Turned out that they imploded three buildings. Where we were standing we could only see two. They were on kind of a plaza, four high-rise public housing projects, tan brick, very ugly.
The neighborhood would have been scary if it had been late at night, or if there hadn't been a crowd. I spent about half my life in a big city with a lot of crime, and I know dangerous guys when I see them.
The police had cordoned off a perimeter of about two blocks all around the building, and we were right up by the yellow plastic tape, standing in the middle of a street that was blocked off. We were near the University of Maryland Medical Center, which I had been to several times on business, so I felt reasonably comfortable.
I saw people standing in the Medical School parking garage next to us and they had a better view, but they had passes, and there were some people standing on top of a building next to the buildings that were imploded that were awfully close, I bet they were the ones doing the demolition. And we had as good a vantage point as anyone other than those.
We had got a late start, I drove like a maniac (which is the way I ordinarily drive) and got there with just ten minutes to spare.
We stood in the street and just waited and watched. Some people had a radio, and all of a suddent the crowd started chanting "ten-nine-eight-seven-six-five-four-three-two-one!"
And then there was silence.
And then really, really loud booms, boom-boom-boom-boom-boom, louder than anything I've ever heard (I think - or maybe just on a completely different register). A noise unlike anything I've ever heard, a noise that would have been terrifying if unexpected.
And then the buildings just sorta collapsed, in slow motion. It reminded me of an avalanche. Like the reverse of a time lapse motion picture of buildings going up.
And then enormous clouds of yellow dust came billowing up, and rolling out and towards us down the streets and we ran back to the car to avoid breathing all that dust.
From start to finish the whole thing didn't take five seconds.
But it was awesome.
And then we went to the Museum, and saw the Archimedes palimpsest, and Dutch and Flemish paintings, and 12th century Japanese prints, as well as the regular collection, which is quite nice. |
