College security officials issued a safety alert yesterday cautioning professors about handling incoming mail after a letter bomb injured a Yale University computer science professor and a similar explosion wounded a professor of pediatrics at the University of California-San Francisco on Tuesday.
Each of the professors received a letter-size, padded manila envelope containing some sort of explosive device.
"All members of the Dartmouth community are urged to exercise special caution in handling incoming mail -- especially padded manila envelope containing some sort of explosive device.
"All members of the Dartmouth community are urged to exercise special caution in handling incoming mail -- especially padded manila envelopes; packages that appear to contain plastic boxes, copper tubing or batteries," the Office of Safety and Security wrote in the alert, which was sent electronically to all of the College's electronic mail users.
The 38-year-old Yale University computer scientisis, David Gelertner, was severely injured in the abdomin, chest, face and hands after he opened the mail bomb in his office at 8:15 yesterday morning.
Dr. Charles Epstein, a geneticist and an expert on Down's Syndrome and Alzheimer's disease at the University of California-San Francisco, lost several fingers when a letter bomb exploded at his home.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Postal Service and the Treasury Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are investigating the bombings.
In San Francisco, an F.B.I. spokesman told the Associated Press that the two blasts may be related to more than a dozen explosions dating back to 1978. Those bombings also targeted institutions of higher education, academics, and people working in high technology fields.
"We issued this warning as soon as it became clear to us that some members of our community might be vulnerable," College Spokesman Alex Huppe said. He said the College had not received any threats.
The Dartmouth safety alert used virtually the same wording of a similar notice issued by the Harvard University Police yesterday afternoon. The Dartmouth alert urged people with concerns about a particular piece of mail to call the Office of Safety and Security at 646-2234 or 646-3333.
