Fires rage in the towers
At the heart of the towers were vertical steel and concrete cores, housing lift shafts and stairwells. The towers were built to be tough enough to withstand the impact of a plane. The steel was covered in concrete to guarantee firefighters a minimum period of one or two hours in which they could operate if a fire developed.

But the fires on 11 September were fed by more than 91,000 litres of jet fuel. The steel cores within the towers heated up to above 800C and the protective concrete cladding on the cores could only keep the heat at bay for a short time. Once the steel frame on one floor had melted, it collapsed, inflicting massive forces on the already-weakened floor below.

10:05 South tower collapses

Once one floor had melted the collapse became inevitable, as each new falling floor added to the pressure on the floor below. Further down the building, even steel at normal temperatures gave way under the enormous weight - an estimated 100,000 tonnes.

Just over an hour after the second crash, the south tower, which had been the second tower to be hit, crumbled to the ground. Hundreds of firefighters, police officers and people who were trying to escape the towers were crushed in the collapse.

10:29 North tower collapses
Twenty-four minutes later the north tower joined its twin. The floors "pancaked" down and crushed the many people who remained inside.

People on the ground ran for their lives as a cloud of debris hit the streets of lower Manhattan. The dust clouds coated the city.

Rescuers search rubble
After the collapse of the World Trade Center more than 5,000 people were declared missing. Rescuers worked around the clock, carefully searching the ruins in the hope of finding people alive. Five survivors were found in the first 24 hours.

Often people can survive for many days in collapsed buildings, but the weight of the floors and scale of the disaster made this possibility unlikely in New York. Initial hopes that many people would be discovered alive soon began to fade.

City devastated
After the collapse, police cordoned off th city below 14th street. The place where the twin towers once stood became known as "ground zero".

A number of other buildings in the same block were also severely damaged. Engineers on the site said they were concerned that the Trade Center foundations may have been severely weakened by the collapse of the twin towers. If the foundations cave in, it could allow the Hudson river to flood the area.

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Wednesday, 12 September, 2001, 22:49 GMT 23:49 UK

Frozen with fear

Rescue workers are continuing to look for survivors

BBC News Online users have been sending in their extraordinary first hand accounts of the horrific attacks in New York and Washington on Tuesday.
Richard Prescott Stearns was working in a windowless, sealed server room on the 8th floor of the north tower when the aircraft struck.

"In all the din of the machines all I felt were a couple judders. No fire alarms, no alarms of any kind," he said.

"Since construction was going on and large bangs were common and I worked on. When I stepped out, the floor was empty.

I turned to see both towers on fire and people jumping from the upper floors

Richard Prescott Stearns
"I went to the lifts and they were not working, my heart started to race as I found the fire escape, it was filled with smoke and panicked people still trying to get out.

"Joining them we eventually made it into the atrium and onto the street outside. Already the scene was of carnage, with debris flying down around us and bloodied bodies being taken away.

"I got to the church cemetery across the street before I turned to see both towers on fire and people jumping from the upper floors.

"Minutes later the north tower crumbled in front of us like some movie. The feeling became so bizarre that you expected a producer to turn up and yell "cut".

'Avalanche'

"Then a white cloud started to grow, at first like an avalanche, and then like a solid wall that would engulf you.

"I ran east past the park and did not stop until I reached town hall.

"A police van had gone past at one point playing a loop tape of a message 'you are all going to die, run now'.

"People were coming out of the asbestos dust and smoke clouds a single shade of grey. Some washed in the fountains in front of me."

Raj Malalgoda was at work on the 5th floor of the south tower when the plane struck and describes how he froze in fear for his life.

New York and it's people seem to have awaken to the fact that they are just as fallible as everyone else

Raj Malalgoda
"I cannot explain the sheer terror that held me frozen at that time," he said.

"It was only the screams and rush of people around me that made me start running to get as far away from the buildings as possible.

"This morning New York felt a very different city. This city is built on an air of confidence, bravado almost, but that air seemed to have disappeared.

"New York and its people seem to have awoken to the fact that they are just as fallible as everyone else."

Richard Wadja was late getting to his office in the north tower and says his that probably saved his life.

"There are no words for the events. But God was with me. I was late getting up and I was late getting my friend's baby to the babysitter. If I had been on time I would have been killed.

'Hysterical'

"About two minutes after I got out to the street I heard a loud explosion. I looked up and saw flames coming from the Twin Towers.

"I immediately thought it was a bomb. Debris was falling everywhere as if it were the ticker tape parade for the Yankees.

"Suddenly I was hit in the head. I do not think it was a piece of the plane. But whatever hit me hurt me. I just turned around and ran across the street.

"I then called my office and they told me it was a plane and that there was an announcement to stay inside. I was hysterical.

Everyone was running as if Godzilla was chasing us - I was knocked over and then someone else ran right over me

Richard Wadja
"As I was on the phone looking at the building I saw a body fall from the building. Tears were running down my face.

"Seconds later the second plane hit the second tower and exploded.

"Everyone was running as if Godzilla was chasing us. I was knocked over and then someone else ran right over me.

"Now I am finally home and I am still in shock and in pain. I have been listening and reading all of my phone messages.

"With all of my happy calls, I have heard some sad ones.

"A friend of mine was at work on Long Island. A woman who works with him got a call from her husband who works on the top floor of one of the Twin Towers.

"He called to say good-bye. He knew he was not going to get out."

Eyewitnesses spoke of disbelief as the World Trade Center collapsed

BBC News Online users have been sending in their extraordinary first hand accounts of the horrific attacks in New York and Washington.

Mac Delaney was working in the south tower of the World Trade Center when the aircraft struck the north tower. He describes how his colleagues were shocked as the plane hit the tower, thinking it was a terrible accident. "When word came around to evacuate the second tower, there was panic. "People jammed the stairwells and the elevators were all over capacity. "We got out and just ran like there was no tomorrow. When we stopped to look back, there was a huge gaping hole, smoking, in the side of the first tower. We could not believe what we were witnessing. "Someone saw the second aircraft and the streets just went quiet. We could not believe what we were witnessing. "Nobody could believe a second aircraft was crashing into the second tower. It was like some disaster movie. "The explosion was huge - the plane must have been fully fuelled - and it shook everyone down at street level.

"The fallout of debris was like a giant mushroom and as we watched, it was as if it was happening in slow motion. "Then we heard about the third and fourth aircraft from an NBC guy and it was like 'Holy cow! This cannot be happening! He's got to be making this up!' "We must retaliate, but I have no idea how."

Brendan MacWade was at work on the 40th floor of the north tower when the plane struck.
"My office chair rolled forwards and then backwards when we were hit," he says. "I witnessed the horrifying collapse of 2 WTC as I walked home on the Brooklyn Bridge. "I am just so lucky to have been able to walk away from this without a scratch. "The numbers of dead will far exceed 20,000 from what I have seen." Mr MacWade says that one of the things he will never forget is the firefighters who were walking up the stairs of the World Trade Center tower as he was walking down. "I can only assume that those brave and selfless men lost their lives today along with so many others."

Fears for brother

Michael Holmes, of the UK, fears that his brother Charles, who works on the 92nd floor of the south tower of the World Trade Center, is dead. "We presume he has died and still cannot contact any of our friends in New York to confirm. "We will continue to seek word of our brother but must now presume the worst."

D S Khavkin, of Arlington, Virginia, says her home has a panoramic view of the Pentagon and the downtown area of Washington DC. "We were watching the events unfolding on TV in New York. "Then, at about 9.40am Eastern Daylight Time, my husband and I heard an aircraft directly overhead.
"At first, we thought it was the jets that sometimes fly overhead. However, it appeared to be a small commercial aircraft. The engine was at full throttle." She says the plane then headed for the Pentagon. "It crashed on the lawn near the west side of the Pentagon. "A huge fireball exploded with thick black smoke. "The enormity of what we witnessed and what has happened has just begun to sink in. "We just thank God we are okay and that it happened in Washington DC where we are prepared to handle situations such as this."

The number of those still missing after last Tuesday's horrific attack on New York and Washington continues to grow and now stands at over five thousand lives.
Were you near the scenes of these attacks? Did you manage to escape from the buildings as the planes struck? What is your story?

Read the powerful accounts of those who managed to escape the terrifying attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon below.

Richard Micok, U.S.A.
I work with a bonds trader on the 50th floor and I was out getting coffee for my friends when I turned around and saw the plane heading towards the building. This was the first airplane and when I tried to get back into the building to see my friends, I found bodies and flesh just lying around like a slaughterhouse. I will never forget the sight of a burning corpse of a little girl or the stench of burning flesh. I couldn't get into the building because security had it blockaded when I saw the second plane coming. It crashed brutally into the building and I saw people jumping out of windows before the cloud of dust covered me as I took cover underneath an upturned car. The dust was all encompassing and I could see nothing but I could hear the cries of injured people echoing from the collapsed rubble. The worst was yet to come as the buildings collapsed one after another. I tried to get away from the larger dust cloud but suddenly I was engulfed in a sea of dust and I couldn't breathe. People were running everywhere and I had to fight to get out. It was like complete madness as I escaped. The fire department rushed to the site and they treated me for my 2nd degree burns. This experience has scarred me for life and I only hope that the people who did this will be punished. To my colleagues and everyone that died, R.I.P.
Richard Micok, U.S.A.

Rev. B. Carroll, OFM, Manhattan
I watched the first jet fly overhead and I followed it as it flew directly into the WTC. I was walking down 6th Avenue at 31st Street right around the corner from our Church at St. Francis of Assisi and as the jet headed towards the WTC I gasped and yelled to persons on the sidewalk... people looked at me as if I were a madman. I was in shock ... it was not real ... I rushed back to the friary and went to Fr. Mychal Judge's room ( a fire department chaplain ) and alerted him to what I thought was an accident. He got into his fire gear and was off before his pager sounded. Fr. Mychal died in the collapse along with 200 of his brother firefighters. He came back home escorted by some of his firefighters wrapped in sheets and was placed in the 1st Street firehouse. The friars gathered about and we prayed over Mychal late in the afternoon. His brother firefighters, soot covered, were at his side in tears. My life has been forever changed today, as have been the lives of all New Yorkers and Americans. I will say my prayers for all who have died and as I prepare for bed I ask God to bless Fr. Mychal ... he died among those whom he loved and served so well.
Rev. B. Carroll, OFM, Manhattan

I would just like to know if my aunt, cousins and their families are OK. They are Elsie Tuck, Quentin Tuck and Duncan Tuck. Please can anyone help?
Ros Pocock, England

I was forwarded this e-mail from a friend. It contains a first hand account of events as this person saw it.

