Wife Tries To Abort And Poison Husband's Lovechild
Man Injured By Tree Limb Files Suit Against City
Charles Barron Will Run For Council Speaker
Alleged Tiger Mistress Is Unrecognizable To Dead Fiancee's Dad
New Jersey State Senate To Vote On Gay Marriage
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
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
seems to happen every few months. I noticed this happen a few months ago at 3am too ...
It was letting off steam... must've had a bad day.
HA.
i was wondering what that was, i heard it over in greenpoint, i thought the waste treament plant was farting.
It sounded like a large dragon. Fire-breathing.
Thanks a lot for spoiling 24 for those of us who didn't watch last night.
It sounded like a large dragon. Fire-breathing.
Scariest thing I've ever heard...
Another reason NOT to move to Stuy Town.
As I said in contribute last night, this happens every few months. The only serious issue is when a Generator exploded a few years ago after some noises like this.
See contribute. EMS/FDNY was dispatched.
i heard it in g'point a few blocks from mccarren park. it sounded very much like a large truck downshifting on the bqe except it was happening every thirty seconds or so.
We heard it from near St Marks place, it was a soothing sound though, I liked it. Rhythmic.
i heard it in g'point a few blocks from mccarren park. it sounded very much like a large truck downshifting on the bqe except it was happening every thirty seconds or so.
From what little I know about cogeneration plants, there's probably a release of steam either when the plant undergoes maintenance or when the steam host does not require it. Since Con Ed is, I'm fairly sure, also the steam host, and uses the steam for heating, this last explanation is less convincing.
HEARD IT FROM MY HOUSE AT METROPOLITAN AND UNION.
I AGREE WITH THE TRUCK DOWNSHIFTING COMMENT...PRETTY SIMILAR
I called 311 last night too and the operator transferred me to 911. I just wanted to know what the noise was.
I live right by the Astoria plant, and this kind of noise is pretty regular out here.
Hardly a soothing noise for those living within 5-10 blocks of it.
i hear that jet engine sound every 5-6 months coming from the detention center complex on baxter street... it lasts from 2am to 5am. i constantly make noise complaints to 311 but the people who handle such noise complaints don't come out to check on the problem from 2-5am... so they never believe my complaint. sneaky.
I thought it was Godzilla. Sounded like he was all pissed off and out breathing fire again. I fled up the Hudson as quick as I could. Made it back shortly after midnight when the sound subsided. I never saw the creepy, green lizard. Did you?
I heard it all the way at 30th st and the FDR
Used to live near there for about 6 years, this happened all the time. So, to the new guy in the hood - get used to it
I live on 14th and C, right by the plant. It was apparently releasing steam due to a buildup within the plant - according to FDNY About 20 years ago there was a fire in the plant, before which steam was released in a similar manner.