Klarinet Archive - Posting 000453.txt from 2001/09

From: "Kevin Fay" <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Terrorism
Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 08:39:14 -0400

Neil Leupold wrote:

<<<I work four blocks from the WTC. I watched from the street as the first
tower collapsed, followed by the debris cloud that rushed down Broadway like
a tidal wave. It was horrifying to be in the middle of the crowd of people
as they turned south and started running down the street for cover. The
devastation is inconceivable. I'm stranded in my office at this moment, at
Broadway & Wall St. I'm gambling that staying inside, rather than trying to
negotiate the chaos and toxic smoke outside (i.e., in an effort to get back
to Jersey City) is the wiser choice. I hope the attack is over, here in
Manhattan and around the rest of the country.

I only hope that the smoke level in my office does not reach a level where
I'm unable to safely breathe. I'm about as agnostic as they come, but right
now I'm praying that nobody from Klarinet was injured or worse from this
catastrophe.>>>

I'm in shock over this. I have an uncle and a cousin that work in the
district; I haven't yet heard if they are safe. My first job out of law
school was at 180 Maiden, a few blocks away; I lived in Jersey City (just
like Neil does now). I walked through the WTC twice a day to get to the
PATH train - but for the passage of time, it could have been me.

The lawyers on the other side on about half the deals that first year were
then known as Brown & Wood, located on the 80th floor or so of one of the
towers. I can only assume that most of the fine people I met there have
perished - along with the lovely, gruff old lady downstairs who sold me a
newspaper and a cup of "regla" coffee every morning.

This isn't the first terrorist explosion in the neighborhood. Most all of us
remember the 1993 bombing of the WTC, but the pockmarks from the car bombs
of 1920 are still on the museum at Wall & Broad. New Yorkers are a tough
breed, though; they have carried on before and will do so again. To do
otherwise would let the terrorists win, and New Yorkers hate to lose.

Right now I'm in Dublin with three of our Tax People and a couple of
hired-gun accountants. Our meetings were done Tuesday afternoon, but the
crisis has kept us from coming home -- there aren't many boats across the
Atlantic any more, and the planes aren't flying. As refugees go, our lot is
extremely comfortable; a day later, and we'd be on benches at Heathrow for
the duration. As it is, we're in a nice little hotel up the street a bit
from our Irish subsidiary complex, getting a little work done while waiting
for a plane to take us home.

My kids are safe at home with Mom and Grandy, but I still feel the urgent
need to get home and squeeze them. Hard.

Peace be with you,

kjf

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