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CNN Live Today
Fredericksburg Prepares for Dam Demolition
Aired February 23, 2004 - 11:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: This next story is a real blast. Literally.
Let's go live to Fredericksburg, Virginia, where the countdown is on for that big bang -- the demolition of a dam over the Rappahannock River. Bob Barnard of our affiliate WTTG is there in the anticipation of that moment.
Bob -- good morning.
BOB BARNARD, CNN AFFILIATE WTTG REPORTER: Good morning to you, Daryn.
We're about a half-mile from Embrey Dam. They want to keep us this far way. They say we're going to hear it and feel it. We don't know how much all we're going to see. But take a look around. Half of the city of Fredericksburg is here. The kids are out of school. The school said that was just fine.
This dam that these people are about to see blown up, basically -- at least a good 100-foot chunk of it -- has stood for 100 years. And they're about to see a show.
Let's take you up above. We have our helicopter live right now showing you this 770-foot long dam. It's 22-feet high. And what the U.S. Army's dive team that's here, a bunch of engineers, are putting 650 pounds of plastic explosives. They're setting it into the reinforced concrete, and they are going to blow this dam at five after 12:00. They're calling it a breach.
The people here are hoping to see quite a bit of a show. Again, they say we're going to feel it, hear it, and we don't know what all we're going to see, but it's billed as a pretty big show, the best thing here since the Fourth of July in the city of Fredericksburg.
This dam, after 100 years, is no longer needed. It was built originally between 1908 and 1910 to provide a water supply and electricity to the city of Fredericksburg. It hasn't been needed for those dual purposes for about 30 years.
And environmental groups have been saying the American shad, a fish in this area, a saltwater fish that leaves the Chesapeake Bay and spawns upstream, could use the extra hundred or so miles that it's going to get when this river flows freely again, Daryn, in less than an hour here.
And we're going to have the show, and you'll probably see it on CNN later on this afternoon.
KAGAN: Yes, we will have it to show our viewers. Thank you so much, Bob Barnard. Good luck with the big blast.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired February 23, 2004 - 11:35 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: This next story is a real blast. Literally.
Let's go live to Fredericksburg, Virginia, where the countdown is on for that big bang -- the demolition of a dam over the Rappahannock River. Bob Barnard of our affiliate WTTG is there in the anticipation of that moment.
Bob -- good morning.
BOB BARNARD, CNN AFFILIATE WTTG REPORTER: Good morning to you, Daryn.
We're about a half-mile from Embrey Dam. They want to keep us this far way. They say we're going to hear it and feel it. We don't know how much all we're going to see. But take a look around. Half of the city of Fredericksburg is here. The kids are out of school. The school said that was just fine.
This dam that these people are about to see blown up, basically -- at least a good 100-foot chunk of it -- has stood for 100 years. And they're about to see a show.
Let's take you up above. We have our helicopter live right now showing you this 770-foot long dam. It's 22-feet high. And what the U.S. Army's dive team that's here, a bunch of engineers, are putting 650 pounds of plastic explosives. They're setting it into the reinforced concrete, and they are going to blow this dam at five after 12:00. They're calling it a breach.
The people here are hoping to see quite a bit of a show. Again, they say we're going to feel it, hear it, and we don't know what all we're going to see, but it's billed as a pretty big show, the best thing here since the Fourth of July in the city of Fredericksburg.
This dam, after 100 years, is no longer needed. It was built originally between 1908 and 1910 to provide a water supply and electricity to the city of Fredericksburg. It hasn't been needed for those dual purposes for about 30 years.
And environmental groups have been saying the American shad, a fish in this area, a saltwater fish that leaves the Chesapeake Bay and spawns upstream, could use the extra hundred or so miles that it's going to get when this river flows freely again, Daryn, in less than an hour here.
And we're going to have the show, and you'll probably see it on CNN later on this afternoon.
KAGAN: Yes, we will have it to show our viewers. Thank you so much, Bob Barnard. Good luck with the big blast.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
