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14th Con Ed Station Gets Freaky
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 16, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 16, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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We got this email:
I was just curious if you guys heard anything about the noise coming from the Con Ed plant at 14th Street and D last night. I live in Stuy Town, on 14th between B and C (well, I'm actually inside a bit, but between those blocks). Last night a little before 11 there was a ridiculously loud roaring sound coming from the plant. It seemed to be controlled because it would be on for like 5 seconds, then off for 30, then repeat. Seemed to go on for at least 20 minutes. Something like this has happened before, but it is usually for only a few seconds and never so late at night. I wasn't that concerned, but after watching a suitcase nuke go off on 24 last night, I was a little jumpy. I called 311, who connected me to Con Ed, who connected me to 911, who connected me to the fire department. By the time I was able to explain myself, I was disconnected, but was able to over hear "another explosion complaint at 14th and D," so apparently I wasn't the only one that thought something may be wrong.
The only explanation we could find is that the Fire Department said steam was being released. And not only were Manhattanites near the Con Ed plant worried, a "large crowd in Brooklyn at McGuinness Boulevard and Eagle Street" was upset as well.
plemeljr took this photograph wrote, "Those 'explosion' sounds which started around 2255 (10:55 pm) were from the 14th Street ConEd cogeneration plant. Apparently the cogeneration plant was letting off steam, for reasons I am sure will become apparent in a few days... Even the cops who rolled by when they saw all the people didn't know what was going on... Nice." And the Daily Intelligencer heard one women "bedecked in eccentric chinoiserie" say, "This hasn't happened once in 25 years. If that thing blows up, we're all fucked."
Do you know why Con Ed had the loud burps? Will a terrible smell be waft through the city, or is it backwards month?
Update: Other readers have written in to say the sound "wasn't unlike the sound of pilings being driven into the bedrock" and that they left their homes to see what was going on. Balboni, get on this!
Photograph by plemeljr on Flickr
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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