Frat in trouble for firing cannon - punching a hole through a roof and blowing out the window across the street

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Lifer
Jan 7, 2002
12,755
3
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Fraternity In Trouble For Cannon Prank

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Fraternity members who packed fireworks into an antique cannon that exploded, punching a hole through a roof and blowing out the window of an apartment across the street, have been banned from serving alcohol at parties.

The Kappa Alpha fraternity at the University of Missouri also must lead two safety presentations. The alcohol ban lasts through the 2004-2005 school year.

Three fraternity members, including the chapter president and vice president, are awaiting trial on misdemeanor charges stemming from the April 29 explosion. One cast iron fragment crashed through the ceiling of a nearby apartment building and landed on a pingpong table during a game.

The university and the fraternity's national office, based in Lexington, Va., confirmed the sanctions to the Columbia Daily Tribune.

Chapter president Seth R. Fagan, 21, told police he fired the cannon as part of an annual tradition, according to court documents. He is charged with reckless exploding and third-degree assault, both punishable by one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
 

PlatinumGold

Lifer
Aug 11, 2000
23,168
0
71
Originally posted by: yellowfiero
Fraternity In Trouble For Cannon Prank

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Fraternity members who packed fireworks into an antique cannon that exploded, punching a hole through a roof and blowing out the window of an apartment across the street, have been banned from serving alcohol at parties.

The Kappa Alpha fraternity at the University of Missouri also must lead two safety presentations. The alcohol ban lasts through the 2004-2005 school year.

Three fraternity members, including the chapter president and vice president, are awaiting trial on misdemeanor charges stemming from the April 29 explosion. One cast iron fragment crashed through the ceiling of a nearby apartment building and landed on a pingpong table during a game.

The university and the fraternity's national office, based in Lexington, Va., confirmed the sanctions to the Columbia Daily Tribune.

Chapter president Seth R. Fagan, 21, told police he fired the cannon as part of an annual tradition, according to court documents. He is charged with reckless exploding and third-degree assault, both punishable by one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

no worries, they will sue the cannon manufacturers, win a huge amount of money, retire.
 

Analog

Lifer
Jan 7, 2002
12,755
3
0
Half a life ago, I remember having bottle rocket wars with the fraternity next door to ours. It was great fun. Some guys built precision bottle rocket launchers with pvc and protractors etc. Yep, it was an engineering school!

EDIT: I wonder if we would be arrested if we did this today!
 

Farbio

Diamond Member
Apr 9, 2000
3,855
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how did i know, without even looking at the summary, that any frat involved with cannon firing would be the racist bigoted and bassackwards KA?
 

Anubis

No Lifer
Aug 31, 2001
78,712
427
126
tbqhwy.com
i wish frats at my school blew stuff up, thats actually cool, instead they so sh!t like this

"Dickinson Fraternity Shut Down After Sex Allegations

POSTED: 10:38 am EDT May 28, 2004
CARLISLE, Pa. -- Dickinson College has shut down a fraternity house because of allegations that a student had sex with unconscious women during parties.

Police said at least one of the assaults was photographed by another student.

The Kappa Sigma fraternity house closed at the end of the semester last week during an investigation into whether a 19-year-old woman from Virginia was sexually assaulted at an on-campus fraternity party. Members were told to seek other living arrangements.

The national Kappa Sigma fraternity said Thursday it has revoked the Dickinson chapter's charter.

No arrests have been made."
 

Fingolfin269

Lifer
Feb 28, 2003
17,948
32
91
Originally posted by: yellowfiero
Half a life ago, I remember having bottle rocket wars with the fraternity next door to ours. It was great fun. Some guys built precision bottle rocket launchers with pvc and protractors etc. Yep, it was an engineering school!

EDIT: I wonder if we would be arrested if we did this today!

