Marriott World Trade Center

[Janelle Spyker]

Marriott World Trade Center

The Marriott World Trade Center was a 22-story[1] steel-framed hotel building with 825 rooms. It opened in 1981 as the Vista Hotel and was located at 3 World Trade Center in New York City. The Vista Hotel was the first hotel to open in Lower Manhattan since 1836.[2] The building was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and originally owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. It was sold in 1995 to Host Marriott Corporation after then-Governors George Pataki of New York and Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey pressured Port Authority officials to sell its less profitable assets.

The hotel was connected to the North and South tower, and many went through the hotel to get to the Twin Towers. The hotel had a few establishments including Greenhouse Cafe, Tall Ships Bar & Grill, a store called Times Square Gifts, The Russia House Restaurant and a Grayline New York Tours Bus ticket counter and a hair salon called Olga's. The hotel also had 26,000 square feet (2,400 m2) of meeting space, and was considered a four-diamond hotel by AAA. [3]

The structure was destroyed on September 11, 2001 in the collapse of the north and south towers of the World Trade Center.

[Janelle Spyker]

Marriott Hotel (3 World Trade Center) with the towers of 1 and 2 World Trade Center. The building on the far right of this photo is the New York Marriott Financial Center Hotel, which was only slightly damaged on September 11, 2001, and remains open for business.

[Janelle Spyker]

1993 World Trade Center bombing

On February 26, 1993, the hotel was seriously damaged as a result of the World Trade Center bombing. Terrorists took a Ryder truck loaded with 1,500 pounds (682 kilograms) of explosives and parked it in the One World Trade Center parking garage. At 12:18pm (Eastern Time), an explosion destroyed or seriously damaged the lower and sub levels of the World Trade Center complex. After extensive repairs, the hotel reopened in November 1994.

[Janelle Spyker]

September 11, 2001 attacks

On September 11, 2001, the hotel was at full capacity, and had over 1000 registered guests. In addition, the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) was holding its yearly conference at the hotel.

When the first plane crashed into the North Tower (1 WTC), the landing gear fell into the roof of the Marriott hotel. There were many eyewitness accounts from firefighters who went up the stairs in the Marriott Hotel to the second floor. Firefighters used the lobby as the staging area, and were also in the hotel to evacuate guests that may have still been in the hotel. Firefighters also reported bodies on the roof from the people that had jumped or fallen from the burning towers. The collapse of the South Tower (2 WTC) split the hotel in half (such damage can briefly be seen in the film documentary 9/11), and the collapse of its twin destroyed the rest of the hotel aside from a small section as seen on the picture, due to the structural strengthening of the steel framework after the 1993 bombing.

As a result of the collapse of the Twin Towers, the hotel was destroyed. Two hotel employees were killed and about two dozen hotel guests were unaccounted for. Many firefighters who used the hotel as a staging ground and evacuated hotel guests also died in the hotel.

[Janelle Spyker]

Photo of World Trade Center 3 with remains of WTC1 (left background) and WTC2 (right foreground) visible. Taken September, 2001.

[Janelle Spyker]

 A photograph of the of the World Trade Center site (Ground Zero) with an overlay showing the original building locations. Cropped to show WTC 1-4

[Janelle Spyker]

Your meetings in Lower Manhattan will benefit not only from the New York Marriott World Trade Center's prime location, but from the Internet-connected meeting rooms, unparalleled event services, flexible floor plans, and the Marriott standard of excellence that consistently delivers successful results. 
   
 
 
With over 26,000 square feet on three levels, the New York Marriott World Trade Center has the largest amount of meeting space of any hotel in Lower Manhattan.

