THIS IS NOT A POEM

The following are 911 computer entries, made from 8:47 a.m. on September 11 as call after desperate call rolled in from the World Trade Center.

Excerpts from the log of the dispatcher for the Fire Department's Emergency Management Service.

The entries were published much as they appeared when they flashed on the computer screen.

The time of each call is noted, and messages are abbreviated -- MC stands for male caller, FC for female caller, STS for "states".


08:50:12 MC STS -- PLANE JUST FLEW INTO WORLD TRADE CENTER---POSS COMMERCIAL AIRPLANE.

08:56:44 MC STS -- HE IS ON THE 87 FLR--STS 4 PERSON THERE W HIM--STS THERE IS FIRE.

08:57:26 PEOPLE SCREAMING IN BACKGROUND--STS -- CANNOT BREATHE---POSS SMOKE COMING THRU DOOR--FLR 103...TRAPPED.

09:04:50 MC STS -- 103 FLR-CAN'T GET OUT--FIRE ON FLR...PEOPLE GETTING SICK

09:07:51 SECOND PLANE HIT THE SECOND BUILDING ... UNK EXTENT OF INJ.

09:09:14 MC STATES -- 2 WTC PEOPLE ARE JUMPING OUT OF THE SIDE OF A LRG HOLE---POSS NO ONE CATCHING THEM.

09:12:18 MC STS -- ON 106 FLR ABOUT 100 PEOPLE IN ROOM--NEED DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO STAY ALIVE.

09:17:39 MC STS ON 105 FLR -- STAIRS COLLAPSE

09:36:33 FC STS -- THEY ARE STUCK THEY ARE STUCK IN THE ELEVATOR...STS THEY ARE DYING.

09:47:15 FC STS -- 2 WTC FLR105. FLOOR UNDERNEATH HER -- COLLAPSE.

09:49:21 1 WTC 20 PEOPLE ON THE TOP WAVING. THEY ARE ALIVE PLEASE SEND HELP.

10:00:34 WORLD TRADE CENTER HAS COLLAPSED.

Suddenly all calls from that building ended. Calls from the north tower continued.

10:12:35 MC STS -- HE CAN BARELY BREATHE. 105TH FLR

The calls ended at 10:33 a.m. as abruptly as they had begun, with a horrifying final note: "ENTIRE TOWER DOWN."

Published in New York's Daily News.