NYC-WTC_000230711

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

THE NEW York times, Thursday; October 16,2001

JITTERS

These Days, Even Soap Is a Suspicious Powder By RICHARD LEZIN JONES spokeswoman for New York City Scenes from a region on edge. Transit. In Westchester County, a postal The reports even came from worker discovered a white pow­ the classroom as Board of Educa­ der on top of a package in the New tion officials announced that test­ Rochelle Post Office around 8:45 ing was being conducted on enve­ ’a.m. yesterday and notified his lopes mailed to three schools: supervisor. Two postal inspectors Public School 194 in Manhattan, investigated. The substance? Junior High School 99 in Manhat­ Powdered soap. tan and P.S. 61 in the Bronx. Fire trucks and a hazardous In Newark, officials confirmed materials removal truck were that they had investigated 50 calls . summoned to the Gateway office of suspicious items — from let­ complex in downtown Newark be­ ters without return addresses to ' cause someone spied an unfamil­ powdery substances of all kinds ■ iar powder on a bathroom floor. It — hut they declined to provide turned out to be a cleaning com­ details. pound. “We’re not being too specific And in New York City, riders on about the types because we don’t . more than a half-dozen subway want to give people ideas," one lines experienced delays of up to 30 minutes while the authorities official said. investigated reports of mysteri­ And there were what seemed, ous packages and powdery sub­ in this climate, to be serious inci- ’ stances. A transportation spokes­ dents, like the report that New ■ woman said the reports had so far Jersey authorities had issued a all proved unfounded. nationwide bulletin for a tractor- ' As anthrax-related incidents trailer stolen from Morris County were confirmed in the offices of overnight Tuesday. It was loaded Gov. George E. Pataki and in with fertilizer and pesticides — . Washington, the anxiety in an al­ the potential ingredients for a ready tense New York City and bomb. The State Police said they its neighboring communities had no reason to believe it had seemed to ratchet up yesterday been stolen by terrorists. as officials scrambled to respond Health officials in New York to fears of other possible cases. City said that they had received . It was an uphill battle. New 3,732 calls to a special telephone York City police officials said that hot line that offered information officers of its hazardous materi­ about anthrax. And pharmacists * als units responded to 76 possible and other health workers report­ anthrax cases around the city. Of ed a continued run on the antIbiot- - those, officers felt that 27 inci­ ic Cipro. dents warranted the removal of Meanwhile, in New York, May­ items for further inspection and ( testing. or Rudolph W. Giuliani tried to allay public fears, saying that New York City Transit report­ some concern was warranted ed seven cases of suspicious pack­ ages or powders on its subway while cautioning against panic. "I lines, ranging from a 7:30 a.m. don't think it helps to have people report of powder at the Wall overreacting to all of this,” he Street station of the Nos. 1 and 2 said. lines to a midday report of a Some were pragmatic about suspicious package at the 79th the risks they faced. Asked if she . Street stop of the No. 1 line to an feared anthrax, Jodi Fink, a psy­ afternoon report of powder on the chiatrist from Hoboken, replied: F line at Roosevelt Avenue. “Who is going to send me any “ "So far, they’ve' all been un­ powder? Who am I in the scheme founded,” said Deirdre Parker, a of things?”

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NYC-WTC_000230711