I heard the sound of an airplane and looked up to see a commercial jet slam right into the south tower

Scott, New York, USA
I was getting dressed in my apartment, 3 blocks south of the World Trade Center. I heard what I thought was a car accident. But then, a few seconds after, I could hear lots of debris hitting the building and I thought that maybe a car bomb had gone off. I finished getting dressed and left. My doorman looked white as a ghost. I asked him if a car bomb went off or something and he replied that he thought so and that it must have been a meat truck or something because there was meat all over the place. I walked out into the street and he was right - there were chunks of flesh all over the place but I thought it was just regular meat like he said. I then walked north to the corner and there was a human hand on the ground. Someone quickly threw a coat over it so it couldn't be seen. I then crossed the street and was looking around at all the cars around that were wrecked and all. Then Ari called my cell phone and I told him, "a car bomb just went off at the World Trade Center." "No, a plane hit the building!" I looked up and saw that the north tower had a big burning hole at the top of it. A security guard was telling people to walk south, so I headed into Battery Park. At this point there were a mob of people in the streets, but everyone was calm. All of a sudden, I heard the sound of an airplane and looked up to see a commercial jet slam right into the south tower. I was probably only 200 yards from the base of the building and watched the plane come in, hit the building and explode. All of a sudden it was like a movie scene, where everyone just turned and were literally running for their lives. I ran over to the western edge of Manhattan. I could hardly believe what I had just seen, planes just falling out of the sky. At this point, I tried to figure out what to do. I never really took my eyes off the towers and after about 15 minutes I saw about 10 people jump from the top of the building. At least 2 of them were on fire. I was looking at the south tower and all of a sudden it blew up

Scott, New York, USA
I decided to walk north and I got to the marina near the World Financial Center, where I work. I was just standing there, with I guess 2 or 3 buildings between myself and the World Trade Center complex. I was looking at the south tower and all of a sudden it blew up, about 75% of the way up. It looked like a demolition explosion because it blew out in all directions and the top quarter just started to fall downward. Everyone was pretty much paralysed for a second or two as we watched it fall and then I think we all realized that a massive cloud of debris and/or building was heading our way. People were jumping into the river. I sprinted to the closest building I saw which turned out to be a restaurant with a large glass wall facing the river. I was pressed against the glass with a few other people when the cloud of debris finally came over the building. The air quickly got pretty thick full of ash. I took my shirt off and wrapped it around my face and head and started banging on the window with 2 other guys trying to figure out how to get into the restaurant. I could barely breathe let alone see. It was pitch black and even with just squinting, my eyes were on fire. On the other side of the glass a hand pointed to my left, and we all kind of felt our way along the building to the door. Inside the restaurant, tablecloths were being ripped off tables and glasses of water that had been sitting on the tables were being passed around. I grabbed a pitcher of water and tried to help all the people that were piling through the door to wet their eyes.
There were all sorts of people around me in all sorts of states. One guy had a bloody leg and had said that he had jumped through a window or something. We tied a tablecloth around his leg and washed away the blood to find that he wasn't badly hurt, thank god. After a few minutes, some firemen and policemen came in and told us to go south along the river and get on a ferry to New Jersey. I was heading for the door when the north tower fell. Same story all over again - dark as night. When the dust settled from this one, the police shuffled everyone out and we all walked to the southern tip of Manhattan. I got onto a police tugboat. There were so many people piled on the boat that I could hardly believe that it was still floating. As the boat pulled away from Manhattan, I could hardly believe what I was seeing. It looked like the entire downtown section of Manhattan was on fire, because there was just a massive stream of smoke and debris coming off it. I got through to my dad on my cell phone and he told me a friend of the family had a house relatively close by. I'm here now and am writing this email in their kitchen, watching it all on the TV. I'm just going to spend the night here and then figure out what the next step is tomorrow. I'll talk to all of you guys soon, thank god. Scott
Forwarded by Frederick Hancock, Philadelphia, PA USA

My name is Adam Mayblum. I am alive today. I am committing this to "paper" so I never forget. So we never forget.. My office was on the 87th floor of 1 World Trade Center. Most of my associates were in by 8:30am. We were standing around, checking emails, getting set for the day, when the first plane hit just a few storeys above us. I must stress that we did not know that it was a plane.
The building lurched violently and shook as if it were an earthquake. People screamed. The building seemed to move 10 to 20 feet in each direction. It rumbled and shook long enough for me to get my wits about myself and grab a co-worker and seek shelter under a doorway. Light fixtures and parts of the ceiling collapsed. We were certain that it was a bomb. We looked out the windows. Reams of paper were flying everywhere, like a ticker tape parade. Smoke started billowing in through the holes in the ceiling. I believe there were 13 of us. We did not panic. I can only assume that we thought that the worst was over. The building was standing and we were shaken but alive. We checked the halls. The smoke was thick and white and did not smell like I imagined smoke should smell - not like your BBQ or your fireplace or even a bonfire. The phones were working. I called my nanny at home and told her to page my wife, tell her that a bomb went off, I was ok, and on my way out. I took off my tee-shirt and ripped it into 3 pieces, soaked it in water and gave 2 pieces to my friends. Tied my piece around my face to act as an air filter. And we all started moving to the staircase. One of my dearest friends said that he was staying until the police or firemen came to get him. In the halls there were tiny fires and sparks. The ceiling had collapsed in the men's bathroom. It was gone along with anyone who may have been in there. We did not go in to look.
On the 85th floor a brave associate of mine and I headed back up to our office to drag out my partner who stayed behind. There was no air, just white smoke. We made the rounds through the office calling his name. No response. He must have succumbed to the smoke. We left defeated in our efforts and made our way back to the stairwell. We proceeded to the 78th floor where we had to change over to a different stairwell. I expected to see more people. There were some 50 to 60 no more. Not enough. A brave man was fighting a fire with the emergency hose. I stopped with two friends to make sure that everyone from our office was accounted for. We ushered them and confused people into the stairwell. In retrospect, I recall seeing Harry, my head trader, doing the same several yards behind me. I am only 35. I have known him for over 14 years.
I headed into the stairwell with 2 friends. We were moving down very orderly in Stair Case A, very slowly, no panic. At least not overt panic. My legs could not stop shaking. My heart was pounding. Some nervous jokes and laughter. We checked our cell phones. Surprisingly, there was a very good signal. I called my parents. I told them we were all okay and on the way down. I called my friend Angel in San Francisco. I knew he would be watching. He told me to get out that there was another plane on its way. I did not know what he was talking about. By now the second plane had struck Tower 2. We were so deep into the middle of our building that we did not hear or feel anything. We had no idea what was really going on. We kept making way for wounded to go down ahead of us. No one seemed seriously wounded. Everyone cooperated. Everyone was a hero. On the 53rd floor we came across a very heavyset man sitting on the stairs. He needed help. My friend and I told him he could lean on us. He hesitated, I don't know why. He asked us to send help. I told him he was on the 53rd floor in Stairwell A and that's what I would tell the rescue workers. He said okay and we left. Around the 44th floor the firemen, policemen, WTC K-9 units without the dogs, anyone with a badge, started coming up as we were heading down. I told them about the man on 53 and my friend on 87. I later felt terrible about this. They headed up to find those people and met death instead. On the 33rd floor I spoke with a man who somehow knew most of the details. He said 2 small planes hit the building. We now knew that it was not a bomb and there were potentially more planes coming. We understood. On the 3rd floor the lights went out and we heard felt this rumbling coming towards us from above. It was 10am now and that was Tower 2 collapsing next door. We did not know that. Someone had a flashlight. We headed down a dark and cramped corridor to an exit. We could not see at all. I said everyone should place a hand on the shoulder of the person in front and call out if they hit an obstacle so others would know to avoid it. We reached another stairwell and saw a female officer emerge soaking wet and covered in soot. She said we could not go that way it was blocked. There was water everywhere. She stayed behind instructing people to do that. I do not know what happened to her. We emerged into an enormous room. It was light but filled with smoke. It was the second floor. We were ushered out into the courtyard, where the fountain used to be. There was at least five inches of this grey pasty, dusty, drywall soot on the ground as well as a thickness of it in the air. Twisted steel and wires. I heard there were bodies and body parts as well, but I did not look. It was bad enough. We moved out to the street. The odd thing is that there were very few rescue workers around. They all must have been trapped under the debris when Tower 2 fell. It was just my friend Kern and I now. We were hugging but sad. We felt certain that most of our friends ahead of us died and we knew no one behind us. Several blocks away we stopped and looked up. Our building, exactly where our office is (was), was engulfed in flame and smoke. A postal worker said that Tower 2 had fallen down. I looked again and sure enough it was gone. We sat down. A girl on a bike offered us some water. Just as she took the cap off her bottle we heard a rumble. We looked up and our building, Tower 1, collapsed. We had been out less than 15 minutes. We were mourning our lost friends, particularly the one who stayed in the office as we were now sure that he had perished. We stopped to hear the President speaking on the radio. My phone rang. It was my wife. I think I fell to my knees crying when I heard her voice. Then she told me the most incredible thing. My partner who had stayed behind had called her. He was alive and well. We started jumping and hugging and shouting. When I got home I cried on my son and held my wife until I fell asleep. As it turns out my partner, the one who I thought had stayed behind was behind us with Harry Ramos, our head trader. This is now second hand information. They came upon Victor, the heavyset man on the 53rd floor and helped him. He could barely move. Once on 44th floor they made their way back into the stairwell. Someplace around the 39th to 36th floors they felt the same rumble I felt on the 3rd floor. It was 10am and Tower 2 was coming down. They had about 30 minutes to get out. Victor said he could no longer move. They offered to have him lean on them. He said he couldn't do it. Harry told my partner to go ahead of them. Harry had once had a heart attack and was worried about this man's heart. It was his nature to be this way. He was/is one of the kindest people I know. He would not leave a man behind. My partner went ahead and made it out. He said he was out maybe 10 minutes before the building came down. This means that Harry had maybe 25 minutes to move Victor 36 floors. I fear that Harry is lost. However, a short while ago I heard that he may be alive. Apparently there is a website with survivor names on it and his name appears there. Unfortunately, Ramos is not an uncommon surname in New York. Pray for him and all those like him. With regards to the firemen heading upstairs, I realize that they were going up anyway. But, it hurts to know that I may have made them move quicker to find my friend. Rationally, I know this is not true and that I am not the responsible one. The responsible ones are in hiding somewhere on this planet and damn them for making me feel like this.
But they should know that they failed in terrorizing us. We were calm. Those men and women that went up were heroes in the face of it all. They must have known what was going on and they did their jobs. Ordinary people were heroes too. Today the images that people around the world equate with power and democracy are gone but "America" is not an image it is a concept. That concept is only strengthened by our pulling together as a team. If you want to make us stronger, attack and we unite. This is the ultimate failure of terrorism against The United States and the ultimate price we pay to be free. The very moment the first plane was hijacked, democracy won.
Adam Mayblum, New York USA

