RE: [gardeners] World Trade Center blast
Terry King (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sat, 15 Sep 2001 09:18:47 -0700
Penny,
Thanks for giving those of us at such a distance from the attacks a view of
what it is like in your area. Its very sobbering. I was in Spokane on
Thursday, there was a noticable decline in traffic and shopping activity.
Planes began flying again while I was there, it was surreal seeing planes in
the air. Like they didn't belong. You could feel everyone watching them as
they took off and disappeared into the distance. There were small snatches
of conversation in the stores as people went about their business trying not
to remember what was happening just so they can get throught the day. A
friend went with me and we talked about it through out most of the 3+ hour
drive to the city.
Again, thanks for your perspective.
Terry
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-gardeners@globalgarden.com
> [mailto:owner-gardeners@globalgarden.com]On Behalf Of penny x stamm
> Sent: Friday, September 14, 2001 10:53 PM
> To: gardeners@globalgarden.com
> Subject: Re: [gardeners] World Trade Center blast
>
>
> Ranchmama, we are located 20 miles north of the WTC
> devastation.
>
> The world has become silent -- no cars, planes, trains to
> make noise. Since all 19 bridge and tunnel connections with
> Manhattan island were closed, there has been no reason
> for the cars and trucks coming from Connecticut to pass
> by. We are in the landing path of LaGuardia Airport, JFK,
> Westchester, Stewart and even some military helicopter
> fly-path, and nothing has sounded for days. We're 3 blocks
> from the Hutchinson River Pkwy, a major road to all New
> England; we're 3 miles from the New England Thruway,
> whose trucking noises always reach us; nobody seems
> to be going anywhere!
>
> Our local schools were not closed, but way upstate in
> New York where my son lives, all the colleges were shut.
>
> My brother Peter worked in the World Trade Center. On
> that fateful morning, he decided not to go in to the office.
> He had an appointment in Connecticut in the afternoon, so
> did his paper work at home in New Jersey instead...
>
> My hubby's brother Peter works 2 blocks away, and saw the
> 2nd plane hit the tower. He had an 11:00am appointment on
> the 74th floor of the WTC .... he sent all his employees home
> instantly, then went and found his car parked in a huge
> garage, got it out on the street, and began the long trek out of
> Manhattan, by any exit whatsoever. I found him by cell phone --
> he had reached 18th street by 4:00pm, and he only had a
> quarter tank of gas by then. People were walking across the
> Brooklyn Bridge shoulder to shoulder, like quiet, orderly ants.
> Eventually the police allowed cars to exit.
>
> The smoke, soot and flying particles seem to hug the skyline
> of New York traveling rather in a south-easterly direction. By
> yesterday the winds had shifted, and the foul stuff began its
> crawl up Manhattan. Even the TV people in their air conditioned
> broadcast studios could smell the smoke by then. We were
> warned to close up our houses, and not drink the water, but the
> smoke somehow never quite reached us. Instead the thunder
> storm began, sending down torrents of water, and creating a
> river underneath the rubble downtown, making footing very
> slippery. Of course, we were all cut off from our computers,
> first because the wires were so overcrowded, and then
> because of the lightning.
>
> My sin-in-law was stretched out on a table stark naked except
> for his skivvies way up at the Veteran's Adm. Hospital in New
> Haven, Ct., which I'll bet is 80 miles north of here, at 10:00am
> that morning. He had fasted for 48 hrs., had suffered thru 3
> laxatives, and they had marked two circles on his belly with a
> grease pencil, had fastened a tourniquet on his arm and
> the nurse had the needle touching his skin for an injection --
> when some supervisor stormed into the room and ordered
> all procedures stopped, for the hospital had to get ready to
> receive the injured from New York City... but the nurse said
> to him, as long as you are here, would you like to give
> some blood ....???
>
> But it's the silence which is the most remarkable part of this
> thing. It's too cold for crickets, and the birds have flown away,
> it seems. I saw one car on the street this entire day! By
> Thursday we HAD to get to New Jersey, so we drove north to
> the Tappan Zee Bridge over the Hudson River where zillions
> of big trucks and small cars always travel, and it was empty.
> Friday night we HAD to reach Connecticut, and both the
> Parkway and the Thruway were almost empty -- and I am
> just realizing: there have been NO gardeners in the area
> all week -- no machines, no blowers, no shouting in Spanish,
> just silence . . . No garbage pickup, no Postal Service. Silence.
>
> Penny, NY
>
>
>
> .
>
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