In the greatest celebration of Evacuation Day the cannon was drawn from Pasadena to Cambridge. The feat was a bit different from the schlep Henry Knox would make from upstate New York to Dorchester Heights – but still a page in a historic battle. Perhaps a better sign of spring than crocus or forsythia the rivalry between MIT and Caltech has begun in full force. Each year creative, technically challenging, and often quite humorous pranks hacks are traded between the two institutes of technology. This year MIT has come out strong by nabbing a 111 year old Caltech cannon, fired each commencement. Caltech reports that the cannon is safely on the way back home.

From the tale of Henry Knox Bostonist knows that transporting cannon is no simple feat, from New York to Boston was difficult, and from coast to coast is surely more complex. MIT employed the age-old “we’re picking this up for cleaning” line, loaded up the Caltech cannon and drove it across the country, parked it in front of the Green Building and adorned it with a giant MIT class ring around the barrel. When the students of Caltech’s Fleming House became aware of the whereabouts of their cannon they sprung into action. Taking flight to Boston, setting up camp with Caltech alumni in the area, and leaving a tactical team back at “Fleming Headquarters” to plot the next moves. Miniature cannon was painted, delivered, and placed in the spot MIT had laid the monstrous cannon. To replace the MIT created plaque to commemorate their hack, the Fleming House “cannon recovery team” created one with a raised “F” on it. The miniature cannon was placed in front with a mocking note “something more your size.”

The Caltech recovery did not go unnoticed. MIT had kept a watchful eye (webcam and in person) over their prize. In a sign of good sportsmanship MIT prepared a barbeque for the Caltech students who had come to take back the cannon. Chains were broken with bolt cutters, a dolly placed under the tongue of the cannon and vinyl siding strips placed around the wheels to protect them – the cannon was wheeled onto a flatbed truck and transported back across the country. Ten points in the rivalry’s ongoing contest were awarded. But they may be the last points awarded. Not that the hacks will cease, but the decision was made to no longer award points so that there will be more focus on developing the next bigger and better hack than time spent on fighting about how the actual points awarded for each. Caltech: we believe it’s your move.

Images from "Howe & Sur" (or howitzer), and the oodles of photos found in the galleries linked to here.