Chris McLane, New York, NY
There was this couple. They were stood at the 82nd floor of building one. The flames were so massive and so strong they couldn't get near them. All they had was the gap in the window next to them, blown out from the blast. They held hands and jumped. I can't believe it. It's hard to take. People all around me are the exact same as the people in that building. They literally are like us. The only thing that separates them is that they were in those buildings and we weren't. There was a news recap last night showed a man in a black suit step back and drop from the building 80 floors up. And then a woman in a red jacket, with hair like your mum wears it. Imagine a friend of your mum's who you know choosing to jump out of a window instead of being consumed by 1000 degree flames, three storeys high.
I saw the towers in flames shortly before they collapsed. I was on a bridge in a train. I saw them too from Union Square. I saw the horror on the faces of the people all around me. When I saw the collapse live on TV I was with my associates at work. I felt true shock. The reporters were talking about something, and then they just screamed. I saw the skyline today also. It's barren in comparison to the usual day. There is still smoke, and thousands of dead to be recovered. You can just feel the loss. There are two New York's right now. The one behind the police line and the one in front. The one in front is going about its life and doing its business but it is solely concerned and continuously conscious of what is going on behind the police line which we only find out about through the media. Everyone is aware you know, but the sun is shining, and we have to pay the bills. This is a lot to comprehend. People I know knew people in that building. They don't know if they are ok or not. Firemen are trapped or dead, as too are police. Still, it doesn't feel like a drama. Not over the top and dramatic. It feels much more, like a big silence in you, a big silence and sorrow for the whole stupid thing. Well...I'm experiencing the least of it. A lot of people are going through hell, so I'll shut it. A man stood next to me yesterday and said what we are seeing is the book of revelations being played out to us before our very eyes. I had a clear mind and produced not a single thought. I'm sick of the theology that leads to this kind of thing. Those were people like you or me. Very real, very human. They set up an ice rink on the piers close to where I work as a morgue. And all the sirens you hear, for the first time, you know where they are going.
Chris McLane, New York, NY

It's just really scary... I could see everything from my apartment... everything.

MJI, USA - New York
I watched the planes on TV from my apartment, then looked outside at the mushroom of black smoke lifting into the air... I saw the buildings crumble at a distance while standing in the middle of the street which was closed off with ambulances, fire trucks and police cars screaming by and was filled with people crying and hugging one another and yelling in rage.. I went for a walk on Tuesday to get outside at around 7pm and all you could smell was smoke, all you could see was smoke clouds and what you would think were birds actually were pieces of paper from the buildings which the wind took with the smoke above my neighbourhood - landing at my feet - a burned FedEx envelope, a few pieces of fax paper.. an all too vivid reminder that a few hours ago these papers were inside of a building next to people whose fate is now uncertain.. There were jet fighters flying overhead - which for each time I heard one, I would get a little nervous thinking that something else terrible was going to happen.. it's so weird... I can't explain it. It's a very uneasy feeling here in New York. I go to bed each night and hear of something new; last thing I heard was there was a bomb threat on the Empire State Building Wednesday night (this has now subsided).. Thursday I was evacuated from work with a bomb threat... Honestly, what are people thinking? What kind of heartless people want to take advantage of the uneasiness of others by bluffing and building off of other's fears? For me, I think the worst was on the very crowded subway this morning (which they almost didn't run because of the fear of ground vibrations to cause more collapses). We had to skip the stops which were below the WTC.. and the wost of it was that because of the subway traffic we were stalled there for like 15 minutes.. it was so scary.. honestly, I just wanted the subway to move because the thought of what was going on above ground was just... unbelievable. Everyone is checking in on everyone else making sure that we're all ok, but I think the next few days are going to be so strange. No one knows what to do or say; realising that these events actually did happen
It began with a feeling of surreal madness.. like I'm living in a war zone; this turned to an uncomfortable silence - walking by others on the street knowing that it's on the top of everyone's mind but no one knows what to do or say; realising that these events actually did happen - it wasn't a movie, for as much as we've seen scenes like this in Hollywood this isn't a movie set.. this is real. And now just nervousness for what's to come and trying to return to daily life which will never be the same.

Thank you universally for all your thoughts of care and concern towards New York.
MJI, USA - New York
"I'm fine..they missed me by about 30 yards. I heard about the NY WTC aircraft hit(s) about 9:15am in my Pentagon office, about 9:35am we heard a loud explosion and the office shook.We had just moved into new spaces on the top floor of the Pentagon facing Arlington Cemetery. I figured two hits in NY meant two Pentagon hits and the follow-up would likely be meant to cause greater casualties,we had no idea at the time it was an airplane impact.. I thought it a bomb/rocket of some sort. We cleared out of our office and most folks ran for the building exits. I followed some Army guys going in back after their comrades....we pulled our t-shirts off and wrapped them around out noses....lots of smoke and confusion. One burn victim told me a room where people were injured and left behind .... I wrote it on my arm and tried to get back there. No way....fire and smoke too heavy.

I'll never forget seeing a huge 4 Star Army General go striding down the worst damaged corridor into the smoke with no protection

Larry, USA
We tried another route and got into the first outside ring.... fire burning, spreading, water from broken pipes filling the courtyard (up to my ankles... shoes and pants ruined)...... glass buckling above us, no way to get at victims, smoke acrid from burning asbestos and avgas. I'll never forget seeing a huge 4 Star Army General (I believe it was Gen. Keane, the Army's number two Vice Chief of Staff) go striding down the worst damaged corridor into the smoke with no protection and just 2 aides calling out for victims . I left the fire as there was nothing to do and didn't want to become a victim from collapsing building and went to health clinIc and tried to help out there getting supplies/stretchers back into inner Pentagon courtyard.We were a mix of Generals and Privates, all services.... but I can't think of a better group to respond to a crisis. All were cool and calm..many of the folks had been under fire over the past 30 years. We were hampered by continued reports of another inbound suicide plane...we were warned several times to take cover or go to the center of the courtyard away from the building. Fortunately I got a cell line out and got word I was OK. My office is intact but the corridor outside is melted...we may not go back for a long time.
Larry, Washington, USA

My name is Zarina Ahmed and please can you tell my family and friends in London and Manchester that I am safe and keep in touch. Mum, Dad, I love you all.
Zarina Nazir Ahmed, Manhattan

Your support and prayers mean so much to us

Susan, Colts Neck, NJ, USA
I saw the skyline from across the river the day after. The smoke was still billowing out of where the towers once were. It was not like looking at Manhattan anymore. It was as if it was another country. I lived in Manhattan for many years. I was even there for the 1993 bombing. I have spoken to friends and family who were in the area at the time of the attack. The people of New York are all taking this incredibly well. I want to thank the governments and the people of all the countries who have joined us in our mourning. Your support and prayers mean so much to us. Thank you.
Susan, Colts Neck, NJ, USA

My normal commute involves taking the PATH train from New Jersey to WTC in New York. I reached WTC around 8:57 am and as soon as the doors opened we were engulfed by some chemical that smelled like kerosene and smoke. Not realizing what had happened I walked up the escalator to the ground floor of the WTC where Police officers were directing all commuters to leave the building as soon as possible. Emerging outside of WTC, it looked like a bomb had exploded because there was debris everywhere, paper, fibre-glass insulation and numerous other office stationary material. In my mind I recalled the bombing from 1993 and thought this was something very similar. I started to run away from the building, a few blocks away I heard a very large explosion, not unlike a thunder from a lighting striking at close quarters. By the time I looked up there was a massive black plume of smoke above WTC 2. By then both towers were on fire and my only thought was "Please God, let these people find their way to safety".
S Alexander, Princeton, NJ, USA

I watched the whole incident from the roof of a tall building on the east river in Brooklyn. I had noticed the awful scene unfolding as I walked to work along Kent Avenue. I ran up to my building and my boss and I watched the WTC crumble. We were alone at that point and had no information source. It was confusing. Tuesday was such a crisp clear morning, the sky was a dazzling blue - it all looked so unreal. I looked to my left and watched thousands of people cross the Williamsburg bridge. I looked to my right towards Union Square where my fiancee was out on the street (I would later learn) panicking, but safe, thank God.

