N.O. Pundit

My friend, the 9/11 eyewitness

This email was sent to me 10 days after September 11, 2001 by J, a friend of mine who was there. Interestingly, I am friends with both J and C, and I reached J by cell phone (from New Orleans) well before anyone local could reach him, probably around 10:30 am. I called C and again was able to get right through. C was yelling back at me in near panic that they couldn't reach J (all knew just how close he lived to the towers). What a pleasure it was to tell C and his group that J was fine.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2001 09:23:22 -0500
From: J
To: J's friends
Subject: Checking In

ILS Brothers,

Sorry it took so long to get in touch with you. Today is the first time I've had a chance check my e-mail. Here's what happened:

On Friday (Sep. 7), I decided to take a job at in Chicago. On Monday, as C and I went out to discuss the job and the future, and ended up staying out all night. Tuesday morning I started getting phone calls at around 9AM, asking me what is happening with the airplane that crashed into the World Trade Center. Since, I live two blocks south of the WTC on the 10th floor, I thought I'd go check it out. I was thinking about that B-25 bomber that accidentally crashed into the Empire State Building in 1945. Nothing much happened then, but it looked really cool.

When I got about a block away, I came around a corner and could finally see the south tower. At least 20 stories were on fire. I decided that the situation was worse that I thought and went back up to my apartment. I didn't leave out of fear, I just figured I should get out of way for emergency personnel.

About one minute after I got back into my apartment, a concussion hit my building. The room was instantly filled with dust, even though my windows were closed and the air conditioner was on. I looked outside, and there was so much dust in the air that it was almost like night. There was about 4 inches of dust and debris on the terrace - especially office paper, some of it burning. I heard a reporter on CNN yell "OH MY GOD, THE SOUTH TOWER HAS JUST COLLAPSED". Just outside my bedroom window is a wooden fence. A six foot long hunk of metal had blown off the WTC and split the fence in half.

I decided to run for it. I soaked a dish towel in water tied it over my nose and mouth. Out on the street, confusion reigned - not panic. No one seemed to know what to do. Even the police and firemen seemed confused. Since my building is behind a 50 story Deutsche Bank building, I don't even think most people on my street even realized what had happened. I could only see about 20 feet around me. Office paper was everywhere. I headed south to Battery Park, and stood next to Castle Clinton (a Revolutionary War fort). I figured the heavy stone fort would protect me from flying debris.

Eventually, I decided to move uptown. I went west along the Hudson River through Battery Park City. All the windows were blown out of the World Financial Center buildings and I could see the wreckage of WTC. It took me quite a while to realize the north tower was gone too. I saw dozens of destroyed police cars and fire trucks.

I made it over to my friend K's place. As the day wore on I started to realize that I was lucky to be alive. My apartment is closed off inside the FBI perimeter. I finally got in yesterday with a police escort to get some cloths and stuff. I probably can't get back in for a few weeks.

Anyway, I'm here in Chicago (at S's), and I start my new job on Monday.

Pretty good story, eh?

J