Through the din of construction at the World Trade Center–where the pile driver competes with the jack hammer-the attentive ear can pick up a babel of tongues from the earth’s far corners.
These are the voices of the growing army of tenants, eventually to number 50,000. So far they total 1,800, representing 111 companies, trade agencies and governments.
They hurry along temporary enclosed walkways across the raucous, muddy construction site to the 16 floors of offices already open in the sleek, aluminum-coated 110-story north tower. In addition, 40 students from 26 “developing” countries are attending the new World Trade Institute on the 13th floor.