that is one big crater.
they are reporting 1 fatality now. 16 injuried.
It is very much meh now that we have learned it is a mere accident.
It was a little less meh when I was walking calmly but purposefully away from the unidentified incident with a loud, extended explosion and billowing smoke, trying to get my cell phone to connect so I could call my wife to tell her that I was all right and that I loved her.
Back at home! Had to walk home a slightly longer route than I would have, but oh well. At least I didn’t need to use the subway.
Dear God. Live steam is a terrible way to go.
I hope they can save the other critically injured guy, but… I wouldn’t bet on it.
I also hope that who ever does the clean up does better than ConEd did in the late 80’s early 90’s when they tried to deny that the insulation included asbestos.
Well…I’m stuck in my freakin office until midnight again so looks like it doesn’t effect my commute. :mad:
One of my coworkers who actually does get to leave at a regular hour was close enough to get covered in some kind of dust from the explosion.
I rate it slightly more exciting than the fake bomb scare we had in Times Square a few days ago.
In the good news/bad news department, it looks like my office is half a block outside the “frozen zone”, so I’ll be going in to work today. We’ll see how it is after I walk from a subway stop away after some morning meetings.
In the same department, I the news just reported that none of the air samples tested positive for asbestos, but some of the mud and debris samples did.
Thank you. And I’m glad Billdo and everyone is OK! What a scary little accident.
Without meaning any disrespect to the person who died, I’d like to repeat an observation my wife made upon seeing the initial report “Steam Explosion in New York Destroys a Transformer.” “That’s tragic,” she said, “so soon after their new movie was released.”
Sailboat
The trains are running normal now.
That’s wild-- I missed it by <30 minutes. My mom-in-law called me while I was in class to see if I was OK, and I had no idea what she was talking about. Good thing I had class, or I probably would have stayed at work a little later!
Not being familiar with big cities, why are there such large steam lines running underground? What’s the purpose?
Biggirl, The news reports I heard when I got home to Brooklyn said that initially the geyser was as high as the top of the Chrysler Building. I work in the Chrysler Building and had luckily decided not to stay and work late. So the trains were still running fine when I left work at 5:30 and I missed everything, thank og. I was 2 blocks away from the towers on 9/11 and had to get my ash-covered self home over the Brooklyn Bridge that day.
I hope everyone who was injured comes out of this okay, although there was reportedly one fatality (due to a heart attack). Today my law firm was closed (and may be tomorrow) so, since I’m a freelancer, I lose money.
Billdo, I’m leery of those air quality reports; initially the air reports for 9/11 emphatically stated there was nothing wrong with the air there either.
And for One afternoon, I’d agree with you.
But having every major network and several of the minor ones run constant coverage for 2 solid days running “Oh the Drama! Oh, wee-wee-wee, where were you when the plumbing failed…?” is a bit much for anyone to swallow.
Yes, one person died (and of a heart attack, not steam burns). Four times as many Americans have died in the Middle East since then.
Q: Is the air quality suspect?
A: Of Course it is! The Whitman Team lives on in DC and if you believe air quality is normal, you’re an Idiot. So? Home Depot sells painters masks to filter out particulate matter for 5 Bucks plus tax. Wear them to work until after it rains twice & then throw them away.
This is supposed to be ‘The Land of the Brave’, right? So lets collectively grow some balls and deal, OK?
“Wait! We’re Interupting this Posting because of a sudden drop in the Drama-Meter scale. For those who don’t know, that’s the Drama-Meter scale installed after 9-11 to gauge Drama-tastrophies and Irony Quakes. Lets go Live to Connie Chung. Connie…Can you hear me, Connie…? What doee that mean to our viewers, Connie…?” :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Hey, I work in the Chrysler Building too. Like you, I’d left the building just a few minutes before the incident.
I went to work this morning. It looks to me (I’m no expert) like things are being cleaned up pretty well. The Chrysler Building was open for business, although people had to enter and leave via the Kent Building, on Third Avenue. Phone service was (and still is) erratic, at least at my firm.
From what I heard at work today, everyone left the building pretty smoothly, although a few people told stories of a couple of big guys pushing through the people leaving the building via the stairwells, shoving people, including small women, out of their way. Disgusting. I worked in the Chrysler Building on 9/11 and at the time of the last blackout, and I saw a bit of the same creepy behavior.
If the guy died of a heart attack, it was cigarettes & fatty foods that killed him, not steam pipes.
You’re probably right. I’m off for a cheeseburger and a nice smoke after dinner. See you later.
Not if I see you first, Sunshine. 
Yesterday morning the rain and the flooding made me 40 minutes late for work (Manhattan to White Plains commute) so I stayed 40 minutes late to make up for it. Had I arrived at work on time and left on time like any other day, I would have been in Grand Central Terminal going from the Metro North to board the 7 when it exploded. I have to say I am pretty happy about being late to work yesterday!