Xcel Energy topples St. Paul smokestack
by The Associated Press

ST. PAUL -- A 570-foot smokestack that towered over St. Paul's riverfront is nothing but a pile of bricks.

Xcel Energy imploded the structure Saturday morning. The power company says the 36-year-old smokestack will be replaced by cleaner energy.

The implosion took place at 7:30 a.m. when the smokestack cracked at the base, then toppled over like a tree and crashed into a huge cloud of dust.

Xcel spokesman Tom Hoen says the implosion went just as planned. The implosion was triggered by a small explosive charge in the stack's base.