30 minutes ago, fall of a Dallas Landmark - Arcadia Theater
In the most bizarre coincidence, I happened to go to work early and drive down a street I never usually traverse in the mornings, lower Greenville Avenue, and I happened to see the crew demolishing the remains of the magnificient Arcadia Theater which was irreparably damaged in a recent fire. The two cranes worked a section of the building back and forth until it fell, and I caught the structure mid-fall. I suppose they are spraying water on the demolition to keep electrical fires from erupting. It was rather windy, and water was streaming from my eyes, but I don't know if it was sadness or the wind that made me cry. I saw dozens of momentous concerts in this venue, and I'm sorry that I've seen the last of it.
posted by phlegmfatale at 10:09 AM
8 Comments:
Know what you mean about old buildings and how, when they are gone, the replacement will probably be less enticing. Most of the buildings on the campus where I went to college are gone: the old gym with pool in the basement, and the technical library with bare light bulbs hanging between the stacks, among others.
I am now taking pictures, here in central MO , of old wooden barns. They are fast falling apart as people refuse to keep them covered with a good roof and are being replaced with the "Morgan Building" style of structural minimalism.
Thanks for dropping by my blog.
It is always sad to see cultural landmarks, especially those tied to our memories, be destroyed. I'm happy that you got the chance to see it one last time though.
phlemmy, the water is probably to quench any flare-ups from smoldering embers that might be buried in the rubble if the fire was only a few days ago. It could also be to hold down the dust. The power to the structure was shut off already. And you really, really don't want to spray water on an electrical fire.
goatman - bummer about the loss of the old campus buildings. You know what's funny about those old barns is flooring companies pay boatloads of money for that wood because it's usually old-growth timber and they can slice it up for very expensive veneers for flooring they sell for yet more boatloads of money. Pity about the poor old things falling down and being replaced with ugly unremarkable modern structures.
victoria - yeah, it's sad, but life moves on, doesn't it?
myron - Well, the structure burned months ago - I guess I was sorta thinking that there was some live electrical juice floating around in the wiring somewhere. I know, that's silly. Wow - water on an electrical fire - what happens?
Water is a conductor. Electricity will travel back to the hose and ZAP.
I thought I replied but maybe I only previewed. What an you expect from an ol' pharte? Anyway, water is a conductor. Spray water on burning, energized electrical equipment and ZAP!
myron - you DID reply, and thanks. Yeah, now that you mention it, I feel like a huge dork for not realizing the water-and-electricity-don't-mix maxim that of course, I've known all my life!
I just googled about this fire and boy, was that a big'un.... Alas, I'll say, lamented as it may have been, it had to go, didn't it.... This is the saddest of the three demolition photos, though.
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