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CNN Live At Daybreak

America Under Attack: Rain Making Things Difficult in New York

Aired September 14, 2001 - 08:04   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Right now we're going to go down to the Armory, which is where a lot of heartache is being experienced at the moment. That's where we find Hillary Lane, on of our CNN correspondents.

Tell us a little bit about what's going on there right now. Hi, Hillary.

HILLARY LANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Paul. While the rain may be making things so more difficult downtown it's not hampering the efforts of the people who are coming here desperate to find any information they can on the people who they loved so much.

I'm standing outside of a missing person's bureau. It is a giant armory that has been converted for that purpose. And this morning it opened up about 8:00. There is already a short line of people who were either not able to make it in yesterday or who have come back with more information.

One of the men I spoke with - the second in line this morning - said he was here on Wednesday when this missing person's bureau opened for the first time. He's come back. He has brought with him dental records and a hairbrush. And obviously those are items that could be used for DNA identification purposes. The City of New York gearing up to do thousands upon thousands of DNA tests.

He told me a little bit about what happens inside the armory after the people who come here to file missing persons reports fill those out - eight pages in total. They're then each matched with a police detective and they give all sorts of information. They're asked for names of dentists, again, for DNA identification purposes if that becomes necessary as well as a variety of other personal questions.

I have here with me Dempra Chan who was in the armory yesterday and - to tell us a little bit about what happened inside when he filed that report. Tell us a little bit about what the detectives were asking you for in terms of personal identification information.

DEMPRA CHAN: Basically anything that has to do with them physically and particularly that day - what they were wearing. You can give any information regarding dental records. Like you said, that's important to bring with you. Any identification marks on the body whether it's earrings or anything. They're pretty detailed in terms of what they're asking. So . . .

LANE: OK, you brought a picture with you. You are looking for one of your best friends. Just tell us a little bit about him. I know his wife was not able to make it and - which is why you're here today.

CHAN: Yeah, his wife Stacey is home right now. She's nine months pregnant. And she's doing all she can basically from the Jersey side and the police department there, which has been also cross referencing with the police department here in terms of any information.

Craig and I went to junior high school and high school together. And I'm doing all I can basically here in the city for them and for myself. So . . .

LANE: OK. I see he was on the 88th floor and you haven't heard anything from him. When was the last time you spoke with him or his wife spoke with him?

CHAN: He actually left a message saying that he was OK when the plane first hit. But since then we haven't heard anything from him.

LANE: When we saw you this morning wandering around the streets you'd already been inside the armory and now you are making your way from hospital to hospital, something you've already done. How does it feel now on the fourth day after and at what point are you just saying, "You know, this doesn't look good?"

CHAN: It's getting a little overwhelming. You know, I couldn't sleep and I'm trying to do all I can and putting the picture up in the hospitals now. But there are so many pictures and there are just so many people that are still missing. It's - and this rain is just not helping the recovery process. It's making it also very dangerous for those that are already down there.

We have a mutual friend that's in the NYPD and he's been at ground zero for the last couple of days. And I've been talking to him as well. And it's a horrific experience down there as well and this only makes it worse basically.

LANE: Well, Chan, thank you. It's a wonderful thing you're doing to get out and put the posters up and keep pressing on.

CHAN: Thank you for your time.

LANE: Thank you.

CHAN: All right, thanks.

LANE: And, Paula, let me tell you one other thing - I was out here a good part of yesterday and people were coming up to us with posters. Anybody who would listen - anybody who would look - putting the posters in our face - just talking about these people - trying to get the pictures out. And it was really - it turned into desperation once - as people are beginning to realize that so many days have passed and chances are so, so slim. Back to you.

ZAHN: I'll tell you, Hillary, you watch some of those conversations you've had and then we had a guest here earlier this morning and you hear what they have to say and you don't even know how they can stand up today. What they're having to endure is just absolutely unthinkable.

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