OT: Who remembers the 6-5-67 power failure?

[RUhasarrived]

It was around 10:30 AM on Monday June 5,1967 when the hands on the clock over the classroom door began to spin wildly.Within a few minutes,the students were advised that there was a power failure and that school would be let out for the remainder of the day.It wasn't until we started walking home that we realized that the area affected was more than just the school grounds as the traffic lights were not working.
Arriving home,we found out that all power in NJ was out.(In those days,most still had batteries for transistor radios and of course car radios still functioned.)
NYC was not affected at all,reversing the situation of Nov.1965,so no Day the Earth Stood Still scenarios formed in our heads.
The power came on first in South Jersey,then made its path northward so that by 8 PM all power was restored everywhere.
Very few people that I've come across seem to remember this one.How about you?

 

[RUPete]

I do not. I remember the one in New York in the 1970s because I was watching a Mets game and everything went dark. I just thought the broadcast was messed up somehow.

 

[CERU00]

I do not. I remember the one in New York in the 1970s because I was watching a Mets game and everything went dark. I just thought the broadcast was messed up somehow.

I remember the one in 2003.

 

[RUPete]

I remember the one in 2003.

I definitely remember that one because I was working in a hospital at the time. Many of the areas are on back-up generator so it can be less noticeable than if you're at home. I also remember that taking place when it was still light out.

 

[e5fdny]

I remember the one in 2003.

I definitely remember that one because I was working in a hospital at the time. Many of the areas are on back-up generator so it can be less noticeable than if you're at home. I also remember that taking place when it was still light out.

I was too.

Wasn’t so bad the first part of it. But later on I was glad I didn’t have to stick around.

 

[RUPete]

I was too.

Wasn’t so bad the first part of it. But later on I was glad I didn’t have to stick around.

Do you remember when power came back? I think it may have been faster in NJ than NY for that one. I remember a lot of people being stranded at rush hour over there.

 

[e5fdny]

Do you remember when power came back? I think it may have been faster in NJ than NY for that one. I remember a lot of people being stranded at rush hour over there.

I was at a training class that day at the Fire Academy on Randalls Island when it went down.

A huge ConEd substation is right across Hells Gate and when the power went out the generators screeching to a stop sounded like a plane was crashing.

We were dismissed and on my way to my firehouse in the East Village only one radio station was working. I could see from my drive down the FDR all the traffic lights were out on the side streets and avenues.

 

[WhiteBus]

I definitely remember that one because I was working in a hospital at the time. Many of the areas are on back-up generator so it can be less noticeable than if you're at home. I also remember that taking place when it was still light out.

I was at Saratoga Race Track. They lost power for less then 1/2 hour as did most of the town. Most of the county was back on line within an hour. We didn't know it was national until people started calling us from Monmouth Park to put bets in. Our vig was pretty expensive!!

 

[RUnTeX]

Do you remember when power came back? I think it may have been faster in NJ than NY for that one. I remember a lot of people being stranded at rush hour over there.

I seem to recall it occurred in July and around mid afternoon and went several hours long, some parts of NJ finally started coming back on sporadically later that night. I think it was the grid for all or most of the PJM territory that went down so several states were impacted.

 

[RUPete]

I seem to recall it occurred in July and around mid afternoon and went several hours long, some parts of NJ finally started coming back on sporadically later that night. I think it was the grid for all or most of the PJM territory that went down so several states were impacted.

I definitely remember it was wide swath that was impacted.

 

[RUnTeX]

I definitely remember it was wide swath that was impacted.

With respect to your earlier rush hour comment, I recall NJ Transit not being able to operate their trains and my brother got delayed until about 11:30 pm when he finally arrived by bus to the Meadowlands/Giants Stadium parking lots where they had set up a staging area for folks arriving from Manhattan for various parts of northern NJ.

 

[RUPete]

With respect to your earlier rush hour comment, I recall NJ Transit not being able to operate their trains and my brother got delayed until about 11:30 pm when he finally arrived by bus to the Meadowlands/Giants Stadium parking lots where they had set up a staging area for folks arriving from Manhattan for various parts of northern NJ.

I guess I was lucky in my area. The hospital released us around 8 pm and the power was already on when I got home.

 

[WhiteBus]

The most famous NYC blackout was in the summer of 1977. The city was already nervous as that was the Son of Sam summer.