I lost nobody and I feel so blessed but so guilty. So many people died and so many freedoms will be signed away while the US comes to term with this. It's a new week now but still the city feels like it is slumbering in the same nightmare, unable to wake up.
Eoin, Brooklyn, USA

She asked me, whether, if she prayed really hard, her Mommy would come back to her

Jeannine B, United Kingdom/USA
I am an American living in the UK. My best friend was in the South tower when this terrible tragedy took place and she is still unaccounted for. She left behind a 5 year old daughter, a loving husband and family and many friends. We are so worried and every day, hour, minute that passes our hopes of ever seeing her again are sinking. Her husband is searching through the town, hospitals and keeps coming back to the scene in the hope that maybe she was found. 3 days ago I spoke to her daughter, who is the same age as my little girl on the phone. She is my godchild and as sweet as can be. She asked me, whether, if she prayed really hard, her Mommy would come back to her. Trying to hold my tears back I told her, that it sure would help. I feel so helpless. Why does a five year old girl have to ask such a terrible question? Why did this senseless thing have to take place? We are now paying for our ignorance. Did we think ourselves invincible? I am crying and grieving for my friend!
Jeannine B, United Kingdom/USA

Our three young children are trying to grasp the past week's events. I am deeply encouraged after reading the many posts from those all over the world who are shocked and offering their condolences. Their response will help me relay to my children the hope raised from the hearts of all citizens no matter where they are. Thank you - my heart has more peace.
Tara Hall, Collierville, TN

I will never forget that sight as long as I live

Eric S. Levine, NYC, USA

On Tuesday morning at 8:46am, I was in 2 World Trade Center on the 64th Floor where I used to report to work for Morgan Stanley. I was sitting at my computer reading the BBC on the Internet when I heard an explosion. I ran to a window and looked out to see large amounts of debris (papers, metal, all kinds of things!) floating down towards the street. I called my boss and told him not to come in to the office and went out into the hallway. Someone called out to me, "Is there anyone down there!", "Yes", I said and he yelled at me to, "Get my ass into the stair well because we were evacuating!". At that time people were still very calm and were evacuating in an orderly fashion. We had reached either the 51st or the 50th floor when we heard a huge explosion, which shook the building like crazy! I grabbed hold of the stair well to steady myself when a woman who had fallen from a flight up hit me in the back and sent me down a flight of stairs with her on my back. I then tried to stand up but the building was still shaking and the lights were flickering on and off. It was terrifying! Then the building began to sink - that's the only way I can describe it. The floor began to lower under your feet and all I could think about was that it would crack open and I would fall hundreds of feet to my death! Until this moment no one knew what was going on, but no one was really scared yet. Everyone thought it was only taking place in 1 WTC, the other tower. Not in our tower. Once this happened it turned into pandemonium! People began screaming and crying and praying out loud for God to help them. After what seemed like an eternity the building settled and the evacuation began in earnest. Except people were panicking and a stampede started and they were running each other down. Myself and the Philippine woman who had landed on me and a few other people waited for the initial surge to subside and then we began to move out again. After this things began to speed up; somewhere along the route and between the 44th and 34th floors I lost sight of the little Philippine woman who had been hanging on to my arm for dear life. She was there one moment and gone the next. This really bothers me a lot. Somewhere around the 25th floor we began to smell jet fuel and a lot of it. I have asthma and it became difficult to breathe but by the 15th fl, it became unbearable due to the amount of smoke that was now entering the stairwell. So I took off my shirt and wrapped it around my head to help me breathe and it worked, but my eyes were stinging real bad. After what seemed like an eternity, but actually took about 40mins, we saw our first glimpse of the outside world. We were met by the FBI and NYPD detectives who were asking if anyone needed medical attention and then yelling at you to keep moving towards the escalators. (I don't think that those FBI and NYPD guys got out.) I remember that when we were about to get on the escalators you could look out the windows onto the square between the two buildings and see the large ball sculpture and the fountain and lots and lots of bodies. Some that were still falling to the ground and some still smouldering. I will never forget that sight as long as I live. After we got down to the Plaza level you were directed out to either Liberty Street (and probably death because that's where the building collapsed) or towards the E train on the other side of the platform. That's where I went. Everyone I was still with from Morgan Stanley at that time split up and I don't know if they all survived. When I got to the E train the cops were telling you to run through the gate and get out the other end onto to street level. Right by the stairs was an older woman being helped by a group of EMT's - she seemed to be having chest pains. I don't believe they made it out alive. The streets were absolutely crazy. FBI inspectors were taking measurements of what looked like a piece of one of the plane's wings. People were screaming and running everywhere. Emergency vehicles everywhere you looked and I was about to take my first look at the two towers. I could not believe what I was seeing - both buildings were on fire with flames shooting out of them about a 100ft high. Huge plumes of thick black smoke were billowing out of them and when I looked at tower 2 you could still see the tail end of the jet hanging out of the building. At that point I knew that this wasn't over and my instincts took over again and I ran to the 6 train on the eastern side of city hall. I ran downstairs and jumped onto the first train that pulled up. At that moment 2 WTC began to fall to the ground with 1 WTC falling within moments of tower 2. I didn't stop running until I got back to Queens. I ran the 15 blocks to my apartment were I sat in shock watching the replay of the buildings falling. This was the saddest moment of my life. I began to cry and started to call my loved ones. I also called my boss and had a long talk with him about what happened. He told me that I had called him 11 mins. exactly before the second plane had crashed into my building, building 2.

It's now Friday and I am still in shock. I can't believe that I made it out alive, with only minor injuries. I have also not slept more than 10 hrs since the incident due to nightmares. This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me and I will never forget this so long as I live. I have still been unable to locate a few associates of mine who worked on the floor with me and I pray that they made it out alive. My prayers are with all the survivors and families of those lost in this cowardly act of violence. May God grant us the strength and courage to find those responsible for this and bring them to justice and may the world never forget what has happened on this day so that it may never happen again to ANYONE!!!
Eric S. Levine, NYC, USA

I saw it on the way to work going to Queens. I was a passenger in my co-workers SUV. I said: "Look, one of the World Trade Towers is on fire, it's got to be a bomb or something!". Rob said, "Get out of here that's just a dark cloud behind the building". We put on the radio and all stations reported a small to medium sized aircraft has crashed into the building. I had a clear view but from an elevated roadway 8 miles away. I must tell you that that second plane's explosion resulted in a mushroom cloud twice the height of the tower. Seeing that made me worry very seriously that some sort of nuclear "suitcase bomb" went off. I frantically tried to cell-phone my brother who works at Goldman Sacks a few blocks south of the towers but I could not get through via cellphone. I then heard that a second plane crashed removing all "accident talk" from our discussion.
Anthony Catalano, Brooklyn NY USA

The most prevailing feeling I have during this awful tragedy is one of being nauseatingly lucky

C, Brooklyn, NY
The most prevailing feeling I have during this awful tragedy is one of being nauseatingly lucky. I was not injured, I am not close to any missing, dead, or injured people. My office building is about 15 blocks from the WTC. I got off of the subway and looked up to see both towers on fire.

I must have been in shock. I snapped a picture, walked in to the cafe below my office and got my morning cup of coffee. We watched from my office building until we were evacuated just as the first tower collapsed. Being shoved onto the street amidst the chaos is when it really started to sink in. I saw the second tower collapse. I don't know which was more horrifying: watching those thousands of tiny windows disappearing or seeing people running around on the street, wailing, choking and losing their minds. Some people even running towards the WTC. So many people were in those two buildings, and so many of their friends and family had to stand there and watch them explode and crumble. May your hearts be with them.
C, Brooklyn, NY

I was at our office on King Street about 20 blocks north of the WTC when the first plane hit. I went onto the corner of 7th Avenue and King and watched with crowds of workers as the smoke bellowed out of the north tower. Several Fire Engines, Ambulances and Police cars sped past and would have been amongst the first emergency vehicles on the scene.

At 9:50 I drove to collect my boss from East 10th Street. I was passed by 2 Fire Department sports utility vehicles which had smoke flowing behind them. When I arrived at 10th Street I saw the south tower had vanished into a huge cloud of dust. I returned to King Street and ran to the corner of 7th only to see a gigantic ball of smoke and dust cover where the north tower once stood.

At 10:30am I walked uptown to find my girlfriend and passed the St Vincentїs Hospital which was already closed off to non-emergency traffic and later received some of the casualties. I was stuck in Manhattan overnight as I couldn't return to Brooklyn because of transport closures and all the debris that had gone east into my neighbourhood.

Last night, my girlfriend and I went to Brooklyn Heights and watched the southern part of Manhattan. The light from the floodlights lit the dust and smoke clouds, and the skyline without the twin towers seemed unreal. I was able to contact my parents and friends very quickly so they didn't have to worry too long. I feel very sorry for anyone who still has someone they know missing.
Tom Richardson, New York, US (from Pershore, Worcestershire)

Paula , NJ, USA
My co-worker and I actually saw the plane deliberately crash right into the 1st tower. We saw the explosion. What a nightmare!!! I work between 7/8th and the WTC is on, I believe, the 5th. My office is on the 24th floor and overlooks the twin towers. I got to work at 8:00am. Just sat down and opened my computer. My co-worker came in around 8:30. She sat down and said she thought she saw something. We looked out of the window and my co-worker and I actually saw the plane deliberately crash right into the 1st tower. We saw the explosion. We stood there looking out of the window in shock. I turned around to do something and that's when the second plane hit the 2nd tower. From our windows we could actually see the holes in the buildings.

We were told everything is being shut down and just go. We evacuated the building. I walked 8 blocks to the port authority and was told buses were closed until further notice. I figured I would sit and wait till they opened. Seconds later they announced evacuation of the terminals. Everybody out. I rushed out of the bus terminal and walked to the streets and hopped a bus for the Ferry. The bus got stuck in gridlock. I got out of that bus and walked to the ferry. That seemed to be the only transportation available to cross back over to jersey. A huge LONG, LONG, LONG line (Javits Center to Battery Park) but luckily it moved fast. I got on the Ferry and went back to NJ.

What a horrible sight to see, as you are crossing over. Both Buildings were down and debris flying everywhere. But my nightmare didn't end there; I was stuck at Lincoln Harbor for hours. No buses or anything was available. I called home, decided maybe someone could just pick me up. But, All roads were closed. So we sat and sat for hours at the Lincoln Harbor. So many people hitching rides, walking, calling on cells and crying - unbelievable!!! Finally around 5:00pm a ferry bus came and picked us up and took us to this bus terminal, which took me to a bus to get home. I got home around 6:00pm. Lots of helicopters are still flying around here.

Anyways, my mom was very relieved when she saw me walk in the door. Even though I called her from the city to let her know I was OK, she was still very panicked. I felt so bad for her, she had been thru enough already and she didn't need this. But enough with my nightmare the REAL nightmare is with the people who were actually there, in the buildings, and All the victims and their families.