19 meeting rooms
20,000 sq. ft. total meeting space
A total of 20 meeting rooms with 26,000 square feet of flexible function space located on three levels
8,160-square-foot Grand Ballroom, dividing into three sections, accommodating up to 1,000 for receptions and 700 for banquets.
3,235-square-foot Harvest Room, dividing into two sections, accommodating 400 for receptions and 384 for banquets
20,000-square-foot exhibit space on the Mezzanine level of One World Trade Center
Fourteen meeting suites for executive-style meetings and entertaining
Business center adjacent to meetings complex
 
 
 
 
 
 
Creators of exceptional meetings and events need exceptional people and services. We are proud to offer the following:

Professional Convention and Event Managers
Red Coat staff to handle last-minute requests
Multilingual staff and translation services
Award-winning catering and banquet staff
Kosher and international cuisine capabilities
French service and ice sculptures available
Custom-designed theme parties
In-house audiovisual department
Teleconferencing and videoconferencing capabilities
High-speed Internet access available in all meeting rooms
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Meeting Room Dimensions Area Capacity
 (LxWxH)   Sq.Ft.   Sq.Meters   Theatre   Schoolroom   Conference   UShape   Reception   Banquet 
Grand Ballroom 102x80x16 8160   950 660     1000 700
Salon I 34x80x16 2720   300 220     350 240
Salon II 34x80x16 2720   300 220     350 240
Salon III 34x80x16 2720   300 220     350 240
Salon I & II 68x80x16 5440   620 450     700 480
Salon II & III 68x80x16 5440   620 450     700 480
Liberty 54x54x17 2916   275 140     275 180
Foyer   2916           250   
Federal Hall 25x25x8 625   50 30 25 25 25 50
Merchants Exchange 28x24x8 672   50 30 25 25 65 50
Wall Street 26x25x8 650   60 30 25 25 65   
The River Suite 83x23x8 1909           195 140
East River 28x23x8 644   60 30 25 25 65 40
New York Harbor 28x23x8 644   60 30 25 25 65 40
Hudson River 27x23x8 621   60 30 25 25 65 40
NY Harbor & East River 56x23x8 1288   120 70 40 40 130 80
NY Harbor & Hudson 55x23x8 1265   120 70 40 40 130 80
The Broadway Suite 85x25x8 2125             130
St. Paul's 31x25x8 775   60 35 25 25 65 40
Barnum's Museum 28x25x8 700   60 30 25 25 65 40
Canal Street 26x25x8 650   60 30 25 25 65 40
Barnum's & St. Paul's 59x25x8 1475   120 70 40 40 130 80
Barnum's & Canal Street 54x25x8 1350   120 70 40 40 130 80
New York Lounge               75 70
Commodity 26x25x8 650   60 30 25 25   50
Bond 12x22x8 264       12     10
Dow 16x24x8 384       12     30
Stock 25x23x8 575   50 25 20 20   50
Trader 26x25x8 650   60 30 25 25   60
Harvest Room   3235   230 145     400 320
Harvest I 53x25x13 1375   150 85     130 140
Harvest II 61x32x13 1860   150 90     190 180
 
 
 

New York Marriott World Trade Center
Three World Trade Center, New York, NY 10048
Phone: 1-212-938-9100  Fax: 1-212-444-3444 
Sales: 1-212-266-6145 

   

http://web.archive.org/web/20010302170701/http://www.marriotthotels.com/NYCWT/meeting.asp#meetingrooms

[Janelle Spyker]

What we saw as we exited the hotel, no more than five minutes after the initial plane hit. (Photo by Bruce Kratofil)

[Janelle Spyker]

As we enter 2002, those of us who were at the World Trade Center on September 11 still have vivid memories of the events.

All 330 plus members, guests, speakers, exhibitors, and press who were registered for our 2001 NABE annual meeting at the Marriott World Trade Center were able to reach safety. Our hearts go out to NABE member Eugene Steuerle, whose wife was on board the plane that crashed into the Pentagon.

All guests of the Marriott World Trade Center Hotel were able to escape safely, and all but one member of the hotel staff reached safety. [Editor's Note: Since this page was originally written, we have learned this was not true; an undetermined number of guests and staff, possibly as many as eleven, were casualties.]

Since September, we’ve heard many extraordinary stories from members who were in the hotel when the first plane hit and got out safely. We’ve heard stories about the generous assistance they received from friends, associates, and even strangers. NABE members around the country e-mailed their concerns and best wishes.

In the past few months, we have received even more stories and e-mails, which we have collected here. Some were written soon after 9/11, before many facts were known and well before the successful military operations, while some others came after some time of reflection by the authors.