 

[RUPete]

The most famous NYC blackout was in the summer of 1977. The city was already nervous as that was the Son of Sam summer.

I’ll never forget that whole time growing up. As a kid, I remember being freaked out by the various police sketches of the SOS suspect before they caught him.

 

[hoquat63]

I remember one occurring summer of 66 or 67 but couldn’t have been June. Had a summer job at National Bank of NJ on George Stand one job was to fill in for the elevator operator when he went on break when the regular fill in guy was on vacation. Just missed being in the elevator when the power went out. Back then at 8 stories the bank building was second highest in NB.

Thinking back again it must have been the June one. First year I worked in 66 had just graduated high school so couldnt have worked until late June, but 67 was at RU and classes were out in May so I would have been there all of June.

 

[MulletCork]

I was at Saratoga Race Track. They lost power for less then 1/2 hour as did most of the town. Most of the county was back on line within an hour. We didn't know it was national until people started calling us from Monmouth Park to put bets in. Our vig was pretty expensive!!

That's too funny -- I was at Saratoga for the day too! I was pretty fresh out of college a couple years and my boss would take me up there one day trip each summer. Like you I had no clue it was more of a major event, given I had just a really basic cell phone and all at the time. For some reason, I recall then rather than going out to dinner in town we wound up eating at Roy Rogers on the NY Thruway! I had no complaints. Loved Roy Rogers burgers.

I seem to recall the next day this still being in an issue in NYC as I was going to the Mets game and drove rather than trying to take the train and subway.

 

[ashokan]

I do not. I remember the one in New York in the 1970s because I was watching a Mets game and everything went dark. I just thought the broadcast was messed up somehow.

In 77 I was a half mile from Buchanan where the power station and high voltage lines where hit.
We had a large, riverfront, gravel area where a few hundred cars would park at night to party/hangout.
We had a clear view of Indian Point.
I don't remember any rain, but for one of the strikes the whole area of the Hudson lit up as bright as day.
There was a loud ZZZZZ sound and then a burst of very bright light that lasted several seconds.
People poured out of bars and restaurants thinking Indian Point itself was going critical.
Crazy time.

 

[WhiteBus]

That's too funny -- I was at Saratoga for the day too! I was pretty fresh out of college a couple years and my boss would take me up there one day trip each summer. Like you I had no clue it was more of a major event, given I had just a really basic cell phone and all at the time. For some reason, I recall then rather than going out to dinner in town we wound up eating at Roy Rogers on the NY Thruway! I had no complaints. Loved Roy Rogers burgers.

I seem to recall the next day this still being in an issue in NYC as I was going to the Mets game and drove rather than trying to take the train and subway.

I ended up staying a few extra days so I was happy.

 

[MadRU]

Don’t remember the power outage, but I vividly remember the Dec 1970 refinery explosion in Elizabeth/Linden.

 

[RUBob75]

I was at Saratoga Race Track. They lost power for less then 1/2 hour as did most of the town. Most of the county was back on line within an hour. We didn't know it was national until people started calling us from Monmouth Park to put bets in. Our vig was pretty expensive!!

I did not realize Saratoga ever ran in June.

 

[WhiteBus]

I did not realize Saratoga ever ran in June.

We are not talking about the 67 blackout but the 2003 one. Go back and read who I quoted.

 

[RU#1fan]

I think that’s the one that my kid sister … 4 years old at the time got a hold of a broom and decided to wave it over a candle. Almost started a fire in our Eastchester, NY apartment.

 

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It was around 10:30 AM on Monday June 5,1967 when the hands on the clock over the classroom door began to spin wildly.Within a few minutes,the students were advised that there was a power failure and that school would be let out for the remainder of the day.It wasn't until we started walking home that we realized that the area affected was more than just the school grounds as the traffic lights were not working.
Arriving home,we found out that all power in NJ was out.(In those days,most still had batteries for transistor radios and of course car radios still functioned.)
NYC was not affected at all,reversing the situation of Nov.1965,so no Day the Earth Stood Still scenarios formed in our heads.
The power came on first in South Jersey,then made its path northward so that by 8 PM all power was restored everywhere.
Very few people that I've come across seem to remember this one.How about you?

I remember the blackout of Nov. 1965. Was in Verona with then GF... Ricki : 38-23-36. Had her measurements posted on my window @ Hardenberg River Dorm : #437.

Nice memories!

MO