This was a Huge Tragedy!!! Please take a minute or two and say some prayers for EVERYONE! So Much was LOST that day. I really still can't believe these buildings are gone.
Paula , NJ, USA

I called my best friend who lives near the Pentagon. He was in his apartment together with his parents who just came over to visit him. They were watching the news about the twin Towers and suddenly he heard the plane. He looked outside and saw the plane coming down. I'll quote him: 'If I stretch my arm I could reach the plane. I saw the plane crashing into the Pentagon and a huge fireball emerged. I immediately called my wife who was working in the Capitol. She said they were evacuating the building and she had to drive 2 hours until she was home due to traffic jam.'

Then he and his parents came to the apartment again and watched the news again. Another plane was heading to the Pentagon they said and again he ran out of his apartment. I can tell you that he was shocked. Sometimes during our telephone conversation it was minutes of silence.
Van Cappel Frederic, Ostend, Belgium

The scariest part was shortly after the second tower collapsed and the sky went completely black

Stewart Quealy, New York
We are safe but we literally live only four blocks from the WTC and the situation here is certainly something to witness. Our apartment literally shook twice (my wife said it was worse than the tremors she experienced growing up in Los Angeles). There is no phone service, TV or cell service (DSL is up and down). Currently, outside our window it looks like it has just snowed as everything (no exaggeration) is covered with a thick layer of dust and debris. There are literally hundreds of burnt pieces of paper and documents strewn all over the street (some have the address of the World Trade Center stamped on them) that travelled several blocks in the blast.

The scariest part was shortly after the second tower collapsed and the sky went completely black for nearly 10 minutes with people running for cover in the street. One man rang our buzzer for help to get out of the smoke and we let him in (he was caked in soot and coughing terribly for an hour). I can see the hospital across the street from our apartment (NYU downtown hospital) and there is still a steady line of people waiting to be admitted along with police, ambulances, and camera crews. It's like a bad Bruce Willis movie...scary, scary stuff.

My dad works a few blocks down and his building was evacuated right before the second tower fell, he said he could see people jumping from the world trade about every five minutes from his office window.

From a friend of mine, Stewart Quealy who lives in NY.
Howard Gerlis, London, UK

We didn't evacuate our building because we thought that this was just an accident

John Satterfield, New York, USA
First I have to send my condolences to the American people. I was in world trade building 2 on the 37th floor when the first plane crashed into the WTC building; I went to the window and just saw black smoke coming from the top of the building, employees nearby started screaming: " an airplane crashed in WTC".

After about 10 minutes we went back to work as if nothing happened because we saw the fire fighters coming for the rescue and more than this we didn't evacuate our building because we thought that this was just an accident. But after around 15 minutes from the first blast my roommate at work was looking by chance from his window and says: what the hell is this plane doing between these skyscrapers".

Just seconds after that the second explosion occurred. I left everything in place and ran away as quickly as possible
John Satterfield, New York, USA

I shall never forget that day

Yelena Susloparova, New York, NY, USA
I shall never forget that day. At 8:42a.m I took a PATH train to World Trade Center from Jersey City. 6 minutes later I was going up the escalator to a ground level when I heard a strange sound like some heavy object was thrown on a roof. In a first few minutes I didn't realize what it was. Then I saw people running towards an exit screaming about a plane crash to the World Trade Center Tower.

Everyone was in panic and didn't know what to do. Policemen urged people to get out of the building informing us that it was a bomb on a plane. At the second I heard the warning, I ran to the Cortland Street subway station. Actually I didn't run, I flew on air. There were only three people on a station obviously shocked and confused. I smelled a plane fuel and was waiting impatiently for a train. Two trains had passed me by. They didn't even stop.

I was waiting for about 10 minutes and then called the office. At the time of my calling, I was the only person left on a station. With each minute fuel smell was growing stronger. Then the third train arrived. I was yelling to a conductor to open the doors but in vain. Then the station supervisor came up and ordered the doors to be opened. I got in and the train started moving. I arrived at the office at 9:20a.m, turned on the radio and only then found out that another hijacked plane hit another tower. I felt my heart stopped when I heard such terrible news.

I tried to call to Jersey City, NJ to my parents and sister but couldn't get thru. I had no idea whether they are OK or not and decided to go home. The mood at work was very disturbed. People were shaken and panicked. It was impossible to think about work. My colleague and I left office at 11:30a.m.

We planned to take ferry on 54th street. By the time we got there, we were informed that the ferry terminal had been closed. My colleague Maria decided to stay and I was determined to walk up to George Washington Bridge, which was still opened. It took me an hour and half to get there. By the time I arrived, the bridge was closed as well. An hour later security personnel began to allow car traffic out of the city but the bridge walk was still closed. People were angry and demanded walk to be opened. Some of them tried even to break the gates. In desperation I asked a truck driver to help me cross the bridge to Fort Lee. He graciously allowed and I made my trip to New Jersey on a back of a truck.

In Fort Lee all bus service was suspended. Streets were deserted and no taxicabs appeared. So I walked from Fort Lee to North Bergen. It's about 10 miles. Only in North Bergen I managed to get a bus to Jersey City. My parents and sister were OK and safe.

My prayers go the victims and their families and I'm grateful to the station supervisor (I hope she is alive) and a truck driver who let me in. I'm dismayed at what happened. I just don't have words to describe these attacks. I'm confident that the country will survive such a tragedy and will move on. To the people involved in the attack I say one thing only. They are morons and barbarians and will be punished.
Yelena Susloparova, New York, NY, USA

I'm a Brit who has lived in New York for the past 2 years. My apartment was 2 blocks south of the World Trade Center, I headed out of town maybe an hour before the incidents. I've been watching the building which housed my local coffee shop in flames, the place where I buy my newspaper is gone - there used to be a fire station at the corner of my street, they would have been the first ones there and the most certain not to return. My office is very quiet today (Friday) - we had 2 bomb scares yesterday. Unlike Londoners New Yorkers just aren't used to this - many people were very scared and very traumatised.
John Beedham, New York

This tragedy has touched millions of people around the globe. We here at Xerox have lost two ex-colleagues who were passengers on the plane that crashed into the ground in the USA. The enemy is unseen which makes him a coward but also makes him difficult to spot we must help all security services wherever we travel without complaint to prevent this happening again. We must as United Kingdom citizens be prepared to carry I.D. cards at all times and be prepared to show them when asked. It is a small price to pay for our peace of mind.
Steve Kirk, Portsmouth, UK

A friend of ours worked on the 102nd floor as a bond trader for Cantor Fitzgerald. His last words were, "We're getting out of here now," to his wife on the phone. He didn't make it. Left behind are two small children, a wife, a sister, parents and friends. President Bush must hunt down these people and disseminate the intricate network of terrorists. Our European allies must band together with us to fight this common, conscience-less foe.
Carrie, Chicago IL, USA

The vivid picture of streams and streams of firefighters travelling towards the scene will stick in my mind, I think forever.

Mike Shillaker, Islington, London, England
As one of the lucky survivors of the WTC tragedy, I feel I have to convey my thoughts We (a colleague and I) flew into NYC on Monday evening for a range of client meetings on Tuesday - the first being 8 am, Tower 2 WTC. We were on the 72nd floor of WCT2 when the first plane hit tower 1 - we heard the bang, and saw debris, and thank god, the client that I and my colleague were visiting had the sense to realise what was going on and told us to get out of the building. We were not so "street wise". We walked down the stairs - 72 floors seems like one hell of a long way to have to go - afraid, but not really sure why - we really did not know exactly what had happened

As we got to around floor 50, a message came over the tannoy, telling us that there was an isolated fire in tower 1, and we did not need to evacuate tower 2 - again, thank god we continued down, others didn't. As we reached around floor 38, the second plane hit - the whole building rocked, I guess like a building must shake in an earthquake - although we had no idea what had happened - we were, in fact blissfully ignorant as to what was going on - and because of that, other than momentarily, no one panicked - if we had known what I later saw on TV, I fear things may have been very different.

We escaped - we were very lucky - many many others, I know were not so lucky. As we ran, the vivid picture of streams and streams of firefighters travelling towards the scene will stick in my mind, I think forever. Even then, we knew that as we were escaping, they were heading straight towards a total disaster area - and I think even then, we realised that many of those men and women would probabaly not return from the scene alive. Only when we returned to Manhatten in the evening did we stop to see TV pictures - and only then did it really begin to sink in - the enormity of what had just happened. I am lucky - others are not, and my heart goes out to the families of each and every person who has not made it through this most horrendous experience.
Mike Shillaker Islington, London, England

Eyewitness Richard Wadja
"Everyone was running in different directions like it was an earthquake"


New Yorker Brendan MacWade
"The most horrifying thing I have ever seen"


Washington resident Julia Stevenson
"I just remember feeling totally helpless on that day"


London businessman Mike Shillaker
"I just remember... hearing a bang"


Suraj Janadhanan, Bangalore, India
"The Taleban has been acting as a puppet regime for Osama Bin Laden"


New Yorker Raj Malalgoda
"We managed to get out pretty soon after the first aircraft hit"

THE TOWERS AND THE PENTAGON

The first attack came at about 8:48 a.m., just as thousands of people were streaming to work in Lower Manhattan. Flight 11 slammed into the north tower of the 110-story World Trade Center. Fires blazed, and smoke billowed out of the skyscrapers, one of two that had famously dominated Manhattan's skyline.
At 9:03 a.m., as terrified occupants were still trying to flee the blazing north tower, Flight 175 rammed into the south tower. Broadcast cameras already watching the scene taped the second plane as it exploded in a huge fireball.
MSNBC.com reporter Martin Wolk, who was inside one of the towers, said the lights flickered and there was a loud bang. People panicked and started to flee the building.
At 9:43 a.m., Flight 77 crashed into the west side of the Pentagon in Washington's Virginia suburbs ? carving a breach in the headquarters of America's military, sparking a fire that burned for the rest of the day.
Seven minutes later, in New York, the fire-softened metal of the World Trade Center·s south tower gave way, and the tower collapsed ? trapping hundreds or even thousands of workers, as well as police and firefighters who had arrived to help evacuate the complex. Enormous plumes of choking gray smoke and debris poured through packed narrow streets rimmed by Manhattan's enormous skyscrapers.
The north tower disintegrated at 10:29 a.m., and Lower Manhattan was evacuated.

