Miscellaneous - This Day That Age   

dated July 4, 1959: Fire in the Pentagon

Stifling smoke from blazing top-secret documents and recording tapes swirled down the maze-like corridors of the Pentagon in Washington on July 2, as firemen fought to quench a disastrous fire in the vast Defence Department building. The huge, five-sided Defence Department building, supposedly fire-proof, was filled with acrid smoke as hundreds of firemen from three States fought to locate and control the fire estimated to have caused at least 30 million dollars (£15,700,000) worth of damage. It also destroyed 7,000 rolls of taped Air Force records. The fire was finally brought under control after four hours.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Cartoonscape
The Hindu Crossword 9576
Solution to puzzzle 9575
Preceptor for all times
dated July 4, 1959: An outstanding journalist
dated July 4, 1959: Indus Basin plan
dated July 4, 1959: Fire in the Pentagon
Weather

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu