In addition, the tunnels are wired with their own telephone communication system, used by maintenance to turn the system on and off when the climate changes, Hawkes says.

No Visitors Allowed

Although some stories about the tunnels might excite the avid adventurer, Young cautions that the tunnels are "no place for anybody to be."

Vautin warns that "there are high temperature steam pipes that could cause a risk to people being burned."

Hawkes warns that in addition to the danger of being burned, they are very concerned about people operating the valves, which could have severe repercussions.

Hawkes says they will not release precise information on the layout of the tunnel and the entrances because "there are necessary security precautions."

But the entrances themselves, of which there are "hundreds," says Hawkes, are not hard to find. Many of the doors, such as those in the basements of Lowell D and Wigglesworth E, have signs that read "Steam Tunnels - Authorized Personnel Only."

Students attempting to enter, however, will have great difficulty doing so.

"We work very hard to keep things secure," Hawkes says. All of the entrances to the tunnels are locked, and alarms on the doors alert personnel in the Science Center control room exactly which doors have been opened so they can go find the intruders.

Yet some sleuthy students remain fascinated with the tunnels and have tried to get in in the past, risking disciplinary action.

One Quincy House resident, Ilya Tsymbal '96, says he and a number of friends escapaded through the tunnels a number of times last year--until the police caught a trio of them on Head of the Charles weekend.

They had previously entered through an "unlocked" door in Wigglesworth-E entryway, and left the premises after exiting through the same door.

But on this occasion, after venturing to the Malkin Athletic Center and Adams House, the group made the mistake of leaving through the Winthrop kitchen and staying--until security answered the silent alarm triggered when any tunnel entrance is opened.

Worst of all, they tried to run away and escape from the police--which landed them a visit with the Administrative Board.

"It was a lot of fun while it lasted," Tsymbal says, "although we almost got kicked out of school."