[Straight Vermonter]

Regading why the second tower fell first, there was some talk on FR months ago about how the tower design engineers never anticipated simultaneous fires. The fire control system in the first tower was able to, at least partially, contain the fires for a time. When the second plane hit and the sprinkler system came on there was too little water in either tower to make any difference.

[ErnBatavia]

eerie...saved this one:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/520265/posts

[Northern Yankee]

Ping!

Absolutely... regardless of which plane was traveling faster, the water was just not there for the second tower to keep the steal from melting quicker.

[Tijeras_Slim]

The second plane also hit lower, which may have contributed, since there was a greater number of floors above pushing down on the structural steel.

[Tymesup]

There was a thread within the last month (probably week) about a couple of individuals who had been doing some plumbing/sprinkler work in the WTC the week before 9/11. Let me know if you need it; a quick search didn't turn up anything.

[rightofrush]

When the second plane hit and the sprinkler system came on there was too little water in either tower to make any difference.

The fire ball occured outside the 2nd tower, remember? This whole afair remeinds me of the Murrah building fiasco.