THE MISSION THAT MAY HAVE FAILED
The first three planes struck deeply symbolic targets in the nation's financial and political nerve centers , but the fourth plane, Flight 93, nose-dived into an empty field about 80 miles from Pittsburgh, sometime around 10 a.m.

Officials originally presumed the hijackers were trying to crash the jet into Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland. But Attorney General John Ashcroft later told members of Congress that the plane was believed to have been headed toward Washington.
Looking back at the evidence, investigators surmised that the passengers had thwarted the terrorists' plan, even though they knew it meant the deaths of all aboard.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that a passenger on Flight 93, Tom Burnett, called his wife and indicated that he and other passengers were about to try to overpower the hijackers.

September 13 , Tuesday's tragedy could have been even worse, if it weren·t for three heros aboard United Flight 93. NBC"s Bob Faw reports.

Burnett told his wife that somebody on the plane had been stabbed, said the Rev. Frank Colacicco, of St. Isidore's Church in Danville, Calif. "We'·re all gonna die, but three of us are going to do something," Burnett told his wife, according to Colacicco. He added: "I love you, Honey," before the call ended.
Another passenger, Jeremy Glick, made a similar cell phone call to his wife, The Washington Post reported. According to an account from his brother-in-law, Glick said three men carrying a red box they said contained a bomb ? forced the crew into the back of the plane and took over the cockpit.
Glick said he and other passengers were going to try to do something.
"He knew that stopping them was going to end all of their lives. But that was my brother-in-law. He was a take-charge guy," Douglas Hurwitt told the Post.
An emergency dispatcher in Westmoreland County, Pa., received a cell phone call at 9:58 a.m. from a man who claimed that he was a passenger locked in the airplane·s bathroom, said dispatch supervisor Glenn Cramer.
"We are being hijacked. We are being hijacked!" Cramer quoted the man as saying. "He heard some sort of explosion and saw white smoke coming from the plane, and we lost contact with him."

September 12, 2001 Posted: 12:27 PM EDT (1627 GMT)
Tuesday's chronology of terror

8:45 a.m. (all times are EDT): A hijacked passenger jet, American Airlines Flight 11 out of Boston, Massachusetts, crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center, tearing a gaping hole in the building and setting it afire.

Plane hits WTC.
9:03 a.m.: A second hijacked airliner, United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston, crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center and explodes. Both buildings are burning.

9:17 a.m.: The Federal Aviation Administration shuts down all New York City area airports.

9:21 a.m.: The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey orders all bridges and tunnels in the New York area closed.

9:30 a.m.: President Bush, speaking in Sarasota, Florida, says the country has suffered an "apparent terrorist attack."

9:40 a.m.: The FAA halts all flight operations at U.S. airports, the first time in U.S. history that air traffic nationwide has been halted.

9:43 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon, sending up a huge plume of smoke. Evacuation begins immediately.

9:45 a.m.: The White House evacuates.

9:57 a.m.: Bush departs from Florida.

10:05 a.m.: The south tower of the World Trade Center collapses, plummeting into the streets below. A massive cloud of dust and debris forms and slowly drifts away from the building.

Pentagon burns.
10:08 a.m.: Secret Service agents armed with automatic rifles are deployed into Lafayette Park across from the White House.

10:10 a.m.: A portion of the Pentagon collapses.

10:10 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 93, also hijacked, crashes in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh.

10:13 a.m.: The United Nations building evacuates, including 4,700 people from the headquarters building and 7,000 total from UNICEF and U.N. development programs.

10:22 a.m.: In Washington, the State and Justice departments are evacuated, along with the World Bank.

10:24 a.m.: The FAA reports that all inbound transatlantic aircraft flying into the United States are being diverted to Canada.

Pennsylvania crash scene
10:28 a.m.: The World Trade Center's north tower collapses from the top down as if it were being peeled apart, releasing a tremendous cloud of debris and smoke.

10:45 a.m.: All federal office buildings in Washington are evacuated.

10.46 a.m.: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell cuts short his trip to Latin America to return to the United States.

First tower falls.
10.48 a.m.: Police confirm the plane crash in Pennsylvania.

10:53 a.m.: New York's primary elections, scheduled for Tuesday, are postponed.

10:54 a.m.: Israel evacuates all diplomatic missions.

10:57 a.m.: New York Gov. George Pataki says all state government offices are closed.

11:02 a.m.: New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani urges New Yorkers to stay at home and orders an evacuation of the area south of Canal Street.

11:16 a.m.: CNN reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is preparing emergency-response teams in a precautionary move.

11:18 a.m.: American Airlines reports it has lost two aircraft. American Flight 11, a Boeing 767 flying from Boston to Los Angeles, had 81 passengers and 11 crew aboard. Flight 77, a Boeing 757 en route from Washington's Dulles International Airport to Los Angeles, had 58 passengers and six crew members aboard. Flight 11 slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Flight 77 hit the Pentagon.

11:26 a.m.: United Airlines reports that United Flight 93, en route from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, California, has crashed in Pennsylvania. The airline also says that it is "deeply concerned" about United Flight 175.

11:59 a.m.: United Airlines confirms that Flight 175, from Boston to Los Angeles, has crashed with 56 passengers and nine crew members aboard. It hit the World Trade Center's south tower.

12:04 p.m.: Los Angeles International Airport, the destination of three of the crashed airplanes, is evacuated.

12:15 p.m: San Francisco International Airport is evacuated and shut down. The airport was the destination of United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania.

Second tower falls.
12:15 p.m.: The Immigration and Naturalization Service says U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico are on the highest state of alert, but no decision has been made about closing borders.

12:30 p.m.: The FAA says 50 flights are in U.S. airspace, but none are reporting any problems.

1:04 p.m.: Bush, speaking from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, says that all appropriate security measures are being taken, including putting the U.S. military on high alert worldwide. He asks for prayers for those killed or wounded in the attacks and says, "Make no mistake, the United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts."

1:27 p.m.: A state of emergency is declared by the city of Washington.

1:44 p.m.: The Pentagon says five warships and two aircraft carriers will leave the U.S. Naval Station in Norfolk, Virginia, to protect the East Coast from further attack and to reduce the number of ships in port. The two carriers, the USS George Washington and the USS John F. Kennedy, are headed for the New York coast. The other ships headed to sea are frigates and guided missile destroyers capable of shooting down aircraft.

1:48 p.m.: Bush leaves Barksdale Air Force Base aboard Air Force One and flies to an Air Force base in Nebraska.

Bush: "Attacks cowardly."
2 p.m.: Senior FBI sources tell CNN they are working on the assumption that the four airplanes that crashed were hijacked as part of a terrorist attack.

2:30 p.m.: The FAA announces there will be no U.S. commercial air traffic until noon EDT Wednesday at the earliest.

2:49 p.m.: At a news conference, Giuliani says that subway and bus service are partially restored in New York City. Asked about the number of people killed, Giuliani says, "I don't think we want to speculate about that -- more than any of us can bear."

3:55 p.m.: Karen Hughes, a White House counselor, says the president is at an undisclosed location, later revealed to be Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, and is conducting a National Security Council meeting by phone. Vice President Dick Cheney and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice are in a secure facility at the White House. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is at the Pentagon.

3:55 p.m.: Giuliani now says the number of critically injured in New York City is up to 200 with 2,100 total injuries reported.

4 p.m: CNN National Security Correspondent David Ensor reports that U.S. officials say there are "good indications" that Saudi militant Osama bin Laden, suspected of coordinating the bombings of two U.S. embassies in 1998, is involved in the attacks, based on "new and specific" information developed since the attacks.

4:06 p.m.: California Gov. Gray Davis dispatches urban search-and-rescue teams to New York.

4:10 p.m.: Building 7 of the World Trade Center complex is reported on fire.

New York Mayor Giuliani
4:20 p.m.: U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, D-Florida, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, says he was "not surprised there was an attack (but) was surprised at the specificity." He says he was "shocked at what actually happened -- the extent of it."

4:25 p.m.: The American Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange say they will remain closed Wednesday.

4:30 p.m.: The president leaves Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska aboard Air Force One to return to Washington.

Soot-covered man
5:15 p.m.: CNN Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre reports fires are still burning in part of the Pentagon. No death figures have been released yet.

5:20 p.m.: The 47-story Building 7 of the World Trade Center complex collapses. The evacuated building is damaged when the twin towers across the street collapse earlier in the day. Other nearby buildings in the area remain ablaze.

5:30 p.m.: CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King reports that U.S. officials say the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania could have been headed for one of three possible targets: Camp David, the White House or the U.S. Capitol building.

6 p.m.: Explosions are heard in Kabul, Afghanistan, hours after terrorist attacks targeted financial and military centers in the United States. The attacks occurred at 2:30 a.m. local time. Afghanistan is believed to be where bin Laden, who U.S. officials say is possibly behind Tuesday's deadly attacks, is located. U.S. officials say later that the United States had no involvement in the incident whatsoever. The attack is credited to the Northern Alliance, a group fighting the Taliban in the country's ongoing civil war.

6:10 p.m.:Giuliani urges New Yorkers to stay home Wednesday if they can.

Stunned onlookers
6:40 p.m.: Rumsfeld, the U.S. defense secretary, holds a news conference in the Pentagon, noting the building is operational. "It will be in business tomorrow," he says.

6:54 p.m.: Bush arrives back at the White House aboard Marine One and is scheduled to address the nation at 8:30 p.m. The president earlier landed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland with a three-fighter jet escort. CNN's King reports Laura Bush arrived earlier by motorcade from a "secure location."

7:17 p.m.: U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft says the FBI is setting up a Web site for tips on the attacks: www.ifccfbi.gov. He also says family and friends of possible victims can leave contact information at 800-331-0075.

7:02 p.m.: CNN's Paula Zahn reports the Marriott Hotel near the World Trade Center is on the verge of collapse and says some New York bridges are now open to outbound traffic.

