Orkney Meat pair missed US hijack flight by 24 hours
(From The Orcadian dated September 13, 2001)

Two Orcadians are counting their blessings, having narrowly escaped being caught up in this week’s terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington.

Vice-chairman of Okrney Meat, Mr Scott Harcus from Quanterness, St Ola, and Orkney Meat general manager, Mr Edgar Balfour, flew from Boston to Denver on Monday on a plane bound for Los Angeles, the very same scheduled flights which were hijacked to crash into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Mr Harcus’s wife, Christine, told The Orcadian yesterday: “Scott phoned yesterday to say that they were all right and had arrived safely in Denver. They had left Boston Airport the day before and just couldn’t believe that four planes could be hijacked from there. They had actually left on a plane heading for Los Angeles via Denver, the same sort of flight that had been hijacked. So Scott and them were so relieved that they had set off the day before.

“They were all sitting at breakfast when news of the terrorist attacks came through, and as of that time, all planes were grounded, so they don’t know what will happen about their return journey, which I think was scheduled for Saturday.

“They are in the middle of a week-long study trip to the United States, looking at beef production methods there. They are looking round ranches in Colorado at the moment in buses. They are not allowed to get off, for fear of spreading foot-and-mouth disease. But the hospitality they have received has been tremendous. They’re really enjoying the trip. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens with the arrangements for their flights back. The timings are slightly confusing anyway, because there are different time zones within the United States.”

Drama lecturer, Kristin Linklater, daughter of the Orkney author, Eric Linklater, actually lives in New York and works at Columbia University.

Her cousin, Mrs Barbara Hunt from Doehouse, Sandwick, received an e-mail from Kristin yesterday morning (Tuesday night, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) in New York) confirming that she was safe and well. Ms Linklater also said that she had been very shocked by the whole thing, and that the whole city was in complete shock and chaos. She added that she was able to see the smoke from the disaster area from her high-rise apartment window, although she lived at the other end of Manhattan island from the financial district and the World Trade Centre.

Ms Linklater last visited Orkney in June to present Orkney Heritage Society’s Linklater Literary Awards to senior secondary pupils, named in honour of her mother, Marjorie Linklater.

Computer analyst, Mr Allan Moore (32), son Captain Bob and Mrs Heather Moore of Papdale Close, Kirkwall, lived and worked in the financial district of New York for 18 months and has many friends there, only returning to Edinburgh to set up home in January 2000.

Mr Moore told The Orcadian this week: “I just couldn’t believe it. I lived about two minutes away from the World Trade Centre and walked past it every day on my way to work at Goldman Sachs. I was on contract to them for a year-and-a half. My expertise was in market data technology, roughly using computer skills to assist in trading on the Stock Exchange.

To think of the numbers of people who would have been commuting through that area on the subway from New Jersey and Upstate New York at that time of morning is just horrific. As soon as I heard the news of the terrorist attacks, I tried to contact some of my friends by phone and e-mail, and some I haven’t been able to reach.

I hope it’s just a case of them being evacuated from their offices and not been able to respond. But I just don’t know. My apartment was in an area called Park City within the financial district, and I have no idea if it’s still standing.

My wedding was held in New York, and my wife, Bernadette, still has a sister and brother, living there. She has been able to speak to them both and they are all right, although my brother-in-law, Damian Ward, who works as a marbler, putting marble frontage onto skyscrapers and other buildings, actually saw the second jet hit the World Trade Centre. We both loved New York while we were there and I could have stayed there with my job, but we decided to come back to Edinburgh to set up home and start a family. We’re quite thankful that we did, now.”

The tragic events in Manhattan were also brought close to home for OIC development and protective services director, Mr Jeremy Baster, whose son, James, is currently in Boston.

He was due to fly back from New York tomorrow, Friday – his 20th birthday.

With all planes grounded, Mr Baster said it was unlikely James would be returning as planned.

“He has been doing a summer job out there,” he said. “He was due to come back on Friday to start his third year at St Andrews University.”

Mr Baster’s sister – a lawyer – was working in Manhattan at the time.

“She is OK,” he added. “The office she goes to is uptown and some distance away.”

Angus Windwick and his cousin Thora Fettes are visiting a relative near Cleveland, Ohio, and were around 70 miles away from where one of the hijacked aircraft came down south of Pittsbugh.

Speaking on Tuesday at 3pm American time (8pm British time) he said that what had struck them as they watched events unfold on the ABC television news was the way normal daily life slowly ground to a halt as the scale of the events was recognised.

“All the major American Football and baseball and so on is being cancelled and other events are being called of as the day goes on. It is all they can do as a mark of respect at the moment,” he said.

Miss Monica Tulloch, who is a child minder and has worked at Peedie Breeks Nursery in Kirkwall, was due to fly home from Washington around the same time as the attack on the Pentagon.

Moira, who originally comes from Sanday, is coming to the end of a nine-week holiday within the Washington area, staying with another former Sanday resident, Angela Seatter from Elsness.

Moira’s father, Mr Fred Tulloch from Newquoy, explained: “She phoned us yesterday afternoon to say that she was all right, but that she would have to wait and make other arrangements for her flight home, because of the air travel problems. We were so relieved she was okay, because we knew that she was meant to be flying back about that time, so it was kind of annoying until we heard from her. She’ll just have to wait and see what she can do when transatlantic flights are allowed again.”

Meanwhile, the situation at Heathrow Airport was described as mayhem by Fiona Cowan from Finstown who with her husband Les were due to fly out to Washington on Tuesday.

Speaking yesterday from the airport she said: “We were due to go to a business conference starting today. It’s total confusion.”

Orkney MSP and Scotland’s Deputy First Minister, Mr Jim Wallace said: “It was profound sense of shock that I watched today’s events unfold. Such an outrage almost defies belief and must be condemned by all who value democracy and liberty. The links between Scotland and the United States are as close as they are old, and our heartfelt sympathy goes to the people of the United States.”

Mr Wallace, along with other party leaders, was due to make a statement in the Scottish Parliament about the terrorist attacks in the United States as we went to press yesterday.

brian.flett@orcadian.co.uk