N.H. representative blasted for comparing Old Man of the Mountain collapse to Twin Towers falling on 9/11

The Old Man of the Mountain in Franconia, N.H., on Oct. 2, 2001.JIM COLE

Groans of disbelief sounded around the room as the words came out of the legislator’s mouth.

Just as swift were the appalled reactions that spread online after New Hampshire Representative Tim Cahill likened the collapse of the Old Man of the Mountain to the fall of the Twin Towers on 9/11.

“The Old Man falling was akin to the Twin Towers for many of the Granite State and around the world,” said Cahill, a Republican, during a debate Wednesday in the House on whether to designate a day commemorating the collapse of the Franconia Notch rock formation.

Until its collapse in 2003, the naturally formed granite profile — which looked like the face of an old man, thus the name — attracted waves of tourists and stood as an iconic landmark. The bipartisan bill, which would recognize May 3 as “Old Man of the Mountain Day,” was passed by lawmakers, and now heads to the Senate for discussion.

But it was Cahill’s remark that stood out to many people, with fellow representatives and residents calling the comparison to 9/11 “offensive” and “repulsive.”

“An absolutely appalling comment from Rep. Cahill,” tweeted N.H. Representative Robin Vogt, a Democrat.

Cahill could not immediately be reached for comment Friday morning.

“I was in D.C. on September 11. I was also in D.C. on May 3. Soon after that, I made up my mind I wanted to come back home to New Hampshire. And today I am standing in these honored chambers before all of you, standing for the people,” Cahill continued after likening the crumbling of the mountain face to the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center towers.

“NH Republicans need to do some soul searching if they agree with one of their own that this is an acceptable comment,” tweeted N.H. Representative Rosemarie Rung, a Democrat.

The granite profile was named the official state symbol in 1945. No one was injured in the mountainside collapse on May 3, 2003.

More than 2,700 people were killed in the attacks in New York, some of whom had connections to New Hampshire, including Thomas McGuinness Jr., the first officer on American Airlines Flight 11, and John Ogonowski, the captain of the plane.

Cahill seeming to equate the two events drew condemnation.

“As someone who lost loved ones and family on 9/11 I found the comparison repulsive,” tweeted N.H. Representative Mike Bordes, a fellow Republican.

“What an asinine comparison,” tweeted N.H. Representative Ross Berry, also a Republican.

While the state takes pride in the Old Man of the Mountain, said N.H. Representative Angela Brennan, “in no way is the Old Man naturally crumbling comparable to the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Twin Towers.”

“What an offensive suggestion,” Brennan, a Democrat, tweeted.