Elevators flood

A hot water heater in the basement of the Cathedral of Learning burst at approximately 10:45… A hot water heater in the basement of the Cathedral of Learning burst at approximately 10:45 a.m. Tuesday, filling the bottoms of four elevator shafts with water.

According to Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs Robert Hill, the water caused four elevators that travel from the basement to the 36th floor of the building to be shut down for more than an hour. Hill said there were no reports of people trapped inside any of the elevators.

By 12:05 p.m., two of the four elevators were back in service. Shortly thereafter, the remaining elevators were up and running again, Hill said.

Offices and classes remained open, despite the heavy strain placed on the building’s elevator system after the four high-traffic elevators were shut down.

Hill said by leaving offices and classes open, the University was attempting to “minimize inconveniences to faculty and students.”

While Hill stated he did not know exactly what caused the water heater to burst, he said it was likely it would need to be replaced.

“When a water heater bursts, it’s usually done,” he said.

According to Hill, Facilities Management “will take appropriate actions to fix things.”

Facilities Management declined to comment on the situation.