A NYC FReeper's Perspective: The Smoke Outside My Window

self ^ | Sept. 11, 2001, a date that will live in infamy | Silly

[Silly]

I'd like to share what it has been like here in midtown Manhattan... I'll provide some running commentary with my observations.

[katze]

I'm so relieved you're alright. You were the first one I thought of.

[Ada Coddington]

As we used to say in the Navy, put your ass to the blast and go balls to the wall!!

Yes, something like that :-) Stuff started coming off the building and I ran to hide behind a bus and then headed for the subway, figuring that even if it wasn't running it would be protection against the shrapnel. (I have a wee souvenier--a piece of glass that hit my scalp.)

[HateBill]

You went to vote today

All for naught. I found out an hour after I voted that the primary was cancelled.

[Ada Coddington]

As we used to say in the Navy, put your ass to the blast and go balls to the wall!!

Yes, something like that :-) Stuff started coming off the building and I ran to hide behind a bus and then headed for the subway, figuring that even if it wasn't running it would be protection against the shrapnel. (I have a wee souvenier--a piece of glass that hit my scalp.)

[Slip18]

Oh, gosh, Silly. I am so sorry for you! Thanks for the great dissertation of what you saw. I've been watching it all morning.

Stay safe!

[Silly]

My first thought (like my friend katze who just emailed me) had been, "It must have been a light plane."

Soon I learned it was a 737 or similar airliner. Terrorists... here in NYC.

That explained why the building had falled down.

Now, everyone at work was making final arrangements to leave. I left our suite on the 33rd floor to bring a message to our coworkers on 26. I had the make sure everyone knew, that if they were stuck in the city, we had suites at a hotel a few blocks away.

Everyone on 26 was shell-shocked. Gathered around someone's PC, watching live feed via Bloomberg on the Internet, and listening to the radio. This is where I first comfirmed that truly, a building had fallen down. Rumors were already flying about the second.

Tears welled up in my eyes. I looked at the faces of my coworkers, who come from many backgrounds, beliefs and political persuasions. We were sharing stories, listening for scraps of news.

The Pentagon is on fire. The State Department has supposedly been car-bombed. And now we had the horrible news:

The second tower of the World Trade Center has fallen. More dark smoke from downtown, clearly visible above the skyline here in midtown.

We are most certainly at war, I thought. What is happening?

[fod]

Huck apparently was an eyewitness, and posted to one of the first threads

World Trade Center

Reply 38 to Oldeconomybuyer by Huck
8744681 posted on 09/11/2001 06:03:15 PDT

Huck, I hope you are ok

[Gabz]

My years downtown fell between the two events.

[Nitro]

I was in the WTC for the '93 blast and I still have a hunk of the concrete. I never dreamed that would be all that is left!

[Silly]

I am calm, and have been calm, but I have been frantically trying to call my friends and relatives, many of whom have already left messages for me.

The lines are down. No long distance calls are possible. How can I tell people I am okay? I'm sure everyone must be very worried.

Now the stories start spreading around the office: Those poor people, how many of them got out of the towers? What about the people in buildings upon which the towers fell? What about the people in the streets? The news is giving us little news.

Many of the companies we work with are in the World Trade Center. Some of my corworkers have friends who work in and around that part of town.

Finally another friend at work reaches her boyfriend. He is safe. But he saw the plane crash into the building, and he watched people jump from windows, leaving bloody bodies everywhere. He will not forget this day. But we are glad for our friend that her boyfriend is safe.

This whole time, I have placed my thoughts with God. I realize how lucky I am that I am certain about my future with Him. I wonder what it must be like not knowing God, now believing in Him, or, worse, having hostile thoughts about God, America, the military and the evil in the world.

I am SO glad today I know Jesus Christ, and that my relatives do, do.

I finally reach Mother on the phone...

[ChaseR]

Has anyone heard from NYC GOP Chick?

[Nitro]

I am glad we have a fighter pilot in the White House, instead of a half-assed GI reporter, aren't you?

[newwahoo]

We were inhaling a lot of smoke and soot here in Brooklyn. Then I realized that there must be tiny pieces of dead americans in it.

We're at war

[Silly]

Mom is glad to hear from me sounding calm and like herself. I get a few phone numbers from her for my brothers and sisters (there are six of us kids, and I know they are all concerned for me).

After a few tears with Mom, and words of love, I start calling my siblings.

I reach my brother in Ohio; I get an email from my sister in San Antonio, Texas. My best friend in Minneapolis is glad to hear from me. This was all about 11:30 a.m. Eastern. Just now I finally get an email from my sister, who works in Washington, D.C. She's home, she's safe.

I've left messages for my two siblings in Minnesota and New York. I'm sure both have the messages by now, but I sure want to speak with them in person.

I've logged onto someone else's computer here, and it is good to have this outlet. I also knew people at FR who know me would be worried. I'm glad to see my friends here on-line.

[Nitro]

Channel 5 in NYC just showed some footage from half a block east of the towers as the first one went down. It is surreal, as everyone ran the debris cloud just came around corners in every way and totally enveloped them. God help us and God Damn the bastards that did this to us!!!

[PoisedWoman]

OMG, Ada C, thank God that piece of glass was "wee." Thank you for the report and for remaining so calm in the eye of the storm. Hang in, we're praying for you and for all New Yorkers.

[lavrenti]

I personally witnessed the second explosion and the collapse of the first tower. You cannot know what it is like to see this for real, not on television. You can hear the jets flying above and there are more evacuations. My wife is still at her school, she is the librarian and there are children with parents in the area. Please pray for them. Gotta go.

[lavrenti]

I personally witnessed the second explosion and the collapse of the first tower. You cannot know what it is like to see this for real, not on television. You can hear the jets flying above and there are more evacuations. My wife is still at her school, she is the librarian and there are children with parents in the area. Please pray for them. Gotta go.

[.30Carbine]

I am SO glad today I know Jesus Christ, and that my relatives do

I thank God in Christ you are safe in soul and in body, dear Silly.

WHERE ARE DUBYA AND HOBBES?!

[SongathuSouth]

I was on the street watching the World Trade Towers burn when one collapsed. The whole street let up a scream of horror. It has been an unbelievable day here in Manhattan. I can see the smoke out my window. Fortunately, people have been brave and calm. The hospitals have more blood donors and volunteers than they can accept. People are being very kind to one another. This is a very tragic day--I think I may have lost one of my friends who works there. I haven't heard from her. Say a prayer.