Manhole Blowhole (Stunning Video)

ChicoER Gate ^ | 1/4/10 | Chuck Wolk

[OneVike]

We have all seen those manhole covers in the road or even on the sidewalks.  Usually we just walk or drive over them without giving them a second thought.  About the only time we may actually put any extended amount of thought into them is when we see a utility or sewage worker climbing in or out of the hole they cover.  During heavy rain storms when the sewage tunnels are flooded you may even see water bubbling out of them. Depending where the manhole is located, sometimes the water in the sewage will build up with so much pressure that a geyser will erupt from a manhole, I prefer to use the term blowhole. For those who may not be familiar with the term, the word blowhole is usually used to describe either a biological function or a geological phenomenon.

The biological blowhole is what we typically see in whales, dolphins, and porpoises. The blowhole is the hole at the top of the cetacean's head. (example at left is a bottleneck Dolphin) This is the hole through which the animal breathes air. When a cetacean reaches the water surface to breathe, they will forcefully expel air through the blowhole, as with the whale in the photo to the right. However, not only is air expelled, but mucus and nitrogen from the animal's metabolism, which has been stored in the whale while diving is expelled from the hole. The exhalation is released into the comparably lower-pressure, colder atmosphere, and any water vapor condenses. This spray, known as the blow, is often visible from far away as a white splash, which can also be partially caused by water resting on top of the blowhole.

There are different kinds of geological blowholes.  One is created from sea caves that have grown landwards and upwards into vertical shafts that are exposed towards the surface. As water is forced into the lower portions of the caves, the caverns fill and eventually the water is forced out the top opening of the blowhole, as seen in the photo to the left. Another geological blowhole is the rare feature in which air is either blown out or sucked into a small hole at the surface due to pressure differences between a closed underground cavern system and the surface. The blowholes of Wupatki National Monument, like the one with the girl in the photo to the right, are examples of such a phenomenon. It is estimated that the closed underground passages have a volume of at least seven billion cubic feet, which creates wind speeds of almost 30 mph. In the case of this video, I would say that it fits quite well in the category of a man made geological phenomenon.  Thus the term, "A Manhole Blowhole. 

As for the video below, it was filmed on I-35 at 35th Street in Minneapolis by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The video is actually two videos spliced together, because it happened twice. The first part was filmed on July 3, 1999 and the second part was filmed 5 years later on July 11, 2004. Another interestingly part of this manhole blowhole incident is that they both happened at about 5:30 in the morning.

The first one with the car being damaged is all over the web and the claim is that it took place in Calgary Canada. However, when I found the second one I realized that it was the exact same place as the first. You can read the article about the second video in the StarTribune.com web site archives. As of right now, this is the only video that has both incidents included in it. Give it a day or two an I am sure it will be copied.

One more thing before you watch the video. The article I linked to addresses the fact that the city and the state were in the process of working on the problem in 2004. Something I keep asking myself every time I watch the video is why were all the people flying down the highway as if they were oblivious to the danger? Well without further a due, I present to you a Manhole Blowhole.

Stunning Video of A Manhole Blowhole

[OneVike]

Makes you wonder if they ever fixed this. I mean, just because I only found these two videos, does not mean they fixed the problem. After all we are talking about government agency that allowed a bridge to collapse into the Mississippi, while they conveniently blamed George Bush. Then you look at the way every state has squandered billions of tax dollars maybe, just maybe Minnesota and Minneapolis were hoping the problem would just go away like the Metrodome issue. Seems to me the only thing going away in Minnesota is the Vikings, who may soon find themselves playing in a new stadium being built in sunny LA.

[A.A. Cunningham]

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[OneVike]

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An interesting geyser that spews from the tunnels of Minneapolis. Not once but two times in the exact same place just 8 days off from being at the exact same time 5 years later. Quite a site to see.........

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[DManA]

The sooner they leave the better. We’ve been fighting these greedy SOB over stadiums for 2 generations now.

[Larry Lucido]

Here is a direct link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD29Z5aCe3k&feature=player_embedded

[OneVike]

The Vikings play in the Stadium 8, 10 times if they make the playoffs and get home field advantage, per year. Yet, the Dome has been an average of 330 days a year for non football venues over the last 29 years. Seems to me that when the Stadium and the Vikings are gone, the state of Minn will be losing billions of tax dollars in revenue over the years to come.

Also, the Vikings make the least amount of money off the stadium then every professional Football and Baseball team in America. However, the state of Minn and the city of Minneapolis make an average of 100 times the amount of money the Viking s made. It will be the states loss.

Why do you think the city of Cleveland cried until they built and got a new team? Wake up, stadiums are big tax revenue entities and job producers for every state and city that has them. Again, you loss will be LA's gain.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[r9etb]

Nice one.

[al baby]

[DManA]

That is simply nonsense. People spend discretionary dollars to buy football tickets. They will spend those dollars on other of the plentiful entertainments available.

The Metrodome will still be there to host all the other things tha go on there 330 days a year.

[OneVike]

The Metrodome is falling apart from the inside out. I give it 5 years and they will tear it down. There ius a reason the set the lease for the Viking to be expired in 2012, that is the life of the place. Look, we are not talking about the friggen Roman Coliseum here. We are talking about an ill conceived concept who’s designers were warned of what would happen if they built it this way.

Mike Lynn, the former GM of the Vikings, had a deal with the contractors and company that designed it so he pushed for it. Now Lynn has been gone for over 12 years, but he is set to make $1,000,000.00 a year until 1915 regardless if the dome or Vikings are there or not.

All this is easy to look up. The dome is set to be destroyed by the end of the decade if it does not fall down by itself. So when it is gone, where will the venues be played out at? they will not because the voters will never ever agree to build a stadium if there is no team to play there. As I said, Minnesota’s loss, but I would expect a bunch of liberal Democrats and and Rinos’ to do what you and others are doing.

