Sept. 11, 2001 reflections

Timing was everything for Evangeline Dukas, a Saugonian who survived the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center Towers – because she was late to work that day

By Janice K. Jarosz

  (Editor’s Note: Janice K. Jarosz is a frequent contributor to The Saugus Advocate. This week, she shared an article she wrote more than two decades ago about a Saugus woman who was thankful she was late for work on Sept. 11, 2001, escaping the tragedy of those who perished in terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center Towers in New York City. This article first appeared in the Saugonian Newspaper on September 11, 2003.)

Evangeline Dukas was born in Saugus, Massachusetts, attended the local schools and graduated from Saugus High School in 1990, and in 1994 she graduated from UMass.

After several years of working in the Boston office of Thompson Financial, she was transferred to their New York office in 1999, where she was eventually promoted to another branch of the company with their offices located on the 77th floor of the second tower of the World Trade Center. A quick learner, she settled right in with her new coworkers and life was good.

This particular weekend had been wonderful but a flu-like bug seemed to be threatening her otherwise perfect health. She was able to get through Monday at the office, but she knew she had to make a presentation to her new boss on Tuesday, September 11, at 9 a.m., and she did not look forward to it. Fleeting thoughts went through her mind on the 10^th, and she wondered how on earth could she get out of that assignment – something she always dreaded anyway – sick or not. Coming down with flu-like symptoms did not help her outlook on life, but she could not seem to find a way to get out of it.

Evangeline rose early Tuesday morning, still experiencing cold-like symptoms, and just getting dressed for the day took some effort. All during those early morning hours, her mind kept racing; am I sick enough to call off this 9 a.m. meeting or am I getting sick on purpose to justify making that call? No right answer appeared, so quite reluctantly she boarded the E-train from the west 4th Street station in Greenwich Village to the World Trade Center stop, which was the end of the line, dropping off riders right beneath the World Trade Center Complex.

As she left the train, she checked her watch – 8:40 a.m. Still not feeling quite herself, she thought that maybe, even though she might be running the risk of being late for her new boss, maybe she could take a short detour and pick up a “Smoothie,” her favorite drink. She had the feeling that it was going to be a bad day anyway so maybe a few sips would lift her spirits. After all, she reasoned, how exciting can discussing the “Technical Analysis of the Stock Market” be, especially with her feeling so not herself.

After another glance at her watch, which read 8:48 a.m., she made the choice of walking to the store to pick up a strawberry banana Smoothie. She knew she was running the risk of being late but she justified it in her mind: that was her style anyway – being late for almost everything in her life. What was the big deal anyway, she pondered – a few minutes here or there? Those arguments were racing through her mind all during those few, brief but important minutes. She did start to hasten her steps as she headed for the concourse level just under the building while pulling out her frequent Smoothie Card and the exact change.

“What are you ordering?” asked the waitress. Evangeline was a regular there and knew that this waitress made the best Smoothies in all New York. Her order was taken, the Smoothie was made, but still concerned, she checked her watch again – it was 8:49 a.m.

In her own words: “Something made me look up and when I did there were people running in all different directions like almost in circles. Someone in the line next to me asked what was going on. Another customer said that something big was happening and wondered if we should run. The waitress shut the machine off, jumped over the counter, and ran.

Then I heard the sounds – sounds like the crackling of bombs or machine guns. No one knew what was happening so I decided to run to the nearby exit. None of us knew what was happening. One woman near me exclaimed she thought a bomb was on the other side of the building and she started running in another direction because all we could now see was debris falling from the sky through the store windows. It was then I realized I had to get out.

I began running toward the exit sign but others were running toward me so I ran as fast as I could to dodge them. Those running in the opposite direction of the exit must have thought it was safer on the other side because of all the debris falling down on the street. I just tried to make it to the exit. A revolving door, something I was always petrified of, stood in my way but I managed to get through it and finally make it to the outside.

Within a few split seconds I found myself on Vessey and Church Streets – the most northern corner of the World Trade Center. There were people everywhere, some hurt by the falling debris, some cut from the panes of glass dropping on them, and ambulances on the street trying to help the injured. None of us knew what had happened but I knew what was taking place was history making so I went into a store and purchased a camera.