Please share your experience so that we don't forget what happened that day. While individual experiences may not seem important, they are critical to establishing a more accurate picture of what happened on Tuesday, Sept. 11, and subsequently, and to correcting some of the erroneous reports. Reports can be e-mailed to nabe@nabe.com.
http://www.nabe.com/am2001/stories.htm

[Janelle Spyker]

Originally published in
Census CounterParts October 2001
Vol. 10, No. 9
October 2001


(Several U.S. Census Bureau employees were directly affected by the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Mike Bergman, of the Census Bureau's Public Information Office, recounts his experience in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001.)

Admiral Jeremiah Denton described his brutal seven and one-half years in a North Vietnamese prison camp in his book, When Hell Was In Session. On the morning of Sept. 11, hell reconvened at the New York World Trade Center.

Several Department of Commerce and Census Bureau employees were there to attend the National Association for Business Economics (NABE) annual conference at the Marriott World Trade Center Hotel, situated directly underneath - and between - the two 110-story towers.

Bob Marske, Laurie Torene and Lillian Moy of the Economic Planning and Coordination Division were exhibiting for the Census Bureau on the main floor of the hotel. In the adjoining ballroom, Division Chief Ewen Wilson and Ruth Runyan of the Company Statistics Division were attending a breakfast meeting.

My work had concluded Monday evening. We had interviewed 16 senior economists for their views on the role of the 2002 Economic Census in improving the quality of our national economic statistics.

I was taking my time before checking out and catching an 11 a.m. train back to Washington. I was about to step into the shower in my 9th floor room when I heard the piercing sound of an accelerating jet aircraft. It instantly struck me that it was odd that a jet was flying that low over Manhattan. A split second later, I heard a thunderous explosion and the building shook.

My hotel room faced the grand plaza of the World Trade Center complex. I rushed to the window and saw beams of steel raining on the plaza as if they were pieces of Styrofoam falling from the air. People were running for cover. I could not see above the 10th floor of either tower.

I quickly threw on a shirt and pair of shorts. I opened the door and smelled jet fuel. I ran down the stairs, but other hotel guests we encountered said the exits were blocked by debris. A hotel employee directed us to the restaurant and lounge, where we exited to a scene of vehicles with blown-out windshields and a street littered with glass and debris.

"Don't look back," shouted a police officer. I couldn't, since I was barefoot and trying to avoid shards of glass. It was only when I reached what, at that moment, was relative safety across the street that I turned around and saw the true horror unfolding behind us.

The events that followed have been well documented in the media, but words can never describe the horrific scenes. We kept moving toward the water when we heard the rumbling from the middle of the South Tower. Sensing all 110 stories would collapse on us, we began to run.

As it turned out, the building was imploding, not toppling. However, a giant wall of grayish smoke was moving down the canyons of Manhattan toward us, and we feared a firestorm of flying debris.

The cloud enveloped us with choking smoke for what seemed like an eternity. I pulled my shirt over my head to breathe as we made our way to Battery Park. Shortly after we reached the park, the other tower imploded.

Amid the chaos, I found someone with a Marriott badge. He was able to call his wife on his cell phone, and I relayed my wife's phone number to her to let my wife know I got out okay.

A flotilla - from ferries to police and Coast Guard vessels and a ship from the Army Corps of Engineers - docked to evacuate us.

After stopping at two piers in Manhattan to pick up other evacuees, we headed across the Hudson River. As we gazed back, the enormity of the tragedy began to sink in. We were all lucky to be alive.

In the middle of the river, I cringed at the sound of another jet aircraft. But when I looked up, it was a military F-15 patrolling the skies, which offered some assurance to this veteran of 27 years in the U.S. Air Force.

We docked at Jersey City where paramedics were conducting triage. One of them taped towels around my bare feet. Marriott employees took me to their hotel at the Newark Airport, which was in a security lockdown.

Not a moment went by over the next 18 hours that I didn't think about my fellow Census Bureau employees and their status. Only late Wednesday morning did I learn that they had made it out safely.

With all ground transportation out of service, my good friend Mark Tolbert from the Public Information Office drove from Suitland (Md.) to Newark to pick me up Wednesday evening and returned me to a grateful family.

On the way back, Mark told me about the deaths of our New York regional office colleagues (Marion Britton and Waleska Martinez, who died in the crash of the hijacked plane in Pennsylvania).

