Demolition Day (or days...)

Demolition Day (or Days....)
13 November 2008

All pictures taken on 12 Nov. 2008. Since Armistice Day - a term I read in a WW One pilot's log book and has stuck with me ever since - Nov 11 - is a quasi-holiday, I suspect demolition was held over that day. But there it is, last stand of the 'Wick.



Most of the morning was spent in preparation. The actual demolition did not start until approx 2:35 PM, EST.





I know the warning signs are required by law & various codes of safety, but sometimes I wonder if we aren't just pushing redundancy to the extreme anymore.






The last "residents" of the 'Wick flee. The chimney nearest York Street did appear to hold a nest for two pidgeons, but I cannot say for certain, only that I saw two of them very often.







The machine operator, if I may be forgiven the term, was quite "gentle" and although working quickly, brought the 'Wick down in a very controlled manner







We knew the old hotel had been added onto over 100years ago, but here is the first, and perhaps only look at the inner roof we are likely to get.

One terrible loss is that due to asbestos, no recovery of materials such as the tin roof, wood beams, etc, or through examination of the building will ever take place. For example, the London free Press newspapers on microfiche and microfilm at the public library are incomplete, we have periods that are missing.

It is not uncommon when tearing down an old building like this to find old city directories, old newspapers, or some other pleasant surprize. In this specific situation, we have a large "memory hole" in the years of 1857 to roughly 1862, due to the depression of that era. Many missing or non-existant documents and books. For exmaple, we have no (known) copies of any city directory form 1858 or 59.

Being able to examine a building like this, sometimes, not always, but sometimes you find something that fills in a little gap. But not now.





Last look for me, around 3:30 pm. As I write this the demoltion was expected to last into as far as Friday. One terrible issue, completely unconfirmed but must be investigated was did the fire kill anyone? It was known for a fact that people were sneaking into the ruins of th e 'Wick before the fire - I myself saw the steel fence moved about many times - and the great fear is some of our homeless may have been sleeping in there to avoid the cold when the fire start.

I hope not, and I pray investigation today and/or tommorrow by the Fire Marshal proves this possiblity wrong, but this issue explains why the site was watched like a Hawk since the fire.

more later..