Supplies and equipment for a two hundred-bed Civil Defense emergency hospital were placed in storage in the basement of the east wing on Monday, Feb. 15-the day before Black Tuesday. Included were 28 bottles of oxygen. When the fire broke out there was grave concern over the explosive capability of the oxygen. Brave volunteers formed a human chain, entered the burning building and relayed the bottles out safely. No one was hurt. Federal Bureau of Investigation and Civil Defense officials hastened to O'Neill to probe the cause of the fire and the extent of the Federal government's loss. The equipment was valued at 49-thousand-dollars.

When arrangements were made for storing the hospital equipment, a proviso was made by the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Timothy O'Sullivan. He made it clear the storage facility would be made available but there could be ''fire risk.''