Personal impact of loss sinks in

By Patrick Healy and Farah Stockman, Globe Staff, 9/11/2001

s millions of Americans tried frantically to locate loved ones and make sure they were safe, government officials estimated that thousands of people may have died in the multiple airplane crashes and World Trade Center attacks today.

Among the passengers on American Airlines Flight 11, one of two hijacked planes that smashed into the towers around 9 this morning, were several mothers who worked in the merchandising corporate office of TJX in Framingham, and were heading to Los Angeles for business.

''There's total hysteria here,'' said one person at the clothing manufacturing headquarters today, who asked not to be named.

Officials with TJX, which runs T.J. Maxx stores, would not release the identities of the employees on the flight. The company apparently allowed employees to go home, although many were still at work at midday. The atmosphere was somber, and counseling was offered.

The Logan Airport Hilton was evacuated around noontime today to make room for families of passengers on American Flight 11, as well as those on United Flight 175, which was reported missing this morning. Droves of state troopers and sheriff's deputies began arriving, and airline representatives gathered at the Hilton to meet with any relatives seeking the latest information on victims.

The scope of today's events threw almost every American off balance. People paused at moments to watch the news, mentally locating where relatives and friends would have been, beginning at 9 a.m.

Outside the Hyatt Hotel, Ismail Kapadia of United Limousine Service said a businessman wanted to be driven to Cleveland. ''I don't even know how much I should quote,'' he said.

Father Bryan Hehir, dean of Harvard University's Divinity School, said that the scope of the mourning for today's victims would be unprecedented.

''A tragedy like this plays out at two levels,'' Hehir said. ''There are deeply personal issues, families who are losing loved ones as we speak. And then there are the circles of connectedness, people who have ties to people who may have been affected and may have died.

''People will need time to even get their hands around this ... It hasn't hit just one place ... This encompasses all of us.''

Globe Staff member Alice Dembner and staff correspondent Erica Noonan contributed to this article.

This story ran on page A7 of the Boston Globe on 9/11/2001.
© Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper Company.