quote [ A steam pipe exploded as the work day began in New York City July 19, opening a hole in the busy Flatiron District of Manhattan and sending steam spewing several stories into the sky...New York City is home to the largest steam-power system in the world, first set up in the 1880s. Beneath the streets, 105 miles of pipes snake from five steam generating plants to 2,000 of the city’s buildings, providing heating and cooling. Restaurants and hospitals use that same steam to disinfect things. In the winter, when demand for steam heat is highest, 10 million pounds of steam move through the system per hour, according to Con Edison, the city’s electricity and steam utility. ]