folklore: The Vanguard Motion Analyzer

edge.com says...

They were some temporary buildings, trailers really. I think you're right, they were behind the just down the block from the new-ish Physics bldg, I think Spence Labs is on that site now, it's sort of uphill from the old Seashore Hall area. I think Spence Labs was built around 72-74, so the old temps were put there until construction could begin, to get some use out of the land. I recall there were several temps, with IBM keypunch machines and I think there was a punch card reader for RJE, and a line printer, I think the temps were used by the physics dept, or maybe for compsci. IIRC there's a Physical Plant substation on the exact site now. I suppose I should go down and get the layout of the area to be accurate, but I don't know if that adds much to the story. This was the only attack I know of in that time frame in IC that really managed to hit the target successfully.

It wouldn't have taken much dynamite to destroy these temp buildings, they were flimsy, cheap things. The Weathermen did a few dynamitings in the IC area during that time, I recall they left a plant in a trash can on Dubuque Street, right in front of the old Comer's Tobacconist, across from my dad's flower shop. I don't know what the target was, I don't think the Weathermen had any interest in attacking tobacconists or florists. The plant was right across the street from my dad's shop, which had huge plate glbutt windows 10 feet tall. The windows were stronger than the blast, they didn't break, but the metal frames holding the windows were bent seriously, the windows were pushed inward several inches. IIRC the police estimated the blast was the equivalent of about 3 sticks of dynamite, but it was out in the middle of the sidewalk so the blast pretty much evaporated into the air, nothing to channel it into any direction.