Destruction Collapses More Than Towers

By Graham Rayman and Dan Janison | STAFF WRITERS

September 13, 2001

Two more buildings were deemed in danger of collapse last night in the devastated surroundings of what had been the World Trade Center.

What remained of 5 World Trade Center, one of the shorter structures in the complex, was declared in "partial collapse" by officials just before 7 p.m.

Also, One Liberty Plaza on Liberty Street - two buildings separated by a walkway - was declared to be "buckling" by officials in a makeshift emergency command center in Manhattan.

There are two buildings at that site - where a staging area had been set up Tuesday for heavy equipment to be used in search operations.

Hours earlier, an exhausted Tom Von Essen, the fire commissioner dealing with the loss of a cadre of top aides in the disaster, said, "We don't think we have any more structural damage of any great significance."

Aside from buildings 1, 2 and 7, the collateral damage was piling up even as rescue and search operations continued.

The Marriott World Trade Center hotel, in the shadow of the Twin Towers, is gone. The World Financial Center, across the street, is heavily damaged. The Hilton's luxury Millenium hotel is still standing, but with 75 fewer windows. Also severely damaged was the structure at 90 West St., an office building erected in 1907 and designed by famed downtown architect Cass Gilbert.

Also hit were storefronts and street-level offices along Broadway and West Street, with widespread shattering of windows and glass.

Early in the evening, a pool of reporters accompanied Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to meet with Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Harlem) and officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Schumer said he had been assured that the city would "have a blank check" from the federal government to take whatever measures were necessary during the crisis.

At one point, he was approached by Anita Deblase of Manhattan who said her son, James, was among those missing and presumed dead from the ranks of employees at the accounting firm Cantor Fitzgerald.

During a news conference, police radios roared to life with warnings from police to evacuate the area, fearing further collapses. The entourage was whisked away in a city van.

Even with new safety concerns, the grim search continued.

One battalion chief, Gene Vellia, walked slowly, carrying his gear, as he departed from the search-and-rescue operation in Tower 2.

"It's like something I've never seen before and I hope to never see again," he said. At that moment, Vellia's eyes started to well.

"How could you describe it. It's just utter devastation," he said, adding that he could not elaborate.

Staff writer Sean Gardiner contributed to this story.