Clogged Sewers Create Odor In Winthrop House Dining Hall

Students in G- and H-entries of Winthrop House agreed yesterday that the aromas wafting from the dining hall for the last week have been turning their stomachs.

A student who asked not to be identified compared the odor to rotten eggs, adding that in his hallway the smell reached its peak on Sunday.

Frank Marciano, area director of Buildings and Grounds, said a stoppage in the sewer system located near the dining hall caused the odor. Heavy rain over the weekend contributed to the problem, he added.

Marciano also blamed utility lines from the city of Cambridge for the back-up. "When the main water lines are blocked, everything goes wrong," he said.

Edward McLoughlin, a worker at Cambridge Public Utilities, said, however, he heard nothing about a back-up in city water mains that could have contributed to the Winthrop House problem. "I'd be sure to know if such a thing were true, and I know of no blockage," he added.

Marciano said that workmen would try to solve the problem tonight. "We'd work on it sooner, but we have to have access to the dining hall, which we don't have while students are using the facilities," he said.

No Hunger

Ben Barti, superintendent of Winthrop House, said yesterday he believes workers have already sprayed disinfectant to deodorize the halls.

Jeff A. Secrest '79 said he noticed the odor, but thought it was lunch.