I cannot say enough about how the Census Bureau has come together as a family in the midst of this tragedy. The support offered to me by people in my division and others throughout the Census Bureau has been incredible.

As I write this, all of the 330 attendees at the NABE conference have been accounted for, but at least two hotel employees are missing (later reduced to one).

When I was asked to write this account, one compelling thought emerged: I will forever feel a special bond with my fellow employees who had the same experiences and with those who found themselves in the middle of what seemed like Armageddon.

At the Census Bureau, we are pulling together and gaining strength from each other, as we grieve and pray for those who had no chance for survival.

May God Bless America!

Other employees of the Department of Commerce at the NABE conference were:

Steve Landefeld, director, Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
Larry Moran (BEA)
Jim Plante (BEA)

Kerry Sutten, a Congressional Affairs specialist for the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs

Former Census Bureau Director Kenneth Prewitt had been scheduled to address the NABE at 11 a.m.

[Janelle Spyker]

Terrorism Strikes: An Eyewitness Account
by Richard Berner (New York), September 2001

Key Points
Ground zero
The building shook as the first explosion interrupted our meeting at a World Trade Center hotel. But it wasn't until I saw the jetliner smash into the second tower that it really dawned on me: Terrorists were intent on destroying our society and our economy. Would they succeed?

Odyssey to midtown
Our immediate goals were clear: Walk as quickly as possible to the north, and call loved ones to let them know we were alive. I kept trying to compartmentalize the horror of death behind me by focusing on the grim reality of what lay ahead for the economy and markets.

Shock to confidence
The shock had two critical dimensions: People feared for their lives and freedoms. And they would fear for their economic well-being at a time of global economic vulnerability.

Supply shock
The attack was also a shock to supply: It disrupted commerce and increased uncertainty and risk premiums in doing business. And unless energy supply increased, consumers would fear higher energy prices.

Policy responses critical
Political leadership would be essential to offset the first shock. Economic policy leadership — coordinated monetary ease, backing away from fiscal restraint — would be just as important.

Orders of magnitude
Clearly the impact would make worse our already-fragile economic scenario. But gauging magnitudes would be pure guesswork. A loss of one to two percentage points from consumer spending growth, and a few percentage points from the decline in capital spending might be enough to flatten the fourth quarter.

Details

The building shook and the glass pendants in the Grand Ballroom rattled as the first explosion interrupted our post-breakfast meeting at a World Trade Center hotel. We were wrapping up the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), and I was feeling good about turning over the President's gavel to my very capable successor, Harvey Rosenblum from the Dallas Fed. Ironically, Morgan Stanley President Robert Scott was addressing us on the future of the financial services industry. Little did we know that plans were well under way at that very moment that would extract a heavy human toll and pose new risks for the financial system.

Shaken, we looked at each other and without saying a word, quickly left the room. We heard that an airplane had hit one of the buildings. A commuter plane gone off course? Looking up at the North Tower, we saw fire and smoke coming from what seemed like the top twenty floors. This was no Piper Cub. Debris littered the streets and people got edgy. In a split second we realized that our lives might be at stake. Hotel security people urged us to leave the building and, abandoning personal property, we quickly crossed the street toward the World Financial Center.

We stood watching from four blocks away, hoping against hope that the fire would be quickly extinguished. The towers looked solid; this was horrible but contained. Then, a deafening roar, like standing near a runway. A huge jetliner filled the sky, smashed into the second tower and disappeared in a massive fireball. Finally, it really dawned on me: Terrorists were intent on destroying our society and our economy. People screamed and panicked. I stopped to help a woman trampled behind me in the stampede.

Our immediate goals were clear: Walk as quickly as possible to the north, and call loved ones to let them know we were alive. Cell phones failed. We detoured into an apartment building to use a phone. I called my assistant, Marco, to ask him to put out the word to my family and that of a colleague, Ellen Hughes-Cromwick from Ford. Marco coolly took all the information and wished us luck.

Terrified inside, we still had no idea whether more attacks were coming. We continued walking. Some on the walkways seemed grotesquely calm; while others were dying, I heard them ask each other whether they thought they should show up for work tomorrow. We walked past the marina at the World Financial Center and heard another deafening roar followed by a huge explosion and billowing clouds of smoke, possibly the aftershocks of the exploding airplane. No stampede here. People were stopped, taking pictures. We continued on, passing an exodus of thousands of refugees in business suits. A mile from our starting point, another roar as the first tower imploded.

