DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1970 | 1970-10-03 Des Moines Register Article: ""Clear Students in Blaze At U of I -- Blame Wiring""

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University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1970

1970-10-03 Des Moines Register Article: ""Clear Students in Blaze At U of I -- Blame Wiring""

DMR 10/3/70 

Clear Students in Blaze At U of I -- Blame Wiring 

By Jack Coffman 
(Staff Writer)
(Copyright 1970, Des Moines Register and Tribune Company)

IOWA CITY, IA. - Protesting students apparently had nothing to do with the fire that destroyed a University of Iowa building during student demonstrations here last spring. 
A five-month investigation by the state fire marshal's office did not uncover any evidence of arson or anything to link the early-morning blaze to the student unrest. 
The fire marshal's report indicated the blaze started from faulty electrical wiring. 
In the predawn hours of May 9 following student protests and arrests, fire gutted the 40-year old wooden building housing the school's English rhetoric department. 
Iowa City Fire Department officials immediately voiced concern about possible arson and some officials connected the blaze to the student disruptions at the school that had placed the university in a turmoil for several days before the incident. 
The incident is almost a case history of how rumours get started and are perpetuated, resulting in distrust between students and officials. 
The Iowa Budget and Financial Control Committee, a group of legislators which controls much state spending between legislative sessions, has balked at approving $91,535 to replace the burned building. 
West Wellman, executive secretary of the Iowa Executive Council, said the council had been informed of the opposition of the Budget and Financial Control Committee to the replacement because "they feel the fire was caused by students."
When a special committee of Iowa legislators visited the University of Iowa this week to open lines of communications with the students, several students indicated they were rankled at being "blamed for the rhetoric building blaze.
They said it was widely believed by the student body that the fire came from some malfunction in the building that was considered dangerous, anyway. 
A report by Iowa Fire Marshal Wilbur Johnson's office concluded. 
" As an electrical malfunction was found at the point of origin (of the fire), the most probable cause of this fire at this time is from electrical source of ignition."
The Department of Public Safety recently placed the investigation in its inactive file, which means officials pursuing new leads. 
The fire marshal's office said that officers from the fire marshal's staff and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) reported that all leads had been checked out and that "no substantial evidence (of arson) was obtained."
Officials questioned witnesses who claimed they had seen persons running from the building area at the time of the blaze. 
The investigation revealed that some of these students were running to report the fire.

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DMR 10/3/70 Clear Students in Blaze At U of I -- Blame Wiring By Jack Coffman (Staff Writer) (Copyright 1970, Des Moines Register and Tribune Company) IOWA CITY, IA. - Protesting students apparently had nothing to do with the fire that destroyed a University of Iowa building during student demonstrations here last spring. A five-month investigation by the state fire marshal's office did not uncover any evidence of arson or anything to link the early-morning blaze to the student unrest. The fire marshal's report indicated the blaze started from faulty electrical wiring. In the predawn hours of May 9 following student protests and arrests, fire gutted the 40-year old wooden building housing the school's English rhetoric department. Iowa City Fire Department officials immediately voiced concern about possible arson and some officials connected the blaze to the student disruptions at the school that had placed the university in a turmoil for several days before the incident. The incident is almost a case history of how rumours get started and are perpetuated, resulting in distrust between students and officials. The Iowa Budget and Financial Control Committee, a group of legislators which controls much state spending between legislative sessions, has balked at approving $91,535 to replace the burned building. West Wellman, executive secretary of the Iowa Executive Council, said the council had been informed of the opposition of the Budget and Financial Control Committee to the replacement because "they feel the fire was caused by students." When a special committee of Iowa legislators visited the University of Iowa this week to open lines of communications with the students, several students indicated they were rankled at being "blamed for the rhetoric building blaze. They said it was widely believed by the student body that the fire came from some malfunction in the building that was considered dangerous, anyway. A report by Iowa Fire Marshal Wilbur Johnson's office concluded. " As an electrical malfunction was found at the point of origin (of the fire), the most probable cause of this fire at this time is from electrical source of ignition." The Department of Public Safety recently placed the investigation in its inactive file, which means officials pursuing new leads. The fire marshal's office said that officers from the fire marshal's staff and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) reported that all leads had been checked out and that "no substantial evidence (of arson) was obtained." Officials questioned witnesses who claimed they had seen persons running from the building area at the time of the blaze. The investigation revealed that some of these students were running to report the fire.