The Lexicographer's Rules

"Arms, legs. Parts of people. They were falling on my head."

—Village Voice. Writer Alisa Solomon reports directly from the scene of the disaster.

"When the first one hit, we all thought, 'Oh so the building'll be on fire.' It was sad, but you know what they say about New Yorkers working through anything. When the second one hit, I thought, 'Shit, this is serious.' I realized I had some paperwork in my hand, so I went back to the office and thought, 'I'm putting this down and getting the hell out of here.' I left the building, not paying attention to what any of my co-workers were doing, and started walking. A few minutes later, I heard something (the first building collapsing). I turned around, and three blocks back was a tidal wave of smoke coming right at me. Everyone on the street started running. I saw women fall down, screaming, and people were going around them. People running beside me had their faces cut to ribbons."

—. Interviews and personal stories from a variety of eye-witnesses.

"We are looking at a giant factory of death. Smoke billows from from two glassy chimneysÑthen the chimneys tremble and sink from view. On the ground level, it is as though a volcano erupted. Watching Fox, I see zombies pass by. MSNBC's, CBS's and ABC's Internet servers are overloaded. Twelve blocks north, an NBC News reporter (Jim Donahue?) did a standup while hundreds of firefighters, clad in black, walked past him to the scene of suffering. Around the reporter the sky was clear. One mile from the factory of death it was a beautiful late summer day."

—TV Barn. Aaron Barnhart reports on television coverage of the disaster.

"Everyone was still thereÑa couple of transistor radios played updates, and weary, sad and morning-ruffled glances were exchanged. Someone brought a six-pack upstairs, and announced that one couple from the building, who'd come upstairs in work clothes to see, had left for Maine upon second impact. I sat down near the edge of the roof to watch the buildings burn and try to figure out whether I felt anything just yet, other than shock and amazement. And moments later, we heard another small popping sound. And the second tower crumbled to the ground."

—Saranwarp. A report of the disaster from a resident of Williamsburg, Brooklyn.'

"The streets are rather calm, there are cadets from the police academy controlling traffic. The wind has changed direction and the massive black and yellow column of smoke is starting to drift over Manhattan. I saw a woman covered in soot and dust, with her World Trade Center ID still hanging around her neck. She was walking dazedly north."

—East/West. Choire reports with links and commentary on the disaster.