A soggy homecoming for students

By Bruno Matarazzo Jr.
Staff Writer

January 13, 2009 04:01 am

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WENHAM — A sprinkler malfunction last night soaked parts of two floors of a dormitory at Gordon College, where students began returning yesterday for the start of the second semester.

Wenham firefighters responded to Chase Hall at 10 p.m. and found water pooling across parts of the second and third floors.

Fire Chief Bob Blanchard said an unknown problem in the sprinkler system on the third floor caused water to leak to the second floor.

Blanchard estimated two or three dorm rooms would have to be closed for a few days so college staff can make repairs and install new carpeting.

Built in 2004, Chase Hall has 162 beds and is organized as a series of suites, with every two rooms having its own shower and restroom facilities, according to the college Web site.

Students began to arrive yesterday following Christmas break, as classes begin tomorrow. The chief said the dorm was heated during the winter break.

The leak caused the fire alarm in the dorm to go off, sending students, who had already moved in, out into the cold.

At the urging of a peer, a group of students outside the dorm's main entrance refused to comment. The student said he was wary of the media.

One student, Niall McMahon, said he would comment, however, citing freedom of the press as a First Amendment right.

McMahon, a freshman from Burlington, Vt., said he moved into the dorm for the first time yesterday. McMahon had been at another dorm for the fall semester. He said heard the alarm go off and evacuated. He did not see any water.

Students were later allowed into the lobby, as firefighters and college staff determined which rooms were safe to occupy.