Fireworks clue to uni blaze.FIRE investigators were last night probing claims that fireworks fireworks: see pyrotechnics.fireworks Explosives or combustibles used for display. Of ancient Chinese origin, fireworks evidently developed out of military rockets and explosive missiles and accompanied the spread of military explosives westward to started a blaze that wrecked a 100-year-old university building. It's estimated that repairs to Glasgow University's Bower Building, home to the botany botany, science devoted to the study of plants. Botany, microbiology, and zoology together compose the science of biology. Humanity's earliest concern with plants was with their practical uses, i.e., for fuel, clothing, shelter, and, particularly, food and drugs. department, will cost pounds 5million and that books and equipment worth pounds 3.5million were destroyed. The fire started in roof space of the building, on University Avenue in the city's West End, at 1.30pm. More than 40 students and staff working inside all escaped unhurt. Hundreds more from neighbouring buildings were also evacuated as a precaution. University Avenue was sealed off for over an hour as around 70 firemen fought the fire, which destroyed the roof. Although the cause of the blaze is not yet clear, some students reported hearing fireworks shortly before it started. The Bower Building, named after botanist Frederick Orpen Bower Frederick Orpen Bower FRS (4 November 1855 - 11 April 1948) was a British botanist. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1891. He was awarded the Gold Medal of the Linnean Society in 1909 and the Darwin Medal of the Royal Society in 1938. , was opened in June 1901 and housed one of Britain's first biological laboratories. University Principal Sir Graeme Davies Sir Graeme Davies is a New Zealand engineer and academician. He is a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool and the University of Glasgow and current Vice-Chancellor of the University of London, in the United Kingdom. revealed it was due for a pounds 3.5million refurbishment re·fur·bish tr.v. re·fur·bished, re·fur·bish·ing, re·fur·bish·es To make clean, bright, or fresh again; renovate. re·fur later this year. He added: "The damage is considerable to the fabric of the building but we are fortunate major research equipment for the faculty is not stored there." He said the destroyed items could all be replaced with the exception of a set of rare 19th-century plant books. |
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