ROFL, cherish the memories. Sometimes I wish I were back there again..... (Hrmm... Old School gives me hope! :p)
 

MrSmithers

Senior member
Dec 31, 2002
500
0
0
This happened over a month ago (close to 2). Surprised it is making news somewhere this late. But yeah, it was stupid, and embarrasing to anyone that goes there <-me.

Smithers
 

iamwiz82

Lifer
Jan 10, 2001
30,772
13
81
Originally posted by: yellowfiero
Half a life ago, I remember having bottle rocket wars with the fraternity next door to ours. It was great fun. Some guys built precision bottle rocket launchers with pvc and protractors etc. Yep, it was an engineering school!

EDIT: I wonder if we would be arrested if we did this today!

What house were you? Now they try and shoot Flintoids who break into cars.
 

SuperPickle

Golden Member
Nov 1, 2001
1,256
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0
Some friends of mine and I used to blow off a similar little cannon to make noise. The thing makes about as much noise (in a subjective head-to-head comparison of sound) as a stick of TNT. ~20" long with a 1.5" bore and a 3/4" wall, we loaded it with a half-cup of black power and about a teaspoon of Pyrodex mixed and then packed newspaper as a wadding.

The thing was damn loud. Late one night after many beers, we loaded it a bit too heavy and the thing ruptured. It was the loudest thing I've ever heard and it tore the cast iron in three pieces like pealing a banana. We've since refrained from trying that again.
 

Amorphus

Diamond Member
Mar 31, 2003
5,561
1
0
Originally posted by: Yossarian
Originally posted by: Amorphus
Frats are absolutely useless.

they aren't, but don't let that get in the way of your generalizations.

You're right. We need facilities for those who can't find friends to pay to buy them. ;)
 

Analog

Lifer
Jan 7, 2002
12,755
3
0
Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Originally posted by: yellowfiero
Half a life ago, I remember having bottle rocket wars with the fraternity next door to ours. It was great fun. Some guys built precision bottle rocket launchers with pvc and protractors etc. Yep, it was an engineering school!

EDIT: I wonder if we would be arrested if we did this today!

What house were you? Now they try and shoot Flintoids who break into cars.

Phi Delts - we had wars with Fijis and Delta Tau Delta (each on either side) Fijis were more fun, as they were not concerned with fighting dirty - they had a below grade cement court yard, and when they started a rotten food fight with our house, someone decided to take a 55 gallon drum of used frying grease and dump it in their court yard. I think it took them a month to clean that up, then they got kicked off campus for drugs.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: yellowfiero
Half a life ago, I remember having bottle rocket wars with the fraternity next door to ours. It was great fun. Some guys built precision bottle rocket launchers with pvc and protractors etc. Yep, it was an engineering school!

EDIT: I wonder if we would be arrested if we did this today!

Heh, we just held them until they were about to blow, then tossed them. After a little bit of practice it's pretty accurate. I'm amazed that no one called the cops on us.
 

Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
50,879
4,267
126
I know a guy who made a home made cannon. He filled beer cans with concrete for projectiles.

He made it in his father in laws home shop. They took it out for a test fire and didn't really appreciate it's range or power. The can punched a whole through both sides of his father in laws barn :p

That was pretty dang funny :D
 

iamwiz82

Lifer
Jan 10, 2001
30,772
13
81
Originally posted by: yellowfiero
Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Originally posted by: yellowfiero
Half a life ago, I remember having bottle rocket wars with the fraternity next door to ours. It was great fun. Some guys built precision bottle rocket launchers with pvc and protractors etc. Yep, it was an engineering school!

EDIT: I wonder if we would be arrested if we did this today!

What house were you? Now they try and shoot Flintoids who break into cars.

Phi Delts - we had wars with Fijis and Delta Tau Delta (each on either side) Fijis were more fun, as they were not concerned with fighting dirty - they had a below grade cement court yard, and when they started a rotten food fight with our house, someone decided to take a 55 gallon drum of used frying grease and dump it in their court yard. I think it took them a month to clean that up, then they got kicked off campus for drugs.

Fiji is still around, albiet a dry house now.