Watching the twin towers collapse in a heap of rubble, my faith and resolve were frayed. I wondered: Would the terrorists succeed? We kept walking north, towards my office in midtown, some three miles away. I kept trying to compartmentalize the horror of death behind me by focusing on the grim reality of what lay ahead for the economy and markets (see below).

When we arrived at my office, I came back to reality. We found the building evacuated save for the retail branch on the ground floor. A manager was still there, and he graciously made telephones, restrooms and water available to my colleagues from the NABE meeting. I turned my attention to helping them sort out their lives. Husbands were still anxiously trying to contact wives. Doctors were needed to fill critical prescriptions. Hotel rooms were sought for out of towners. I led a parade to Grand Central where we heard train service had been restored following a bomb threat. Metro North was uncharacteristically wonderful. As we headed further north, we still feared for those who lost their lives. We knew the economy would eventually recover, but they would not. Yet we also heard heartwarming stories about many who escaped, and the heroism of many who helped. For now, that was comfort.

A diversion from catastrophe: Thoughts on the economy and markets

The shock would have both political and economic dimensions, both important. First, people feared for their lives and freedoms. We felt helpless and defenseless. War in far-off Kuwait a decade ago was a movie we'd all seen, but never experienced. War here had been unthinkable. Second, they would fear for their economic well-being at a time of growing global economic vulnerability. As I walked, I thought: Markets must be plunging, people must be losing confidence that recovery wouldn't come any time soon. Business plans would be shelved. I knew Steve Roach would agree that these could be powerful negative shocks to demand (see his accompanying Forum).

The attack also represented a shock to supply: It had already disrupted commerce and increased uncertainty and risk premiums in doing business. The amount of further disruption was incalculable. The increased uncertainty would also be impossible to fathom. The increase in costs just from added security precautions was sure to arrest cross-border commerce. And unless energy supply increased, consumers would fear higher energy prices. Unbeknownst to me, consumers were already lining up in the Midwest to hoard gasoline.

The policy response would be absolutely critical to reckoning the outcome. Political leadership would be essential to offset the fear that terrorism could corrode our freedoms. Strong words and appropriate actions would be critical to defusing uncertainty. I wasn't sure what to expect, especially from abroad. President Bush faced his sternest test. Economic policy leadership — coordinated monetary ease, backing away from fiscal restraint – would be just as important. I had complete faith that the Fed would lead other central banks in coordinated action, if needed, to provide both liquidity and appropriate further monetary ease. As Dave Greenlaw notes in his accompanying Forum, the Fed could ease as soon as Thursday. And I had little doubt that the partisan bickering in Congress over dipping into the fictitious Social Security “surplus” would quickly dissolve as threats to the economy mounted.

How to reckon the impact of these shocks? Clearly they would make worse our already-fragile and still below-consensus economic scenario. But because the shocks are partly ones of confidence and because it is still early days, gauging magnitudes is pure guesswork. Dave correctly notes that consumers will disengage and focus on news. This “CNN effect” and the uncertainty over income and wealth prospects could deflate consumer spending growth. A loss of one to two percentage points from consumer spending growth, and a few percentage points from capital spending might be enough to flatten the fourth quarter, or even push it into negative territory.

[Janelle Spyker]

World Trade Center - by Bob Crow
The following is my account of the WTC tragedy, in response to a psychiatrist friend who was worried about my wellbeing:

“Michael, I am sorry to be so late getting back to you.  Having basically lost two weeks of work and blowing two important deadlines, I have been dealing with my e-mail on a triage basis.  My story is not so dramatic, and I was never in danger.  Here is what happened.

I was at a meeting of the National Association for Business Economics at the World Trade Center Marriott, between the two towers.  We were on the first floor at breakfast, listening to a speech by the Chief Operating Officer of Morgan Stanley, when the first plane hit the North Tower.  First, there was a small shaking, like a small earthquake, and then there was a huge boom, and the room shook.  We left.  The hotel staff directed us out a side entrance, and then we crossed West Street.  Debris was falling as we crossed -- mostly paper, but also glittering shards of glass and pieces of sheet metal.  The dangerous stuff was falling close to the building and not endangering us.  I did, however, see one man walk past whose head was covered with blood -- probably a spectacular scalp wound, as he was walking very strongly.

