The following article appeared in The Vanderbilt Hustler during the 1995-1996 academic year. The electronic archive from which I obtained this article no longer exists, and I had to retype it from a printout. I have reproduced the article in its entirety save for the photos and their accompanying captions. See my comments below the article.
By RYAN UNDERWOOD & BRYCE WELLS
Hustler Editor and Managing Editor
Hang around Vanderbilt long enough, and you will probably hear at least one rumor about the underground system of tunnels connecting Plant Opertions to the rest of the University.
Students have heard stories about the tunnels ranging from immediate expulsion from entering the underground network to its use as an underground haven for Chancellor Joe B. Wyatt. Plant Operations recently allowed reporters for The Vanderbilt Hustler to tour the tunnels and in the process debunk some of the myths surrounding them.
Superintendent of Plant Operations, Roger Bess said that the tunnels are used to house steamlines and some electrical and telecommuncations lines. There are three main tunnels that emanate from Plant Operations and lead to various places on campus. A fourth tunnel starts behind Stevenson Center and makes its way across 21st Avenue to the front of the Socio-Religious Building on Peabody campus.
"I have heard that the Chancellor has some sort of underground monorail bunker system to protect him in the event of a nuclear attack," said Ben Snowden, a junior in the College of Arts and Science. "He rides from Kirkland Hall in his silver chariot all the way to 400 feet underneath Stevenson, but I'm not sure if that's true."
“I just heard that that’s where service vehicles go,” said Joy Phillips, a senior in the College of Arts and Science. “The tunnels are not used by pedestrians. The only time anyone is down there is when [Plant Operations] has to fix something,” Bess said. “Every now and then, we find students down there, but they ain’t supposed to be down there.”
“I heard that if you wear a metallic suit and run really fast through the tunnels, you can go back in time,” said Michael Reilly, a senior in the College of Arts and Science. “I also hears that it’s where all the janitors go to drink beer and play cards.” Many people The Vanderbilt Hustler interviewed said that they had heard that a student was automatically expelled for being caught “exploring” the tunnels. Dean of Residential and Judicial Affairs, K.C. Potter said that there is not a set penalty for being caught in the tunnels and that the punishment varies according to the student and the nature of the exploration.
"I want the students to stay out of the tunnels," Potter said. "But if they're caught, they are generally charged with unauthorized trespassing of university facilities. They have the option of having the case heard by me or the conduct council." Potter said that students with clean records are usually given some form of community service as a reprimand for their infraction but that the possibility of expulsion remains. "Sometimes students go down there and cause a little mischief," Potter said. "If that's the situation, or if the student has a previous record, then it is entirely possible for that student to be expelled or suspended."
"Well, from my understanding, students have been caught down there because they've tripped infrared beams that the University set up as a security measure to keep people from stealing the art that's buried under there," said Chris Desena, a senior in the School of Engineering.
Apparently, many students think that Vanderbilt has stashed its plethora of works from famous artists in storage rooms that are connected by the tunnels.
"I know that Vanderbilt owns millions of dollars worth of art that they don't display because they don’t have money to build a museum," said Kevin Moore, a junior in the College of Arts and Science. "I don't know where the hell they're going to keep the stuff except in some random chamber."
In fact, the tunnels only connect a small portion of the University’s buildings. The first tunnel has stops at Sarratt Student Center, Cole Hall, Tolman Hall, and McGill Hall before it ends underneath the Financial Aid building. The second tunnel makes its way from the east side of Plant Operations to the basement of Buttrick Hall. The third tunnel travels south underneath McTyeire Hall to the morgue, located on the bottom floor of Med Center North. The tunnels vary in length and are approximately four feet wide by seven feet high. The space available to walk is much smaller however, since large steamlines run along the right side of the passage.
The tunnels used to be lined with asbestos, but the University had the carcinogenic fiber removed years ago. Now the tunnels seem to shine under the dim work lights because a special adhesive liquid was sprayed throughout the tunnels to trap any remaining fibers.
The only tunnel that does not have its origins in Plant Operations is buried 90 feet below ground and is slightly wider than the other three. The Vanderbilt Hustler was not allowed to see this tunnel since safety belts are required to climb the ladders. Powerhouse Operator Leadperson, Howard Speir said that the 90 foot vertical drop to the tunnel is known as the “mole hall” and that the tunnel itself has flooded because of a natural spring that runs through it.
“I heard that the tunnels were used as bomb shelters during World War II”, said Michael Bonomo, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Science.
I do not know of anyone who has ever found the legendary “fourth tunnel” mentioned in the article. It is apparently not connected to the other tunnels, and the only clue to the location of its entrance is “behind Stevenson Center,” which doesn’t narrow it down much at all.
I personally do not know of anyone who has ever been caught in the tunnels. A classic Vanderbilt rumor is that there are three places where getting caught results in automatic expulsion: the tunnels, the Kirkland bell tower, and the Chancellor’s office. To my knowledge, this is just another rumor.
I have never encountered infrared beams or any sort of security apparatus in my tunnel explorations.
The tunnels are more like six feet high than seven; anyone near six feet tall can’t stand upright in most places.
Articles have surfaced in the Vanderbilt Register during the past year or so about construction of new tunnels:
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