A small but smoky fire in Mallinckrodt brought eight fire trucks rushing to the scene and attracted hundreds of onlookers yesterday, after defective electrical wiring caused a vacuum pump in a research laboratory on the main floor to become overheated.
The fire broke out while laboratory personnel were away having lunch, but was noticed immediately when lubricating oil in the vacuum pump ignited, causing billows of smoke to pour from the room.
Professors, teaching fellows, and lab assistants battled the blaze with a total of ten fire extinguishers until firemen arrived.
Gordan A. Stone, assistant professor of Chemistry, who is in charge of the laboratory, estimated the damage at a maximum of $200.
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