When we got to a safe distance across the street, we gathered in groups and tried to figure out what had happened.  A stray commuter plane seemed like the most likely guess.  At that point, we had no idea of the inferno inside.  Then the fire grew and spread, along with the smoke. There was a thin line of flames, spreading along one floor. I remember thinking that it looked rather like a necklace, belying the pain and horror I knew must be behind it.  I heard a nearby group of people scream and moan.  Without looking, I knew what was happening: people were jumping.  I could not help but watch for several minutes. Some of the jumpers looked controlled, like sky divers.  Some looked as though they had second thoughts and were trying to swim to safety.  One pair jumped simultaneously, as if they had made a pact. Through all of this, I was hoping against hope that the building’s internal fire suppression system would put out the flames or that they would simply die out on their own. I had no idea at the time that there was so much fuel or that it could burn for so long and with such intensity. Gradually, however, I knew that no one above the point of impact would survive.

While transfixed by this scene, I heard for an instant the roar of a large jet plane.  I looked up in time to see the fireball emerge from both sides of the South Tower.  (Not the TV view, since apparently no one had any cameras from the west side.  That is why there were few jumpers on TV, I guess.) Oddly enough, although I remember hearing the jet engine, and the explosion must have been deafening, I have no recollection of hearing it.  I guess my circuits must have been overwhelmed by the sight of the fireball. 

My first thought when the second plane hit was, "Osama bin Laden."  That was the first time that it had occurred to me that the first plane was deliberate.  I probably did not linger more than a minute or two before leaving.  I had to phone Carolyn before she turned on the TV, and I had seen enough history for one day.  I was vaguely nauseated and did not want to watch a new round of jumpers from the South Tower.

I walked to the Battery and saw one of my senior colleagues and his wife (The Heebners).  They were quite composed, sitting on a bench -- except that he had no shoes and socks!  They skipped the breakfast meeting and had fled from their room.  She looked quite chic, but I later learned that her raincoat covered only her nightgown.  I heard later that a Good Samaritan, visiting from the West Coast and by pure luck not with his colleagues in the upper floors of the North Tower when the plane hit, gave Gil shoes and socks from his luggage.


I finally found my way to the foot of Wall Street in search of a pay phone.  (All had long lines.)  I walked by Trinity Church and found nearby a little Chinese restaurant in a food court.  They let me use the business phone.  When I offered to pay them, they refused, saying "Just buy a cup of coffee."  I could not have possibly downed a cup of coffee at that time, so I left a fiver in the tip jar.

Now what?  I cannot remember thinking about my computer, clothes, etc. in the hotel room.  If I did, I probably thought I could go back and get them later.  Anyway, at total loose ends, I decided to go back to Trinity Church and think things over. There was a scheduled service going on, one part of which was First Corinthians, Verse 13, on the power of love and caring. I commend it to all, because it is only when we begin to heed such mandates that we will ever break the cycle of wrath and hatred that is at the root of such evil as manifested on September 11.

While I was in Trinity Church, the towers collapsed.  Even though we were still pretty close to the WTC and the church shook, it was not damaged as far as I could tell -- not even the lovely stained glass windows. However, it did begin to fill with dust and smoke, and many became anxious. I found the smoke annoying but tolerable but wondered if it would end or become worse. Outside, there was a solid wall of light gray, not unlike an unimaginably dense fog. I probably could not have seen my hand in front of my face, had I tried to leave. After about two hours, the smoke and dust had cleared sufficiently outside for us to see where we were going. The street was about two inches deep in ash, with charred documents everywhere. I wondered how many important transactions, how many people’s financial lives, were scattered or burned and how they would be reconstructed. .

With my face covered with a damp handkerchief, I made my way down Wall Street to South Street and then started to walk to midtown.   It was odd that except for the heavy foot traffic heading north, it seemed fairly normal.  The smoke from the towers seemed far away.  I was hungry and had a good, cheap Italian lunch. It was a beautiful day, if you looked to the north.  I was impressed that as horrendous as the attack was, only a small part of New York City was physically affected, and New York is only a small part of the U.S. I knew that as horrific as this experience was, the impact on the U.S. economy and society would be profound but limited.

