story843.xml
Title
story843.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-06-30
911DA Story: Story
We were visitors from England and it was our first visit to America. We arrived on the afternoon of Monday 10th September 2001 and were staying at the Pennsylvania Hotel. We planned to go to Staten Island on the ferry if we woke early the next morning in order to avoid the "rush hour". We awoke on Tuesday 11th September and fortunately we had slept well and so decided to go another day. We started breakfast in the hotel coffee shop around 8.30am and were surprised that we had not woken earlier.
It was such a beautiful day with clear blue skies and we were so excited to be in New York at last as we were celebrating our 27th wedding anniversary on the 14th.
We saw the second plane hit the South Tower of the World Trade Centre live on TV in the hotel lobby whilst still trying to find out the extent of the first hit on the North Tower. Later whilst standing in the street we saw the North tower collapse. We heard about the pentagon attack on the radio of a car parked in the street surrounded by a crowd of people anxious to hear what was happening. Everyone walked the streets in a shocked state waiting to hear of any further news. We tried to phone home but no phones were working. Jet fighters flew overhead to protect new York from further attack but every time one was heard everyone looked anxiously towards the sky.
Day and night the sound of ambulance, police and fire sirens were heard non-stop. Convoys of trucks carrying lifting gear and arc lights rumbled through the streets and fighter jets flew overhead 24 hours a day.
We felt the need to be outside in the open rather than staying in the hotel that evening. The only traffic on the streets were the emergency vehicles. It was eerily quiet with few people about. We were tired but so restless. We walked down 7th Avenue with not a car in sight. Only the night before it had been full of traffic and people but now it was the opposite.
Everyone we met including police officers, fire fighters and ordinary citizens showed every concern for our safety and wellbeing as visitors to their city. We all just tried to help one another in whatever way we could.
We were in New York from 10th - 17th September and during that time we greatly admire the way in which the American people dealt with such a difficult situation. Since returning to England we have found it very difficult to settle back into normal life again.
It was such a beautiful day with clear blue skies and we were so excited to be in New York at last as we were celebrating our 27th wedding anniversary on the 14th.
We saw the second plane hit the South Tower of the World Trade Centre live on TV in the hotel lobby whilst still trying to find out the extent of the first hit on the North Tower. Later whilst standing in the street we saw the North tower collapse. We heard about the pentagon attack on the radio of a car parked in the street surrounded by a crowd of people anxious to hear what was happening. Everyone walked the streets in a shocked state waiting to hear of any further news. We tried to phone home but no phones were working. Jet fighters flew overhead to protect new York from further attack but every time one was heard everyone looked anxiously towards the sky.
Day and night the sound of ambulance, police and fire sirens were heard non-stop. Convoys of trucks carrying lifting gear and arc lights rumbled through the streets and fighter jets flew overhead 24 hours a day.
We felt the need to be outside in the open rather than staying in the hotel that evening. The only traffic on the streets were the emergency vehicles. It was eerily quiet with few people about. We were tired but so restless. We walked down 7th Avenue with not a car in sight. Only the night before it had been full of traffic and people but now it was the opposite.
Everyone we met including police officers, fire fighters and ordinary citizens showed every concern for our safety and wellbeing as visitors to their city. We all just tried to help one another in whatever way we could.
We were in New York from 10th - 17th September and during that time we greatly admire the way in which the American people dealt with such a difficult situation. Since returning to England we have found it very difficult to settle back into normal life again.
Collection
Citation
“story843.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed April 10, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/19245.