As far as an individual experience, I’ll relate the following:
In the early or mid-1980s, the Robert E. Lee Bridge over the James River was being replaced. This was about 3 blocks from where I was living at the time. The old bridge (big, old, stone, brick, multiple arch thing about 3/4 mile long) was scheduled to be blown up on a Sunday morning in spring. The whole scene proved too exciting for us to pass up, so we got dosed and went and watched them blow up a bridge.
I recall the “Five, Four, Three, Two, One” part very vividly (you can imagine what that sounded like over a bullhorn on a quiet Sunday under the influence- welll, actually, maybe you can’t) but then the blasts went off and the whole thing collapsed into the river. It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever experienced. One second the bridge is there, one second later its replaced by explosions, stuff flying all around, the crowd cheering (all while I’m in a super heightened place). It completely dumbfounded me for several hours.
