Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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' o - - , I ^ Volume LXX, No. 57 University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. Feb. 13,1980 rirei By Ronda Templeton Assistant News Editor A two-alarm fire at USC's Cliff Apartments yesterday caused more than $56,000 in damage and forced 105 families to evacuate the building. The fire started in apartment 409 of the nine-story building at around 7:30 a.m. yesterday, Chief Lawrence Nelson of the Columbia Fire Department said. A 3-year-old boy playing with matches in the apartment's living room started the blaze he said. THE ESTIMATED damage of the fire includes $55,000 to the building and $1,500 in damage to ' personal property, Nelson said. The blaze was contained to the living room of the apartment and most of the damage was caused by smoke and heat, he said. Four fire engines and one ladder truck answered the two-alarm fire. Twenty-five firemen had the fire under control in 12 minutes. The fire department arrived on the scene at 7:47 a.m. and had the fire contained at 7:59 a.m., Nelson said, but remained at the apartments for several hours following the blaze. Cliff Apartments are owned by USC and Nelson said the reaction of the residents was "real good. (. Most of the people were smart enough to get out on their own." Two adults and three children resided in the apartment destroyed by the blaze, Nelson said. No in* juries to residents of Cliff Apart merits were reported as a result of Uns* Dorm By Kimberty Cihlar Gamecock Staff Writer Several kitchens in womens' dormitories were closed Monday after they failed to pass health and safety inspections. The fifth, seventh and eighth floors of South Building were closed because safety inspectors found them unsanitary. Kitchens in South Tower dormitory were also closed, resident hall director Melanie Miller said. . A safety inspector wrote a report of violations of health and safety standards last week for kitchens that did not pass inspection, Vivian Goad, area manager for McClintock, Sims, Wade Hampton, fi a L r?..: I J! L I o 11. nr? ouuiu, puuumg anu cMiuui xower dormitories, said. (?OAD SAID she had "to move quickly" and post signs warning that the kitchens couid become a fire hazard if they were not cleaned. The notices were posted over each stove notifying students that kitchens would be closed and locked if they were not cleaned immediately, she said. The stoves in dormitory kitchens are the responsibility of students, . Goad said. Residents were given four days to clean the kitchens before the inspection, she said, and the inspection was held around 1 p.m. Monday. "We thought if we were required to do heavy cleaning like oven clenaing we should be provided with the necessary clean-up things," an eighth floor resident said. The dormitory government provides cleaning items for ovens,. More tha ravage the blaze, but one fireman sprained his ankle, he said. P*ATMV R4YTPW U M. VOIUV/lll \Si the apartment building, said the fire started in the apartment of Moftah Abogallah. Abogallah tried to put the fire out himself and pulled the fire alarm when he found it impossible to stop the blaze, she said. The estimated damage of the fire is about $75,000, Baxter said, and the trouble was limited to the fourth floor of the apartment building. One apartment (Abogallah's) was burned and the others were damaged by smoke, she said. Abogallah and his family are in the process of moving what is left of their belongings to apartment 413, Baxter said. Buddy Baxter, resident adviser for Cliff Apartments, said he was leaving the building to go to his 8 a.m. class when he "saw people running outside and pointing to the. (fourth floor) windows." Baxter ? _1 1 A. 1- 11.. il-'- ? ? * saiu ne went 10 me mira uoor 10 evacuate his family and when he reached the fourth floor "there was all this thick black smoke and no way to get through." BAXTER SAID he went to the apartment lobby and called campus security so they could notify the fire department about the exact location of the fire. Evacuation of Cliff Apartments hy building residents was "or 4 ^ * i ? initary conditions Unsanitary stoves caused thi women's dorms this week. fifth floor hall adviser Lynn Carlton said Thero h?vt? hM>n many kitchen problems recently including knobless burners resulting in trouble turning off stoves, she said. .. n $56,000 in d( s Cliff / -i? ' J: ' ' ! MPl ffc ' Pi mPIHI' iw:#Bt?W A four-alarm fire damage? injured. derly. Everyone came out and handled themselves well," Baxter said. Rachel Carr, director of Family Housing, said damage estimates of found J1 closed ^fj^^^l^gJBs^EfT^- :.|HnH|^nra Dave MiUktM-GAMGCUCK i dosing of various kitchens in WOMEN6' KITCHENS were closed because of "gross student apathy," Carlton said. The kitchens left unsanitary by students win De cleaned by maids, she said, p See Kitchens, page 7 L amages k in vf*v* a . 1 I t I jft X-vBB H? -,'. %"' ~y ' :J. : ~=^A * : '- 4/^jfi-T^-;' MStilriV4'^ V;?' " <*?&.I IT "o*. - ^t^BRjjfctt^.-'' ' .->'T H^^Kli^jttkfe- *ds3K .j d Cliff Apartments Tuesday mori $70,000 and above are "a little high." "Fifty five thousand dollars r is the amount I heard, but they are c< still assessing the damage," she gi said. c< Senate seai after four t By Jeannie Rt Gamocock SteH A four-month fight over a SG senai Friday when Nancy Scheffler beat Glo It is the fourth election for the seat, vote of 82-69. The settlement comes \ meetings left in the year. The first ele< two run-off elections. Scheffler won both run-offs. Howeve second election invalid because of "o\ the contest. THE IRREGULARITIES involved IDs that were required for voting, Al -I 1* ? eiecuun was scneauiea on a day wnei because IDs had been turned in for bio The court said the elections cominis election or allowed students to vote v receipt. 1 During the months that the case wa Court and was under appeal to th Scheffler filled the senate seat. After the Supreme Court refused to Campus Court decision, a final electi< case. "I can see how they ruled it was in tors," Scheffler said, "but those fact because I won again." SCHEFFLER SAID she thought her people seeing her name while she v during the time she held the seat a harder this time. Gault said Friday's election was a g< argue with the results. "Of course I'm disappointed that 11 regret it because I think it was the r Nancy and I have gotten to be good frie "I think I deserved to keep the sea work with Student Government these said. Scheffler, who plans to run again f< tions for the 19G0-81 senate, said, "aftc I've already run more than most | ents r"-y ling. One fireman was The fire caused Cliff Apartment esidents "a whole lot of inonvenience," but Carr said she is rateful for their attitude and operation during the emergency. t decided elections ilston ( Wrtttr Le seat was finally settled last ria Gault in a run-off election. Scheffler defeated Gault by a vith only three student senate j ition was on Oct. 6, followed by ?r, the Campus Court ruled the j 'erwhelming irregularities" in the unavailability of student according to the court. The 1 everyone was unable to vote ck seating for a football game, sion should have moved the /ith a driver's license and fee is being heard bv the Camous e Campus Supreme Court, hear Scheffler's appeal of the >n was scheduled to settle the valid because of varying facors obviously weren't enough r strong victory was because of /as involved in SG activities ind because she campaigned [>od, fair race and she couldn't lost," Gault said. "But I don't ight thing to do. And besides, nds." t because I've been doing the i past few months," Scheffler >r the seat in the March elec- ; r all these elections 1 feel like )eonle have in fmir va?? "