 |
Is Dome's demise a date with fate?
Pieces will fall into place as dust settles March 26
Saturday, March 4, 2000
By ROBERT L. JAMIESON Jr.
Mark your calendar. The day of the Kingdome's demise -- March 26 -- is drawing near.
Blast crews had considered March 19. But not wanting to leave much to chance, they pushed back the date to ensure safety.
For believers of fate -- or marvelers of coincidence -- the choice of date is wired with intrigue.
Seattle fire engines -- stocked with the fruits of Martin's genius -- will be on hand for the blast, which begins at 8:30 a.m.
"The roof will look like choreography (as it collapses)," explained Thomas Gerlach of Turner Construction, the company overseeing the demolition. Gerlach, who announced the implosion date yesterday, added, "Once (the Kingdome) hits the ground, there will be a lot of dust."
Experts say the dust -- buoyed by expected winds out of the south and southwest -- will drift toward the International District and Pioneer Square, before thinning in an hour.
A little dust may not be such a bad thing -- at least according to Robert Frost, born on March 26, 1874, whose muse was inspired by grit in flight:
Still, demolition crews want an injury-free implosion. So Seattle police and fire officials plan to set up a 1,000-foot safety perimeter around the Kingdome. (Final details of that perimeter will be released soon.)
Officials also are encouraging people to watch from home -- either on television or via the Web. Of course, many curious people are planning to hold blast parties or gather at high points in the city such as the Amazon.com headquarters on Beacon Hill and the West Seattle bridge -- two places with great views of the Dome.
No doubt they will have cameras and camcorders for that picture-perfect moment which, given the date, is auspiciously timed -- on March 26, 1885, the Eastman Film Company manufactured the first commercial motion picture film.
Network television and media from across the world plan to watch the Dome go down. It's not every day one of the biggest concrete domes in the world is imploded.
Sadly, Capt. James T. Kirk of "Star Trek" won't be around to bid adieu to the saucer-like Dome that some people felt could have lasted another 1,000 years.
Kirk, captain of the USS Enterprise, won't be born until March 26, 2228, according to an Internet history site. But Mr. Spock -- well actually Leonard Nimoy, the actor who plays the stoic Vulcan on "Star Trek" -- could see the Dome go.
But on March 26, Nimoy is celebrating a milestone -- his birthday.
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
On March 26 in 1872, Thomas J. Martin patented the fire extinguisher.
An unidentified workman directs traffic near the Kingdome as crews prepare the the Seattle landmark for demolition. Paul Joseph Brown/P-I
"...Some dust thrown in my eyes
Will keep my talk from getting overwise
I'm not the one for putting off the proof
Let it be overwhelming, off a roof
And round a corner, a blizzard snow for dust
And blind me to a standstill if it must."
· Web of support buoys presidential candidates
· Public Health suing two bars for letting customers light up
· 'Nickelsville' moves to U District
· Calif. man charged in sex crime spending time in Seattle
· Measuring McCain as a political 'maverick'
· Feds link prescription drug ring to Poulsbo
· Burien man who killed 3 for money sentenced to 97 years in prison
· Woman accused of Seattle-area brothel conspiracy
· Mother charged with abandonment
· Neighborhood funds program marks 20 years
· Settlement reached in fatal crane collapse in Bellevue
· City considers buying Vancouver newspaper building
more
101 Elliott Ave. W.
Seattle, WA 98119
(206) 448-8000
Home Delivery: (206) 464-2121 or (800) 542-0820
seattlepi.com serves about 1.7 million unique visitors
and 30 million page views each month.
Send comments to newmedia@seattlepi.com
Send investigative tips to iteam@seattlepi.com
©1996-2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Terms of Use/Privacy Policy