I walked by a warehouse, where a bunch of rough-looking guys were watching the pedestrian traffic. As I passed, I saw that they had painted a sign, advising that they had bathrooms, water and telephones available to all. I was reminded once again of the danger of rushing to judgment simply because people looked or sounded different from myself and my friends. People were doing what they could, even if they could not do much. I saw this scene repeated a number of times.

As I walked up First Avenue, past the row of hospitals there, I was heartened by the long lines of people waiting to donate blood. But I was disheartened to see mobs of medical personnel waiting at the emergency entrances with nothing to do. It was then that it really hit me that relatively few people were injured: there were few survivors. You either got away or you were dead.

I was phoning Carolyn every few hours to tell her how I was faring. After fruitlessly trying to find a hotel, I learned from her that my daughter’s classmate (Bill) offered to put me up in his apartment on East 58th St.  Another classmate (Simon) was staying there, also.  I think having the companionship of Bill and Simon was invaluable over the next few days -- more important than having shelter.   Had I found a hotel and been alone with my own thoughts, I think that not only the next few days would have more upsetting, but the aftermath would have been longer, darker and deeper. It was important to have someone with whom I could share thoughts and experiences. That night, we went to a Brazilian restaurant in the neighborhood and had a good dinner. Not many laughs, though, in that restaurant.

I had left the WTC area with only the clothes on my back and my urban survival kit – ATM and credit cards. Thus, on Wednesday, I replaced toiletries and some clothes. More important, Bill and I walked in Central Park. We went past a pond where parents were rowing their children. It was important to see that life, love and families continued on. Perspective started to claw its way back.

The three of us had dinner out again with other classmates. It was hard to talk of anything but the attack and its tragedies, and we speculated whether anyone in the restaurant was talking of anything else. We surmised that some were, for we could see an occasional smile but heard no laughter.

On Thursday morning, as soon as the airline ticket offices were open, I booked a return flight for Saturday morning. Then Bill, Simon and I had lunch and met still more of Jennifer’s classmates. After, we walked in the park and watched the ducks. All of the time I was in New York, the weather was beautiful; and I was reminded of a wise man who once advised me in a time of personal crisis that no matter how awful my life looked, beauty and love were still there if I was willing to find them. Ducks, children, blue sky, and the friendship of strangers. Nonetheless, the reminders of what had happened were everywhere. Bill and I tried to donate blood but were turned away – the blood banks were overwhelmed with donors. We passed a small firehouse where the firemen were putting up a banner to commemorate fallen companions. Nine pictures were fastened to the wall – probably the entire watch for that station.

I spent Thursday night with old, dear friends in Princeton. It was good to talk about family, family projects and work; but the attack was never far away. On Friday morning, I learned over the web that my flight and many others had been cancelled. I could not get through to reservations by phone until I found a backdoor route. Fortunately, I managed to book a flight from Newark on Friday evening.  Despite being told that I had the last seat on that plane, it flew half-empty and was uneventful.

I am doing OK.  I had to get a new computer, get my own and Stanford software loaded on it, and reconstruct several days’ work.  Fortunately, I had backed up all of my important documents about three days before I left on the trip.

Mentally, I have been somewhat distracted, but that may be the normal onset of Old Timers' Disease.  I have been able to focus on my work and sleep normally, but in my idle moments I see the jumpers -- much bigger than they could have been in real life, faceless and gray -- and I see the fireball in the South Tower. Metaphorically, these visions are like a screen saver.  They only come on when I am not actively doing something. (As of January 2002, the screen saver seldom comes on any more.)

Also, on two occasions since the attack it is has been important for me to take my new laptop with me. On both, I forgot and left it at home. Old Timer’s Disease, or some sort of subconscious mandate to not lose another one?

Well, that is the story.  I find myself much less likely to get upset at stuff, now that I know first-hand how awful bad luck can really be.  More than ever, I am committed to ending the cycle of hatred, wrath and violence that seems to consume so many for so long and for so little gain.  I am not an activist, but I will try to do what I can with my own life.

“The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion.”—Tom Paine.

Onward!
R the C

http://www.nabe.com/am2001/stories.htm