| 9/11
journal |
|
| click
on images to enlarge |
 I
heard a huge thump, ran to my back window to see if the repairman from
Warner Cable had jumped on my roof, I shouted but got no response. Seconds
later my friend John called and said turn on the TV. I went to the roof
seeing the second plane strike out of the corner of my eye as I left.
I watched as smoke filled the horizon, but left the roof thinking "the
fire dept will put it out." I did not know the planes were in the
control of terrorists. |
 I
resisted posting close-ups of the burning buildings. I noticed when I
looked at some of my photos closely I could see people in the windows.
I had not known what the indistinct shapes were until I saw photos taken
at even closer range by other photographers. Many people have asked me "how
close were you?" This photo makes the buildings seem only a bit
closer than they really were. Taken just minites after the second plane,
I was 7 blocks away. |
 My
girlfriend rushed into our loft just as I was coming down from the roof.
She had been under the WTC getting off the subway. She watched in horror
as people were forced to decide between jumping and burning to death.
The WTC was still standing then, we went back to the street, and found
panic. While standing on Water Street the first tower fell, I thought
it was impossible, just hysteria, until the clouds of dust began to roll
towards us. It had fallen, we ran. |
 Our
neighborhood was full of office workers running for their lives. |
 Dust
was everywhere. |
 This
was the among the first photos I took within the first hour after the
towers had fallen. |
 Ann
Street, just north of the WTC, this is the route my girlfriend took,
running to safety, trying to put as many buildings as possible between
her and the WTC. |
 The
east entrance to Chase Plaza, covered with debris from the WTC. This
area would soon be closed to anyone but emergency workers. |
 The
snowstorm of dust was unimaginable. |
 During
the first hours no one was on the street. I was in fear that I would
not be allowed to return to my loft, so I took everything with me that
I needed to indentify myself and survive. |
 The
monotony and depression was felt by everyone, that first day. |
 The
police did not yet know exactly who to stop, so they let me wander all
over lower Manhattan, they were so dirty, and always so very kind and
soft-spoken to me. |
 Life
was stopped that morning, this cart was waiting on Wall Street for the
flood of traders. |
 The
dust was 3 inches deep! I looked like a fake Hollywood snow storm. |
 Outdoor
Cafe |
 Soldiers
and police began to resemble ghosts. |
 The
first days men stood all day with nothing but simple paper masks. The
Mayor reported that the dust was free of asbestos, but that must have
been little comfort. |
 On
the morning of the second day we were greeted by the National guard,
much better equipped than the police. |
 My
first view of the WTC from the east. |
 Enough
smoke had cleared by the second day that I could see the ruins of the
WTC. I kept thinking it looked like a movie, maybe with a little to much
smoke for effect. |
| copyright
fred krughoff 2001, all rights reserved |
 |
|