Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

America Under Attack: Rescue Efforts Continue Under Harsh Conditions

Aired September 12, 2001 - 10:09   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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: In addition to the words that the congressman are saying today, the symbolic message of business going on in Washington is the main message they are trying to give to the world right now.

In New York, however, it is a little bit more than business as usual there.

Let's go now and check in with our Martin Savidge, who's there at ground zero. He's at the World Trade Center, down there on the ground this morning -- Marty.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Leon, we just finished a tour that was put together by the New York police department and the fire department that allowed members of the media to get right up to the epicenter of what is this great tragedy not only here in New York but throughout the world.

It's hard to imagine that the twin towers soared at one time 110 stories. All that we could count of one of those towers was about seven stories, it was cut off. There is a huge mass of twisting steel and concrete that really, really drives any sort of depiction as you try to explain it. It is smoldering and smoking and burning.

And one of the things that strikes you as you get so close to the heart of this is how quiet it is. In part, the reason for that is the tremendous amount of ash that covers the ground, as if there had been some huge volcanic eruption. It muffles everything as if you were in the middle of some giant snow storm. instead, though, it was something far more treacherous and far more tragic.

Many of the crews and the fire teams that you see there are standing around. There is only limited access. There is only very minute efforts that they can make for fear of moving in any way the huge pile and possibly forcing it to collapse more.

Those who have been working on that pile say that incredible thing is how deep it goes. Because of the collapsing floor and floor and floor actually drove the building deep into the basement, some believed even beyond.

We also saw robots that are being brought in, small track-like devices that obviously they hope to use to see through any sort of crevasses or any sort of voids that my hold the opportunity for life.

There was not jubilation when there were those that were rescued from the pile; instead, it was very somber, it was very quiet, and they realized there is a lot more work to be done -- Leon.

HARRIS: Well, Martin, have any of the officials that you have spoken with given you any sense of how realistic it is that they will find more survivors today?

SAVIDGE: Those that you talk to say that they believe that there is a chance. However, when you walk up to the building, when you see how great the devastation is, it's not only cleared to a viewer's mind but also clear to those that try to rescue; the chances are increasingly slimmer and slimmer. Still, there is hope, and the work goes on. And the two combined, are what are inspiring rescuers today -- Leon.

HARRIS: And, Martin, how about the situation with the fire? Any idea what it is that is continuing to burn some 24, 25 hours later? And how soon they think they can get that fire out?

SAVIDGE: Well, it's hard to say because the mass is just so great. It's perhaps the fact that everything that was in the building is now smashed deep into the ground and that there is a lot of material that is still possible to burn. And with the fire not being directly exposed to air it's more smoldering than it is. You don't see leaping flames, you don't see open flames at all. So it appears that that's part at what is at work.

Also, you have to remember there were several hundred automobiles and vehicles that were in the area that were crushed and demolished, and there, too, you have the rubber tires that are burning; there was even a thread (ph) of gasoline and diesel fuel that they were worried about. So there is plenty of material that is left to burn and it still does burn in a gray-brown smoke that rises above the changed -- drastically changing New York skyline -- Leon.

HARRIS: And that also means there's plenty of sad but urgent work to do as well.

Martin Savidge, reporting live for us this morning from the World Trade Center -- or from what used to be the World Trade Center.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com