WTC devastation
7:45 p.m.: The New York Police Department says that at least 78 officers are missing. The city also says that as many as half of the first 400 firefighters on the scene were killed.

8:30 p.m.: President Bush addresses the nation, saying "thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil" and asks for prayers for the families and friends of Tuesday's victims. "These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve," he says. The president says the U.S. government will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed the acts and those who harbor them. He adds that government offices in Washington are reopening for essential personnel Tuesday night and for all workers Wednesday.

9:22 p.m.: CNN's McIntyre reports the fire at the Pentagon is still burning and is considered contained but not under control.

9:57 p.m.: Giuliani says New York City schools will be closed Wednesday and no more volunteers are needed for Tuesday evening's rescue efforts. He says there is hope that there are still people alive in rubble. He also says that power is out on the westside of Manhattan and that health department tests show there are no airborne chemical agents about which to worry.

10:49 p.m.: CNN Congressional Correspondent Jonathan Karl reports that Attorney General Ashcroft told members of Congress that there were three to five hijackers on each plane armed only with knives.

10:56 p.m: CNN's Zahn reports that New York City police believe there are people alive in buildings near the World Trade Center.

11:54 p.m.: CNN Washington Bureau Chief Frank Sesno reports that a government official told him there was an open microphone on one of the hijacked planes and that sounds of discussion and "duress" were heard. Sesno also reports a source says law enforcement has "credible" information and leads and is confident about the investigation.

© 2001 Cable News Network LP, LLLP.

September 17, 2001 Posted: 7:44 PM EDT (2344 GMT)
Debate begins on rebuilding towers

The twin towers of the World Trade Center were dedicated in 1973.

NEW YORK (CNN) - The author of a book about the World Trade Center called the Twin Towers a marvel of sculpture, but said they should not be rebuilt.

Eric Darton, the author of "Divided We Stand: a Biography of New York's World Trade Center," said the building was flawed in many ways.

Darton, who spent eight years writing the book, said one of the buildings biggest problems was that it was impossible to evacuate it quickly. "I don't think it was ever really safe," he told CNN Sunday. "Even in the best of times, it is an arguable question as to whether you might have been better off in a New York City public housing project if there were a fire than in the Port Authority."

During the 1960s, when the buildings were designed, protecting them from acts of terrorism was not on anyone's radar, Darton said. The decision to reoccupy the buildings after the 1993 attack that killed six people and wounded hundreds was "an unconscionable act," he said. "The buildings were clearly a target, and in my view, if you build a target, they will shoot."

Architect: Design sound
Aaron Swirsky, one of the architects who helped Minoru Yamasaki design the building, said the 1993 attack proved the design was sound.

The towers were "built as a pipe," with the steel frame of its exterior facade supporting the buildings, he told CNN.

The towers were designed to survive a hit by a plane, but the aircraft that struck the towers Tuesday were much bigger and carried more fuel than airliners in use when they were built, Swirsky said.

"It was something completely unforeseen, so far as the design criteria was (concerned)," Swirsky said. "The criterion was that if a plane hits, it would go right through it... the towers were protected in such away that the damage would be limited to one story, but it wouldn't travel to the other stories."

Structural criticisms aside, a building that squeezed millions of square feet of office space into a 16-acre area was not made for its inhabitants, Darton said.

The building was "a very strange and disconcerting place to live and work and be," said, who recommended that New Yorkers spend at least a year debating what to do with the area before making any decisions.

That discussion has already started.

The towers collapsed after suffering two hits by hijacked airliners.
Some think rebuilding the 110-story towers would invite more terrorist attacks, but others propose doing just that -- erecting another set of highrises just like those that now lay in dust and rubble.

"It would be the tragedy of tragedies not to rebuild this part of New York," developer Larry Silverstein, who paid $3.2 billion in 1999 for a 99-year lease of the complex, told the Wall Street Journal. "The city is not dead and can't be allowed to die. We owe [rebuilding] to our children and our grandchildren."

Monument or target?
Henry Guthard, the engineer who managed the construction of the towers, told The Associated Press that if the towers are not replaced, the area would be "a monument to terrorism."

"These are not just office buildings. These are icons of America," Guthard said. "If it were to be built as a brand-new building of the same appearance it would be Е a monument to the spirit of New York, the power and strength of New York and America."

New York Sen. Charles Schumer said the must be rebuilt and include a monument to the victims of the terrorist attack.

"We must build something grand there," Schumer said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation."

"I look out at the skyline from the window of my house in Brooklyn and I feel violated," he said.

Darton said he also missed seeing the towers from his windows, though he initially disliked the sight.

"I fell in love with the people who cared about building it, who worked in it, who cleaned it," Darton said. "I eventually fell in love with the strange noises it made when you went to the rest room and you were next to the elevator shaft and you'd hear this incredible Pan pipe sounds of the winds howling down. It was almost like the building was playing music. How could you not fall in love with such a building?

"Did I approve of it being built? Would I reoccupy it? Of course not. But you wouldn't want to lose it that way. It was a problematic friend, but you wouldn't want to lose that friend."

NEW YORK (CNN) -- A wall of thick smoke and debris showered over the streets for blocks around the World Trade Center on Tuesday, enveloping workers and visitors in a "holy hell" after two hijacked passenger jets smashed through the towers, causing them both to collapse.

"It just went 'bam,' like a bomb went off. It was like holy hell," said a witness who was in one of the towers when it was hit by one of the planes.

Soot, concrete, shards of building materials, glass and papers covered the streets, cars and businesses around the devastated buildings.

Matthew Cornelius had just arrived for work at the Port Authority offices when the first tower was hit.

"We heard a loud crash and the building started shaking, moving like a wave," he said.

People headed for stairwells to get out of the building, Cornelius said, but there wasn't a panic.

"People remained calm throughout this and kept saying, 'We're going to take this one stair at a time, everybody's going to get out,'" he said. "We weren't aware of the situation. Had we known what was going on it would have been a different story."

Outside the building, people who saw the planes hit the buildings were well aware of what was going on.

"I saw people jumping off the building," said one witness. "Everyone was screaming, running ... people were stampeding, people started screaming that there was another plane coming and the second building just exploded."

Later, as the towers gave way and collapsed, a mushroom cloud of dust and debris chased those still near the buildings for blocks.

"I was running for my life," said one man. "(Stuff) was just falling down behind us, coming up behind us. I saw this truck ... and I just slid underneath it. Everything went black."

It's not known how many people have been killed in the attack. More than 600 people have been taken to hospitals and more than 2,000 "walking wounded" were being treated at Liberty Island Park, according to Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

New York police have reported 78 of its officers are missing, and some 200 firefighters were unaccounted for.

"The city is going to survive, we are going to get through it," Giuliani said. "It's going to be very, very difficult time. I don't think we yet know the pain that we're going to feel when we find out who we lost, but the thing we have to focus on now is getting this city through this, and surviving and being stronger for it."

2001 Cable News Network LP, LLLP.

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9:43 a.m. American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757 enroute from Dulles Airport outside Washington to LAX with 58 passengers and six crew members, crashes into the Pentagon. One of the building's five sides collapses.
9:45 a.m. The White House is evacuated.
9:59 a.m. The south tower of the World Trade Center collapses in a plume of ash and debris.
10:00 a.m. United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757 en route from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco with 38 passengers and seven crew members, crashes just north of the Somerset County Airport, about 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. Shortly before impact, a passenger called on his cell phone from a locked bathroom: "We are being hijacked, we are being hijacked!" At this time there was concern the plane was headed to Camp David

10:24 a.m. The FAA reports that all inbound transatlantic flights are to be diverted to Canada.
10:28 a.m. The World Trade Center's north tower collapses.
12:15 p.m. The United States closes some border crossings with Canada and Mexico.
1:02 p.m. New York Mayor Rudolph Guiliani orders an evacuation of Manhattan south of Canal Street.

1:04 p.m. In a speech at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, President Bush announces that security measures are being taken and says: "Make no mistake, the United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts."
1:44 p.m. The Navy dispatches aircraft carriers and guided missile destroyers to New York and Washington. Around the country, fighters, airborne radar and refueling planes scramble. The North American Aerospace Defense Command go to its highest alert
On each jet, a handful of terrorists armed with knives or makeshift blades they smuggled aboard got up from their seats just a little while after takeoff. In each case, they overwhelmed flight attendants and crew.
All four jets reversed course, heading toward New York and Washington.

1:44 p.m. President Bush leaves Barksdale Air Force Base for Nebraska·s Offutt Air Force Base, home to the U.S. Strategic Command.
4:30 p.m. President Bush leaves Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska for Washington.
4:45 p.m. The City of New York announces that 200 firefighters have been killed and 78 police officers are missing.
5:20 p.m. Seven World Trade Center, a 47-story tower, collapses from ancillary damage.

Friday, 21 September, 2001, 17:13 GMT 18:13 UK
by BBC News Online's Emma Clark

What is the future for skyscrapers?
Will Americans fall out of love with the skyscraper?

The collapse of the World Trade Center was in some ways a tragic accident of design. Both jets managed to penetrate the very core of the buildings, disbursing jet fuel and fire into the heart of the structure. Had there been more fire-resistant concrete and less steel in the core, many more of the building's occupants might have evacuated before any collapse. Equally, had the twin towers not stood as a blatant symbol of American capitalism, the terrorists might have chosen another target. For the present, however, such rationality does little to neutralise the fear now associated with working in skyscrapers.

Initial reactions

At the time of the attack on 11 September, almost every skyscraper in the US evacuated as workers became terrified that they would become the next victims. There will be no proposals for 100 storey buildings in America for a long, long time

Eugene Kohn
Kohn Pederson Fox Associates

According to a USA Today/CNN poll, 70% of Americans remain favourable to the construction of skyscrapers, although 35% say they now have no intention of entering one. "There will be no proposals for 100-storey buildings in America for a long, long time," says Eugene Kohn, president of Kohn Pederson Fox Associates, a firm of architects in New York. So what future is there for the skyscraper, a supposed emblem of society's technological prowess? Is height a factor? For Mr Kohn - whose firm is designing the world's next tallest building, the Shanghai World Financial Center - height is less relevant than what the twin towers represented. "Had [the World Trade Center] been 60 storeys, they still would have gone after it," he says, although he concedes that 100 storeys made it easier. Similarly, consultant engineers Ove Arup argue that "the focus may be on tall buildings initially, but it is not a question only for tall buildings". Tenants of these buildings, however, may feel differently.

