Black Boxes Found at Pentagon
N E W Y O R K, Sept. 14 -- Workers at the Pentagon have recovered the "black box" flight data recorders from the collapsed portion of the building, where a jet slammed into it during Tuesday's horrific terrorist attacks.
But in New York, where two planes leveled the World Trade Center on Tuesday, the rescue effort was hampered by rain.
The flight data recorders from the scene of the fourth hijacked plane, which went down in Pennsylvania at about the same time, were recovered on Thursday.
The rain in New York will help clear area of the dust that had been burning people's eyes and throats, but officials are concerned about the weight it will add to the wreckage.
Another concern is the structural integrity of the buildings in the area. Officials say they still need to make an assessment.
"[Officials] have to take each building, each area of each building piece by piece to evaluate where the load path is coming from," said Ted Beck, a structural engineer at the lower Manhattan site of where the twin towers stood. "And of course, make recommendations as far as what shoring has to be done temporarily [to] support what's up there."
Stormy Day Dampens Spirits
The rain in New York City follows a disappointing 24 hours: No survivors were found, and reports of firefighters that were recovered alive in a buried sport utility vehicle, which temporarily lifted spirits, were untrue.
Two firefighters had been temporarily trapped in an underground air pocket, and freed by other rescue workers, according to the Associated Press.(Because of the high amount of erroneous reports, the New York Fire Department has told all of their firefighters in the field not to comment to the press.)
Volunteer workers were also evacuated from a damaged office tower across the street from the World Trade Center, the news agency reported.
To assist with rescue and recovery efforts, President George W. Bush said he will activate up to 50,000 members of the National Guard and Reserve, according to the Associated Press. And the U.S. Senate approved a $40 billion emergency package that would support counter-terrorism, rescue and recovery efforts, according to Reuters.
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