Tipster Daniel Tyner-Bryan is reporting that just a few moments ago, the fire alarm started going off in Hamilton, thereby interrupting finals and forcing all the students, teachers, and bluebooks onto the lawn outside. Stand by for updates/photos and tip us (bwog@columbia.edu) if you have any.

UPDATE 7:31 PM: Tipster Srijata Chattopadhyay informs us that the fire alarm was triggered by a trashcan fire on the third floor women's bathroom.

Because we know how cramped and claustrophobic Butler is at the moment, Bwog would like to remind you that the lovely, large, (basically empty) classrooms in Hamilton are open and available and yours for the taking.

In fact, Bwog is sitting in a Hamilton classroom right now and the blackboard is filled with notes from some class' earlier CC review session. Helpful, eh?

And while the building technically closes around 10 PM, security is usually pretty lax about letting students occupy classrooms into the wee hours of the morning.

Bwog happened to be passing through the front doors of Hamilton, as we all do several times a month, and had a companion point out something very interesting. Outside the wooden doors that Columbians know and love are a set of enormous, bunker-style doors, engraved in brass, and slid sideways behind the cement facade. (They're visible between the door and the outermost metal frame in this photo.)

No amount of force would dislodge them from their current position, but careful camera work revealed detailed brasswork and engraving. Bwog has a pretty good idea when the last time that these were shut were (it rhymes with fineteen-shmifty-eight), and, most likely, the reason that they no longer can be without some serious leverage.

Engraving details after the jump.

Tipster Nishant Batsha Reports:

"There's a bunch of tents set up in front of Hamilton to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the building. I asked some guy dressed up in colonial-era clothing and he said it was open to "students, alumni, and donors." Free pastries!"

Sounds good.

Photos by a person with a Buffalo area code, sent via cell phone. Thanks, Buffalo Bill/Betsy!

Today at about 9:15 AM, the fire alarm in Hamilton went off for the second time in as many days. Students who had just arrived at class left their lessons, filed out the doors, waited around sleepily for about 5 minutes, and then went back inside when they realized the coast was clear.

Apparently, the building was not actually on fire. Which, while good news for the university overall, seems hard to believe when put in the context of Columbia's new policy of no false alarms. Ever.

Bwog cannot help but feel that the University Administration has lied to us with this new ad campaign. Still, for the record, we have no problem with false fire alarms in academic buildings during pleasant Spring days. It's those early Friday morning bell tests in residence halls that really need to be done away with.

Bwog correspondents Mark Holden and James Williams report that someone has provided Alexander Hamilton with some fine new headwear.