Blind because your nose is out of joint over the possibility that a millionaire might make a few bucks.

[DManA]

It wasn’t ill conceived. It’s provided wonderful service for 30 years. With proper maintenance it could provide another 30 years.

I rejoice at the idea of millionaires creating wealth. I will complain to the high heavens when millionaires raid the State treasure to augment their wealth.

Here’s an idea. If the Minnesota franchise can’t afford to build a stadium, why not have their partners in the NFL kick in some bucks. Say $10 mil per team? $10 mil is nothing to them. A crummy third string quarterback.

[OneVike]

Do you really think all these other events really want to be held in a stadium that may kill the people coming there?

The idea the stadium can last another 30 years is a bunch of crap. Quit listening to the flaming liberals who have been putting out lie after lie from fax machines in the basement of the sierra club.

[DManA]

You want to raise taxes to pay for a stadium for the benefit of a few elites and I’M the RINO.

L..O..L.

[N3WBI3]

Sorry but I’ve only been in the metro for ten years (and I am a packers fan to boot) but I have to chime in here..

The state has a 6 billion dollar deficit no way can they be throwing around the kind of money the vikings want thrown around...

What should happen is a refit of the Metrodome for FB only similar to what the Bills did to Rich Stadium..

Add the boxes and nice things they want, maybe it drops the capacity slightly. Finally in the case of the Metrodome replace (or remove) the roof.

That stadium is in a great location and is sized well for football. Any talk about building a stadium outside of Minneapolis or Saint Paul (preferably near the down town core) needs to die, quickly!

[DManA]

They are replacing the roof panels right now. They should have been replaced a few years ago.

[DManA]

The NFL apparently can’t make sufficient profit with just the product they put on the field. It needs to be complimented by the novelty of a new stadium every few years - Taxpayer supplied of course.

[OneVike]

The state has a 6 billion dollar deficit no way can they be throwing around the kind of money the vikings want thrown around...
,br />Thus my original statement that the Viking will be playing in LA or elsewhere soon.

Look, I live in Ca, I would love to drive down South and visit my sister while checking out a home game.

I disagree about the profit loss statements being bantered about. However I do agree that it is a moot point. They should have made a deal when they could have built a new one at around 500 mill. But the left screwed around filling everyone's head with propaganda about millionaire owners and players. Now, even if they agree it will cost more than a billion, and it would not even be ready to use until 2015.

Look, the Vikings could leave right now if they can prove the city and state broke the lease, and if the roof and stadium is not ready for the next season the lease is broke. Even if it is repaired, the lease ends at the finish of next season. They will leave.

Does anyone think that a liberal Jew from NY gives a rats ass about anything but making a profit? Part of me is on your side, but the other part of me knows that they are doing the same thing Cleveland did. Mark my words, the same people standing in the way will build a new stadium for a new team in about 5 years after the Vikings leave.

So pay now, or pay later. When the state and city realize the revenue they lost it will sink in. It always does. Like it or not, but the NFL is BIG money, and every medium to large city that does not now have a team would love to have one. Look how many cities lobby for a team when the NFL expands the league.

The bed has been made a long time ago when the people of Minn allowed the left to bend them over for every stupid multi-million dollar idea they come up with that only continues to suck tax dollars. Now they have a chance to make money and everyone is against it.

Cut 90% of all the wasteful leftist programs and the stadium is paid for with money left for a rail system to deliver the fans from Fargo, and every other place the fans come from. ( I am being funny) The Vikings were destined to leave the day they moved inside, because the left got what they wanted. A multifunctional stadium where they can be warm, and screw the idiots who really do love the team.

[OneVike]

The state has a 6 billion dollar deficit no way can they be throwing around the kind of money the vikings want thrown around...
,br />Thus my original statement that the Viking will be playing in LA or elsewhere soon.

Look, I live in Ca, I would love to drive down South and visit my sister while checking out a home game.

I disagree about the profit loss statements being bantered about. However I do agree that it is a moot point. They should have made a deal when they could have built a new one at around 500 mill. But the left screwed around filling everyone's head with propaganda about millionaire owners and players. Now, even if they agree it will cost more than a billion, and it would not even be ready to use until 2015.

Look, the Vikings could leave right now if they can prove the city and state broke the lease, and if the roof and stadium is not ready for the next season the lease is broke. Even if it is repaired, the lease ends at the finish of next season. They will leave.

Does anyone think that a liberal Jew from NY gives a rats ass about anything but making a profit? Part of me is on your side, but the other part of me knows that they are doing the same thing Cleveland did. Mark my words, the same people standing in the way will build a new stadium for a new team in about 5 years after the Vikings leave.

So pay now, or pay later. When the state and city realize the revenue they lost it will sink in. It always does. Like it or not, but the NFL is BIG money, and every medium to large city that does not now have a team would love to have one. Look how many cities lobby for a team when the NFL expands the league.

The bed has been made a long time ago when the people of Minn allowed the left to bend them over for every stupid multi-million dollar idea they come up with that only continues to suck tax dollars. Now they have a chance to make money and everyone is against it.

Cut 90% of all the wasteful leftist programs and the stadium is paid for with money left for a rail system to deliver the fans from Fargo, and every other place the fans come from. ( I am being funny) The Vikings were destined to leave the day they moved inside, because the left got what they wanted. A multifunctional stadium where they can be warm, and screw the idiots who really do love the team.

[martin_fierro]

Manhole Blowhole (Stunning Video)

STAND DOWN

I SAY AGAIN STAND DOWN

THIS IS NOT, I REPEAT, NOT, A MANGLED GENITALS PING.

THAT IS ALL.