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Feb 9, 2008 7:16 am US/Eastern
Stubborn St. Francis Won't Go Down Easily
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
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Demolition crews planned to tear down the former St. Francis Hospital in the Hill District to make way for the new multipurpose arena, but the building isn't going down without a fight.
KDKA
Demolition crews planned to tear down the former St. Francis Hospital in the Hill District to make way for the new multipurpose arena, but the building isn't going down without a fight.
The Sports and Exhibition Authority decided not to use explosives to demolish the building.
Instead, crews are severing the columns, wrapping each of them with a big thick cable, then tugging on the cable with an excavator.
The columns are supposed to come down one by one and theoretically, the building should fall eventually.
The excavator pulled out the first beam, but the second one wouldn't budge.
After breaking two cables, crews decided to give up on the stubborn column and planned to try pulling on the other side of the building.
Also, the excavator couldn't get any traction on the other side because of mud.
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