email637.xml

email637.xml

born-digital

email

unknown

yes

2002-08-30

I watched the second hit on the WTC live, and the first bldg going down.

I was out voting this morning, and people were drifting down to the
waterfront, to see following the first bldg hit. When I got there,
about the top fifth of the north tower was smoking, with flames visible
at the base. A black plume of smoke from the bldg came in our direction
across the river to our waterfront. Papers that had flown out of the
windows off of desks also drifted towards us in Brooklyn, looking like
white confetti in the black smoke.

As I watched, an explosion sounded and the top half of the south tower
was engulfed in a wall of red and gold flames. The flames didn't last
long, but black smoke enveloped that bldg and headed our way, and the
papers flew out of that building( I picked up a few that came down on
the street where I was)

I walked up to the Heights Promenade which has an unimpeded view and of
course it was crowded and everyody was somber. And after a short while,
we watched live as the south world trade center bldg either imploded
straight down or toppled, couldn't tell. White clouds rolled down at a
low level away from the bldg from west to east across wall street area
and to the waterfront, It looked like very thick white fog rolling
down.

Shortly, all of the skyline was whited out and the debris clouds were
rolling our ways. The winds headed right to us. Very shortly, every
one was fleeing the Promenade, as the debris and smoke headed our way.
People were going home, me too, with a cloth over their mouth and nose.

I am now indoors, to get away from the smoke and debris, closed all the
windows and the AC air vents. The radio said the second bldg went
down.

The sky clouded over, then cleared, then probably from the second
bldg's demise, it clouded again, it's mixed now, on what is actually a
very sunny day.

Like every one else, I am listening to the radio, and probably need to
be indoors all day because of the debris and the smoke in the air down
here.
___________
Later same day, to one of my correspondents
______________

I wish we had tonight a meeting that has room for and gets out
the whole neighborhood so we could all be together. They say in a few
days, give blood, they say they have too many already today. The
unitarian church is supposed to be having an interfaith service tonight
at 7pm.

I did go out again, people are on the streets with dust masks, most
businesses, banks, pharmacies, etc closed down. The police were issued
dust masks.

On my block, ash dust thick on the cars.

Other than that, people sort of aimless in the streets and a lot of them
like weekend days out on the street.

Tuesday, Sept. 11,2001

WTC report