NEW ORLEANS, La. (Todd Price/The Advertiser)- Engineers hurried to attach explosives to two unstable cranes Friday at the site of the partially collapsed Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans’ French Quarter.

Originally, the city hoped to bring down the listing cranes by the end of the day Friday, before a tropical system brought stronger winds to the area. That deadline, however, could not be met. The damaged cranes, which continue to move and sway, are now down until midday Saturday at the earliest.

“Now it’s crunch time,” said New Orleans Fire Chief Tim McConnell. “I would have loved to have gotten it down before the wind came through.”

The cranes could be demolished 15 minutes after the engineers, who have experience at both the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists attacks in New York and the 1995 bombing in Oklahoma City, finish their work.

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