The new Arthur Ravenal Bridge, connecting Charleston and the East Cooper area was completed and opened to the public. That is was completed and then opened may seem to an “of course” thing but, if it is, you don’t know the South, New South or Old South. That left the two old bridges to be taken down.

The original plan was to sell them for scrap. That idea got scrapped when the best offer they got was 42 million to take them down. 42 million from the state to the demolition company. Old South or new South, that wasn’t going to fly. No, the state would take them down, haul the pieces to various place along the coast and set up artificial reefs. This would be a good ecological move. Create a haven for fish.

The difference between that and dumping scrap metal into the ocean to rust away is ecological move. It sounds better even if it is the same thing.

They were going to blow the bridges down in a controlled fashion. The bridges would come down in movable sizes. They were going to run a test on one section to show the public how it worked. It also put on a good show for the public.

Boom!!!

The section fell right where it was supposed to fall. It was set up to come down in 14 moveable sections. They sent a diver down to check the pieces to be sure.

Diver Leroy Williams was a pro. He went down and counted the pieces. Ten. He recounted the pieces. Eleven. He counted them again. Nine. He was getting frustrated. Doing that caused him to stop thinking clearly. That lead to his touching some clay like substance on one of the bigger pieces.

Boom!!!

Leroy flew about thirty feet into the air. He came back down, did a belly flop and came ashore.

“Mr. Williams, what happened?!”, the state guy yelled.

“Not really entirely sure I- hey! Didn’t I have two hands when I went down?”, he asked.

The state guy looked at the stump where Leroy’s right hand should have been and told him, “I don’t rightly know. I didn’t count them before you dived. I’m thinking you ought to know that your own self. The question is- are there 14 pieces as planned?”

“No, there’s less’n that. There’s probably more than 14 pieces of my hand down there, that’s for sure”, Leroy told him.

“Well, maybe the explosion what took your hand clean off also snapped the piece into smaller pieces”, the state guy said.

“Well, maybe so. I’ll go on down there and take a look see.”

"Okay, but, keep your hands- er, hand, off a things."