not even near the Quad at 2:30 p.m. were affected by the lightning strike. College freshman Jill Resnick was in a class in the basement of Hill House at the time of the incident. "I saw a lightning flash and heard a loud bang," she said. "It sounded like something was hit across the street." College senior Sarah Gardener was even further away from the scene. "I was at the boathouse on the Schuylkill River and there was this flash," she said. "I thought a nuclear plant was exploding." But students were not the only ones who experienced the boom. Constan was in the Mellon Bank Building when it happened. "I thought it was a bomb -- I was really flabbergasted by the sound," he said. Acting Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum said it felt like a sonic boom had taken place. "I was a block away and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up," she said. "I didn't know what was going on. I thought that something had been hit right next to where I was standing."