Jet of steam sending residents running for cover amid a towering geyser of steam.
An underground Steam Pipe burst shooting plumes of steam, sometimes white and sometimes muddy brown, shooting into the air from a gaping hole in the street near the train station and was as high as the nearby Chrysler Building. The air near the site was filled with debris.
Heiko H. Thieme, an investment banker, had mud splattered on his face, pants and shoes. He said the explosion was like a volcano. "Everybody was a bit confused, everybody obviously thought of 9/11."
Darryl Green, who works with AT&T, said the buildings shook, so he and his colleagues dashed down 30 flights of stairs.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070718/ap_on_re_us/manhattan_explosion