Steam pipe burst causes flood

Students in Spruce Street House were woken up at 5 a.m. yesterday by the sound of fire alarms. According to Vice President for Facilities Management Arthur Gravina, a steam leak in the Spruce Street office, located on the second floor of the Mask and Wig section of the Quadrangle, triggered the sprinkler system. Engineering senior and Resident Advisor Brian Wong said the sprinklers flooded the office. He added that the water dripped down into a student's room. This room belonged to Wharton senior Tyler Dickovick, who has been temporarily moved to the 18th floor of Graduate Tower A. College sophomore Robyn Nichols lives in the room directly above the Spruce Street Office. She said workers came to check her room for a water leak at around 3 a.m. because the office was flooding. Wharton freshman Amy Chen said the boiler, which is below her room, was shaking so hard at 4 a.m. that her bed was shaking. "I called the front desk but they said they couldn't do anything about it," she said. "It was scary." Chen added that a workman told her that the incident was related to the pipe bursting. Wharton freshman and Daily Pennsylvanian Ad Production Assistant Maury Apple said someone pulled the fire alarm at 5 a.m. He called the front desk at 5:30 a.m. and they told him it was not necessary to leave his room. Philadelphia firemen showed up at 5:45 a.m. and told him to leave, he added. College freshman Jessica Kline complained that officials failed to alert her of the problem. "No one came knocking on my door to make sure I left," she said. Nichols said other sections of Spruce Street House were evacuated because fire alarms in the adjacent buildings are connected. She added that she returned to her room when the alarms stopped at 6 a.m. "I came back and I knew that someone had been through my room because my closet door was open," she said. Approximately 10 people came in to check her room throughout the day, Nichols added. Apple said steam emitted from the Spruce Street Office throughout the entire day. Workers set up a fan to blow the steam out of the window, he added. The Spruce Street Office was severely damaged as a result of this incident. College junior and Resident Advisor Jennifer Gwynne said the walls of the Spruce Street Office were knocked down. And Apple said workers broke through the ceiling of the room. Carla Ambrister, assistant dean of residence for Spruce Street House, could not be reached for comment last night.