Thinking twice

Already in London, Barclays and HSBC are reviewing designs and safety requirements for their new headquarters.

Barclays and HSBC are reviewing building plans. "People may well think twice about ultra-high levels," says William McKee, chief executive of the British Property Federation. This could lead to greater popularity and higher rent for lower floors in high-rise buildings. In recognition of this, the New York developer who holds part of the 99-year lease on the Trade Center is looking to replace it with four smaller buildings. "There is no doubt in my mind we would be seriously looking at building four towers of 55 to 60 storeys in height," says Larry Silverstein.

Market forces

However, Mr Silverstein acknowledges that attracting tenants to the new buildings, even if they are lower, would be a challenge. Andy Smith from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in London adds: "More powerful than anything else is the market - and if people want to work elsewhere, that will be decisive." Exorbitant insurance premiums may also discourage landlords from taking on tall or landmark buildings. Most experts agree, however, that it is too early to predict whether demand for office space in skyscrapers will drop off in the long term. Mr Kohn believes that "it will take time, maybe a year or two to get over this".

Safety measures

One more immediate concern is to improve safety provisions in existing super tall buildings. It is incumbent upon us to reconsider certain aspects of design criteria

Jeffrey McCarthy
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

"It is incumbent upon us to reconsider certain aspects of design criteria, particularly egress," says architect Jeffrey McCarthy, managing partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in Chicago. In the US, work is afoot to modernise some of the buildings lacking security features, such as a fireman's lift that is separate from the main stairwell. In the Trade Center attack, firemen running up the stairwell were said to have delayed the evacuation. "It is possible to build super tall buildings that are safe to evacuate, and there are ways to protect them from damage," says Mr Kohn. Certainly if skyscrapers manage to maintain their popularity, the events of last week will usher in a new breed.

A new breed

In Asia, Herculean towers with state-of-art safety features have already arrived, on the crest of a skyscraper boom. Some skyscrapers in Asia have more safety features The Shanghai World Financial Center has a reinforced concrete core with a dedicated fire lift and refuge floors at every 15 levels. Refuge floors contain no furniture and are designed to be totally fire proof so that they can harbour people in the middle of an evacuation. Ironically, Kohn Pederson Fox had originally considered refuge floors as a conservative measure.

The lure of skyscrapers

The skyscraper of course has many advantages for the packed cities of the world. They allow people to come together in greater density and support clustering of companies, particularly financial services. They also allow more room for open spaces and maximise the efficiency of travel networks, such as the New York subway. "There is still going to be a commitment to the high-rise building," says Mr McCarthy. "It is the nature of the urban landscape and it is required by companies."

Exploitation

However, the very virtues of skyscrapers can also be weaknesses. The terrorist mind is looking to exploit centres of density, as well as landmark buildings that speak for a culture they oppose. And although many people are keen to resist an over-defensive mentality, any repeated attack on a tall building will no doubt sound a death knell for this kind of architecture. Inevitably, the success of governments around the world in quashing terrorism will determine whether we fall back in love with the skyscraper.

Saturday September 22 12:12 AM EDT
Somber TV Telethon Makes History

With a stirring opening call from Bruce Springsteen to "come rise up," Hollywood heavyweights wore their hearts on their sleeves, raised millions of dollars for relief funds--and made TV history.

A who's who of A-list actors and musicians--from Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks to U2, Paul Simon and Pearl Jam--converged in New York, Los Angeles and London for America: A Tribute to Heroes, an unprecedented multi-network telethon that dominated TV screens Friday night.

The two-hour event, which aired on more than three dozen major networks, offered an emotional night of music and tearful stories of heroism from last week's devastating terrorist attacks. The night ended with Willie Nelson leading the celebrities in a campfire-style group sing-along of "America the Beautiful."

Though early estimates were not released Friday night, organizers expected to make as much as $30 million for the United Way's September 11 Telethon Fund.

The evening opened on a powerful note, as an image of the New York City skyline faded into a candlelit soundstage with Springsteen, who had only a guitar, a harmonica and a small cluster of back-up singers.

"This is a prayer for our fallen brothers and sisters," Springsteen said, before launching into a heart-wrenching version of his song, "My City of Ruins."

Tom Hanks then offered his own stirring opening monologue. "We're going to try and do something," Hanks said, quoting the words of the passengers who called their relatives by cell phone before their hijacked plane crashed down in Pennsylvania September 11.

"In their heroic, undying spirit, we all feel the need to do something," Hanks said. "Those of us here tonight are not heroes, we are not healers, we are not protectors of this great nation. We're merely artists, entertainers here to raise spirits...to honor the real heroes."

With that, some of pop's biggest acts paid tribute. U2 performed a medley from a London soundstage. Paul Simon, sporting an FDNY cap, offered up a haunting rendition of "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Tom Petty stared down the camera for his song of resilience, "I Won't Back Down." And, in an odd, yet effective pairing, Limp Bizkit joined Goo Goo Dolls (news - web sites) frontman Johnny Rzeznik for a reworked cover of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here."

Tom Cruise told the story of New York's fallen Fire Department Chaplain, the Reverend Mike Judge, leading into Mariah Carey's heartfelt rendition of "Hero," her first performance since her breakdown in July.

"Tonight, ['Hero'] has even more meaning for all of you out there," Carey said, referring to the rescue workers.

George Clooney spoke of a New York cop from the 40th Precinct in the Bronx, who went to work Tuesday morning to file his retirement papers and then lost his life in the rescue effort. Clooney then introduced the night's "Celebrity Phone Bank," as Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, Halle Berry, Whoopi Goldberg and Andy Garcia, among others, answered the phones (and presumably surprised a few callers in the process).

Other memorable performances Friday: Celine Dion came out of "retirement" to sing her heart out on "God Bless America." (She may be Canadian, but her lungs were all-American.) And Neil Young was joined by a string section for a cover of John Lennon's "Imagine."

Young later reappeared with Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready for a rare TV performance by the publicity-shy band--a rendition of their song, "The Long Road." Other performers Friday included Faith Hill, Wyclef Jean, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Bon Jovi, the Dixie Chicks, Dave Matthews, Sheryl Crow and Sting.

Producer Joel Gallen (of MTV Movie Awards fame) kept things simple throughout the night: Stars and musicians appeared on a darkened soundstage, in front of lit candles shaped into pyramids. The telethon ran commercial-free, and the night's monologues and performances were broken up only by taped segments with children and victims' family members.

For a show organized in just a week's time, the telethon came off remarkably smooth, with nary a missed cue, flubbed speech or regrettable performance.

Will Smith and boxing legend Muhammad Ali (whom Smith plays in the upcoming film Ali) also spoke out against hate crimes directed toward the Muslim community, reminding people that "it was hate, not religion, that guided these horrible attacks."

Former NYPD Blue (news - Y! TV) costars Dennis Franz and Jimmy Smits reteamed to tell of the bravery of New York's finest, before segueing into a performance by Billy Joel, who sang "New York State of Mind."

Kelsey Grammer quoted President John F. Kennedy. Jim Carrey quoted Winston Churchill, and then told the story of two coworkers in the World Trade Center who carried a woman in a wheelchair down more than 60 flights of stairs.

Friday night's telethon was underwritten by CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox, who began collaborating on the project late last week.

TV networks have not banded together like this since at least the 1950s. But to get an idea of just how unprecedented the event was, viewers needed only flip through the channels on their cable box. Aside from a handful of cable channels (mostly sports-related), nearly every major network aired the telethon, including the WB, UPN, E!, MTV, PBS, Comedy Central, HBO, Telemundo and Univision, not to mention 8,000 radio stations.

Prior to the telethon, E! News Daily presented its own special, Hollywood Unites, featuring thoughts from stars such as Shannon Elizabeth, Patrick Warburton, Andy Dick and Doris Roberts.

Meanwhile, donations are still being accepted at the telethon's Website, www.tributetoheroes.org, and at Yahoo!'s mirror site, tribute.yahoo.com. To donate by phone, call 1-866-868-6483.

WTC

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THE TWIN TOWERS in New York City were built to withstand not only their own weight, but also the forces of nature. But no architect, no engineer, ever contemplates a big jet loaded with explosive fuel flying into his building.
Hyman Brown was the project engineer on the twin towers, the man on the ground in charge of making sure the building was built right, the way it was designed. Brown, who spent six years building the towers, says the planes didn·t cause the towers to collapse, but rather it was the fire and tremendous heat that exposed the steel superstructure to forces it could not withstand. Each tower was built around a central core that kept the building up, supporting each tower·s so-called dead-weight. But when the steel melted, according to Brown, like dominos it fell.
Brown says the towers were built to withstand 200 mile-per-hour hurricanes, the 100-year storm, the worst nature could dish out. But he says an airplane crash never entered anyone·s mind.
Still, it appears the outside columns, made of prefabricated steel, absorbed most of the energy from the suicide planes and may have kept the towers from collapsing immediately.
University of Colorado engineering professor Stein Sture thinks the energy from those large planes would be equivalent to a medium, five or six Richter scale earthquake.
The way the towers collapsed seemed similar to pictures we·ve become accustomed to watching, as old buildings like the Kingdome in Seattle are taken down with explosives.

Mark Loizeaux, whose Їcontrolled demolition" company does that sort of work, says once a building starts falling, it releases a lot of stored energy.
"We used explosives as a catalyst to release that potential energy, converts it to kinetic energy, gets the building moving, so to speak," says Loizeaux."So it doesn·t take a lot of outside energy to get that structure moving."
Project engineer Brown shudders at the thought. The trade center attack was so well planned. The suicide bombers picked just the right spot in the towers so that when one floor collapsed, they all would. But as the man who knows the lost buildings better than most, he says it makes perfect sense.

allbonjovi 2005