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From: doug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee)
Newsgroups: net.rumor
Subject: Re: Computer Horror Stories
Message-ID: <1077@terak.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 5-Mar-86 13:36:41 EST
Article-I.D.: terak.1077
Posted: Wed Mar  5 13:36:41 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 8-Mar-86 22:37:15 EST
References: <14700001@hplabsb.UUCP> <12121@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <551@tekcrl.UUCP>
Organization: Calcomp Display Products Division, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Lines: 26

> a small disaster. However the teflon insulation reacted with the hot
> (molten) metal to form HF gas. When the fire department turend on the
> sprinklers in desperation hydrofloric acid.

In 1970 ('71?) Fresno State's computer room was the target of a firebomb
thrown by some protesting students.  The fire department arrived and
hosed everything down.  The fire damage was negligible.  But then the FD
decided that since it was electrical equipment, they should be using CO2
extinguishers instead.

Either water or CO2 would have been okay alone; but when the CO2 was
sprayed on top of the water, it formed carbolic acid [or is it carbonic,
I don't remember].  Destroyed all of the equipment, the disks, and the
tapes.  Took about a year and a half to recreate their records from
hardcopy.

---

At that time, our CDC CE told of a student demonstration in Canada where
a university's CDC 3300 had been wrecked by demonstrators and sold as
scrap.  A CE reportedly bought the machine after observing that almost
all of the damage was bent sheet metal and unplugged connectors.  He
supposedly set up a service bureau in his home.  I'm not sure I believe
this story.
-- 
Doug Pardee -- CalComp -- {hardy,savax,seismo,decvax,ihnp4}!terak!doug