DENVER
DENVER A
DENVER A CENTURY AGO. OUR WE HAVE THE STORY.
>> Reporter: 2 1/2 POUNDS OF
DYNAMITE WILL GET YOUR
ATTENTION.
IT'S
IT'S ENOUGH EXPLOSIVES TO TURN AN SUV INTO A CONVERTIBLE.
ON
ON A
ON A NOVEMBER MORNING IN 1919 FOUR SIMILARLY SIZED EXPLOSIONS
PUT A CHARGE INTO HOMECOMING
WEEK AT UNIVERSITY OF DENVER.
ACCORDING TO THE DENVER POST,
THE SHOCK WAVES BLUER OUT
WINDOWS ON CAMPUS AND STARTLED
STUDENTS.
STUDENTS.
STUDENTS. SOME OF THE DAMAGE IS STILL
VISIBLE TODAY.
VISIBLE TODAY. >> THAT'S THE KIND OF CRACK
THAT IS INDICATED SOMETHING
WENT LIKE THIS.
>> Reporter: UNIVERSITY
ARCHITECT MARK ROGERS POINTS
OUT THE PINS AND PLATES NEEDED
TO WRENCH UNIVERSITY HALL BACK
INTO ALIGNMENT.
INTO ALIGNMENT. >> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS
BUILDING, YOU START TO SEE THAT
SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE TO
HOLD THE BUILDING BACK TOGETHER
AGAIN.
AGAIN.
AGAIN. THE HISTORY WE HAVE INDICATES
THAT THEY PUT DYNAMITE INSIDE
THE BUILDING AND LIT IT OFF.
>> Reporter: TODAY THAT WOULD
BE CONSIDERED AN ACT OF
TERRORISM.
TERRORISM. BACK THEN IT WAS JUST A PRANK,
ALLEGEDLY PULLED OFF BY DU'S
MAIN FOOTBALL RIVAL, COLORADO
SCHOOL OF MINES.
>> EVEN OUR OWN YEAR BOOK
INDICATES THAT FROM 1919 THAT
THE STUDENTS ARE TALKING ABOUT
HOW THE MINES CAME OVER AND
DYNAMITED THE CAMPUS.
>> Reporter: HERE IT IS, THE
BOOK OF 1921.
AFTER OUR FRIENDS FROM GOLDEN
LOST THEIR HEADS AND SENSE OF
PROPRIETY AND ATTEMPTED TO
WRECK OUR BUILDINGS BY
PROMISCUOUS EXPLODING OF
DYNAMITE.
DYNAMITE.
DYNAMITE. >> WE DON'T TALK A WHOLE LOT
ABOUT THAT ALLEGED INCIDENT.
>> Reporter: THAT DOESN'T MEAN
MINES ATHLETIC DIRECTOR DAVID
HANSBURG ISN'T FAMILIAR WITH
THE TALE.
THE TALE.
THE TALE. >> BACK THEN IT WAS CERTAINLY
CLEAN FUN, BUT I DO THINK 20
STICKS OF DYNAMITE CERTAINLY
COULD BE CONSTRUED AS EXCESSIVE
FORCE.
FORCE.
FORCE. >>
FORCE. >> Reporter: EXCESSIVE SUMS UP
WHAT HAPPENED LATER THAT DAY.
>> WHAT WAS GOING ON BACK AT
MINES WHEN OUR STUDENTS WENT
BACK OVER THERE TO --
>> Reporter: TO GET EVEN.
>> WELL, AT LEAST ADD
DECORATION TO A BIG GIANT M ON
THE SIDE OF THE HILL.
>> Reporter: BIG MISTAKE.
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS
REPORTED THE GROUP WAS
CAPTURED, THEIR HEADS SHAVED
AND BRANDED WITH SCARLET
LETTERS IN SILVER NITRATE
MEANING THOSE Ms DIDN'T COME
OFF FOR MONTHS LIKE PRISONERS
OF WAR, THEY WERE PARADED
THROUGH TOWN ALONG WITH A
DENVER POST REPORTER WHO HAD
BEEN KIDNAPPED FOR WHAT MINES
CONSIDERED SLANDEROUS COVERAGE.
KEEP IN MIND 100 YEARS AGO
DENVER WAS STILL CONSIDERED TO
BE THE WILD WEST.
SO HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THIS
LEVEL OF MADNESS AND MAYHEM?
CHALK IT UP TO SCHOOL SPIRIT.
>> OUR UNIVERSITY AND MINES
WERE OBVIOUSLY VERY COMPETITIVE
IN FOOTBALL AND THAT RIVALRY
GOT TO A STAGE THAT MOST OF US
WOULD NEVER IMAGINE.
>>
>> Reporter: THE POST REPORTED THE TWO STUDENT BODIES AGREED
TO A CEASEFIRE ALLOWING FOR
FOOTBALL, BUT THE SCORE WASN'T
SETTLED ON THE FIELD AS
CHRONICLED IN THEIR SCHOOL
BOOK.
BOOK.
BOOK. THE
BOOK. THE GAME WAS A DUD.
>> THE DAY WAS COLD AND THE
SNOW ABOUT 3 INCHES DEEP AND
THE GAME RESULTED IN A
SCORELESS TIE.
>>
>> Reporter: LESS THAN 24 HOURS LATER AN EXPLOSION ROCKED
GOLDEN AND DESTROYED A GOOD
CHUNK OF THE ICONIC M. I
AGAINST YOU COULD SAY THIS FEUD
ALSO ENDED IN A TIE.
IT CERTAINLY EXPLAINS WHY
THERE'S BARBED WIRE ON MOUNT
ZION.
ZION.
ZION. I
ZION. I TOLD YOU THIS STORY WOULD
BLOW YOUR MIND.
>>
>> OUR
>> OUR THANKS TO THE DENVER POLICE BOMB SQUAD FOR AN EYE
OPENING DEMONSTRATION.
OPENING DEMONSTRATION. IT TOOK THE THREAT OF MILITARY
ACTION FROM THE GOVERNOR FOR
THE TWO SCHOOLS TO FINALLY COOL
IT.
IT.
IT. NOBODY WAS EVER CHARGED FOR
THOSE PRANKS, BUT WITH A WINK
THE SCHOOL OFFICIAL FROM MINES
TOLD ME THEIRS IS THE ONLY NCAA
LOGO THAT INCLUDES A STICK OF
DYNAMITE.
>>
>> THAT'S
>> THAT'S WILD. >> THAT'S A WINK.
>> ISN'T THAT SOMETHING?
AND A SCORELESS TIE.
>>