Geology, New York style

From the New York Times:

"...About 7 p.m. Sunday, a privately owned service line connected to the water main on 56th Street broke, and tons of dirt holding up the heavy asphalt above was washed away. With no support, the pavement gave way, opening a 20-by-15-foot chasm in the middle of Midtown and depriving some buildings of hot water and air-conditioning all morning. No one was reported hurt and no cars were lost.

"I told my son that that's exactly how the Grand Canyon was formed," said John Trials, who took a break from his job at Xerox at 40 West 57th Street to examine the hole around noon yesterday. "It's amazing what a little water can do."