Stepping out from the store, I looked up and saw people standing in front of the blown-out windows of the Tower. I did not know what floor they were on, but it was very high up. They were just trying to hold on as long as they could, hoping that someone would come and rescue them but they had no place to go and I witnessed dozens of them, some hand in hand, plunging off the ledge to their deaths.

I started just wandering around trying to find out what was happening to our city. I eventually met three of my coworkers, one who had been late for work like me and never made it to our building, and two others who were able to get out safely. One explained to me how our manager told everyone in our office to get out: He said, “Let’s go!” and fortunately fourteen of my co-workers made it out safely – four did not.

The ten that got out were on the north side of the building at Tower 1. They made it out because the second plane hit the south side of Tower II, something none of us knew until much later.

The four that did not survive were on the 78th floor. One of those, a man in his early 50’s, just returned to work after major surgery. A coworker told me later that after the first building was hit, one manager told everyone to get out, which they all tried to do as they started to go down the stairs but someone from Security announced on the PA system that everyone could go back to their offices and that everything was okay. Mr. Ron Perez, our manager, told all of his employees to keep going down and to get out of the building. I can only surmise why four of them went back. Maybe it was to retrieve some work or to check to make sure everyone had cleared the area, but they never made it out.

I was still wandering down Broadway and south, a block near Times Square. No one knew what was happening yet. My cell phone was not working and everyone was screaming that it was a plane but that did not make sense to me – that could not be happening.

The police in the area kept telling us to get away, that we were in the front line and the building was about to fall. How could that be, I wondered. A brief moment later my Tower collapsed right in front of my eyes. Luckily, I was standing on the north side as the wind blew the dust and glass south. It was now 9:45 a.m.

Fortunately, I met up with a friend and we decided to run to his apartment. Thousands of people were running through the courthouse area and city hall and people were hollering that there were car bombs and the buildings were all going to blow up. We ran through Chinatown and then on to Elizabeth Street and finally made it safely to his apartment.

I just wanted to go home to my own apartment as maybe someone needed a place to stay, or maybe I could help someone. All kinds of thoughts ran through my mind; I also wanted to pack some clothes and somehow get home to Saugus.

Rob and I left his place and headed toward my place. Along the way we stopped at St. Vincent’s Hospital, wanting to donate blood. There were hundreds of people in line and we were all told they were only accepting 0-positive. At this point again I wondered, will I ever make it home?

As soon as we arrived at my place, we turned the tv on and, for the first time, we both learned what had happened only one hour ago. I called my boyfriend and he told me to pack up some things, look up a train schedule and take the train that would let me off at the farthest distance from the city. It was Train #2 to Wakefield, Mass., and then I called my parents. It was now 4:30 p.m. in the afternoon of September 11, 2001.

At 6:00 p.m., I boarded the train at 242nd Street, the Bronx. The train ride home was the most amazing ride I had ever experienced. At 7:00 p.m. the train stopped and I got off. I called my friend for a ride home and during that trip to Saugus we passed trucks loaded with all kinds of supplies and fire engines, ambulances, heavy equipment of all makes and models, all heading to New York City.

At approximately 11:30 p.m., we arrived at my home on Howard Street, Saugus, Mass. The whole family was there and we all cried as we hugged one another. I was so grateful to be finally home. There were no words to describe the homecoming with my family and loved ones, but I do remember my mother whispering to herself, “Thank God my daughter was late.”

An update from the former Evangeline Dukas, who is now Evangeline King

I’ve been married for 18 years and have two sons, ages 16 and 14, who play football and lacrosse. We have been living in Topsfield, Mass., for about 16 years. I’ve spent over 28 years in financial services, focusing on sales and customer success at an investment research firm based in Chicago and providing tools and market data to professionals. In 2018, I joined the US Coast Guard Auxiliary and became a USCG Licensed Boat Captain, Masters, in 2020. I volunteer teaching boating safety courses to the public. As a mom, I also volunteer with the Masco Football Boosters, managing the concession stand. In the summer we love boating out of Essex and during winters we enjoy skiing with family and friends.