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Inside Embrey Soldiers are busy preparing Embrey Dam for demolition later this month Date published: 2/13/2004 By RUSTY DENNEN • Embrey Dam special section: Photos, video, stories, history and details of the breach
FROM A DISTANCE, Fredericksburg's Embrey Dam looks almost like a postcard, with brown water tumbling over it to a pool below. From inside the dam, soldiers with the Army's 544th Engineer Dive Detachment at Fort Eustis have discovered it's a whole different world as they prepare to blast a 100-foot section of it into oblivion 10 days from now. On the catwalk inside the dam, smooth water morphs into a roaring torrent. The walkway runs the 770-foot length of the structure. An eerie light pierces the veil of water to illuminate its tomblike interior. Standing on the gritty path in the belly of the dam is like being swallowed by a waterfall. There's a palpable rumbling from the friction of water on concrete, making it seem as if the very structure were alive. Spray from the tumbling water coats everything. Beneath the dam, flotsam--barrels, trash, logs, a worn basketball--circulates endlessly in the currents. Raising his voice over the roar of the Rappahannock River, Staff Sgt. Earnest Vance explained Wednesday afternoon's task: "We've been boring holes to get some critical testing done." In the water below, two divers worked in the 35-degree waters to gauge the composition and thickness of the concrete. They donned special dry suits--insulated, waterproof garments, which prevent hypothermia in icy conditions. Above, others moved hydraulic drilling equipment along the catwalk and strung wire safety lines where handrails have long since worn away. They face some challenges: The steel-reinforced concrete is harder than expected. One section is 18 inches thick, so the dive team had to try several different types of drills to cut through the concrete. The soldiers say they're prepared for anything. "This is standard for us. We work in the cold. [Underwater], it's hard to see. It's not really that bad under there," Vance said. Army divers do many training exercises and have worked all around the world. On this project, the soldiers need to get the boring down pat so that hundreds of holes can be drilled and explosives placed where needed.
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