Let Off Some Steam

Many years ago I worked as a surveyor's assistant for Con Edison. There were time i got to see the inside of gigantic power plants and walk tunnels under the ground, where I could see some of the incredible underground infrastructure of the city. Sometimes a passenger will aske me about these pipes that protrude from the streets of New York. They are venting an enormous system of steam that is a by product of the electrical power generating process. This steam is used in many buildings in Manhattan, for heat, air conditioning and running elevators. Really is quite somethng when you think about it.