National Archives and Records Service film-vault fire at Suitland, Md. : hearings before a subcommittee of the Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives, Ninety-sixth Congress, first session, June 19 and 21, 1979 (1979)

Record Details:

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175 4. In 1973, Universal agreed to supplement its donation of its newsreel collection by arranging to have vault doors as well as a sprinkler system installed in the vaults housing the collection. These vault doors were not to be fire doors, but steel doors designed to inhibit the effect of explosion within a single vault. The consultant, now retired, who was responsible for arranging for the installation, has advised me that such doors were in fact installed. The testiniony adduced by the subccnmittee at its hearing confirms that these doors were installed, but were propped open at the time of the fire and that the open doors, along with the disconnected sprinkler heads, permitted the fire to spread frcm vault to vault. 5. Universal 's consultant has advised me that a deluge systan with deluge valves was ordered and installed as agreed upon. It should be noted that this assertion is not inconsistent with the evidence before the subcotmittee which indicated that at the time of the fire, the sprinkler systan had standard sprinkler heads with fusible links. I have no knowledge when these sprinkler heads were installed. However, such standard sprinkler heads are installed in a deluge systan for purposes of pressure testing, after vrfiich the fusible linlcs are raroved and the systen^ is operative. The fact that, as the subcatmittee ' s investigation revealed, the sprinkler heads in each vault had been tanpered with (and one-third of the heads had been disconnected) indicates that changes v\ere made in the sprinkler systan subsequent to its installation and testing. 6. Inspection of nitrate negatives is essential and must be acocnplished on a regular schedule which should be not less than semi-annual. At Universal we visually inspect each reel of film. 7. I recently spent tiio full days searching Universal 's inactive files in New York for files which might relate to the subcarmittee ' s inquiry. I also engaged the assistance of the retired consultant responsible for arranging for the installation of the sprinkler system. However, despite these efforts. Universal has thus far been unable to locate any files in any of its locations containing the contract for the installation of the sprinkler systan, and has been able to locate only certain accounts payable records reflecting payments to the sprinkler system contractor. 8. In its corporate tax returns. Universal has claimed tlie tax deductions to v^iich it was entitled under the Internal Revenue Code as a result of its donation of its valuable newsreel collection to the National Archives. The returns for each year in which such a tax deduction was taken have been audited and closed by the Internal Revenue Service. 9. Universal has used sane of the films in the newsreel collection donated to the National Archives as a reference tool, much as it hopes and understands that other notion picture producers have. Universal 's records reflect that it has used the films in the collection primarily to provide documentation for costuming, set design and historical sites for motion pictures such as "The Hindenburg", "Midway", the Senator McCarthy story "Tail Gunner Joe", "W.C. Fields & Me" and "Gable & Lcmbard". However, I believe a complete record of all the persons and entities, including Universal, \Aio have used the film collection since its donation should be within the ci;istody and maintenance of the National Archives. Yours veiy W.G. Vanaen Bossche Vix^Pifesident UmA/ex^al Pictures. a division of Uni\;&:sal City Studios WGVB/dh George Smith Shel MttlaTian