story2882.xml

story2882.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

On 9/11/2001,I was doing my usual commute to NYC for a doctor's appointment I had.I live in Middletown NY and use the Metro-North to get to NYC.The train was just about to pull into the Hoboken NJ station when all the passengers and myself were looking out the windows of the train in shock because we all were less than a mile from the WTC and could see the first jet hitting the North Tower of the WTC.About a minute later,the train pulled into the station and I immediately went to the edge of the Hudson River and seen the WTC and I took photos of it with a disposable 35mm camera I had on me that day.I then went downstairs to the PATH(Port Authority Trans Hudson) train and went on the last train to go the WTC forever.I was told later this train was destroyed.All the trains,cars,boats,subways were all stopped then.I got out of the PATH and used an emergency exit in the lower concourse of the WTC to get out of the building.By this time,the debris was flying and people and tons of paper and all sorts of objects were flying around all over the place.The cars on the road near the entrance to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel(This is next to the WTC)were not permitted to use the tunnels either so Manhattan was closed,no way in or out until the officials decided it would be safe to do so.I seen many cars totally bewildered by the amount of debris flying but the most horrible thing I seen was people coming down.The cars that were near the building was hitting the people and debris coming down and it was a giant mess.I walked up a ways from the WTC in awe along the West Side Highway and I watched the other plane hit the South Tower.I then just got into a cab and went to my doctors appointment.Traffic was moving very slowly but I was watching out the rear window of the cab and watched in horror as the South Tower of the WTC started coming down.In a moment or so,then I watched the North Tower of the WTC come down.I was in awe of the entire event.By the time I got to my doctor,the Mount Sinai Hospital was already loading up with ambulances and helicopters full of injured people.I was in and out of the doctors office in a few minutes and I then went back to the area of the PATH at 33rd St. and 6th Avenue.It is a block away from the Empire State Buidling and I was feeling very unsafe there.The city was closed until about 3:00 in the afternoon.By then,the first movement was the NY Waterway Ferry.They were allowed to bring people out of NYC to the Hoboken Train Station and/or Weehawken NJ.I got on the boat and was watching the giant cloud of smoke from the WTC filling the skies.I have photos of that also that I took from the ferry boat with that same disposable 35mm camera on the Hudson River less than a mile from the WTC.Thank you for your attention to my story of horror on 9/11/2001.
Yours Truly
Rev.Harry Miller