Aug. 04--Independence Hall visitors were evacuated late Saturday afternoon after a minor electrical issue in the basement, according to the Philadelphia Fire Department and people at the iconic building.
"There was no fire. There was an electrical issue," according to a city employee who answered the department's communications telephone line and would not give her full name.
The National Park Service administers and guides visitors through Independence Hall, the site of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
The evacuation occurred about 4:15 p.m., 45 minutes before normal closing time. But the issue apparently was resolved soon enough to allow an after-hours tour to go ahead as scheduled.
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