I was a junior at Paterson State College in Wayne, NJ. I lived in a dormatory situated high on a hill and when I sat at my desk at night I could see the New York skyline through the one large window in the room. I sat down at my desk after returning from supper, got my...[more] Coincidentally, my wife and I were up on the roof of our apartment building looking at the view when the lights went out. Imagine looking over Manhattan from Morningside Heights (we were living at 120th and Amsterdam) and suddenly the city going dark. Initially the...[more] IN THE 65 BLACKOUT I WAS APPROXIMATELY 16 YEARS OLD LIVING IN THE NEW YORK CITY SUBURBS OF NASSAU COUNTY. I REMEMBER WHEN THE BLACKOUT FIRST STARTED I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS SOME KIND OF SOVIET ATTACK OR SABOTAGE (REMEMEBER THIS WAS NOT LONG AFTER THE CUBAN MISSILE...[more]

I was at the Regency Theater on 68th street and Broadway watching the last five minutes of "Goodbye Mr. Chips." the movie slowed to a stop. The frame burned, and the audience waited for a few moments. Then the projector started up, for another minute, and then went...[more] I lived in Farmingdale, Long Island-Blackouts werent so unusual then-the protocol was to go look outside and see if all the houses were dark, or just a block or so-if they all were, just wait it out-if only your block or a few, try to call the electric company to let...[more] My brother, age 5, and I, age 7, were on our way home. We had to be home by 5 p.m. for supper. We got on the elevator with several other people. We lived on the 8th floor. The elevator went up several floors, stopped, then went back down to the 1st floor. We traveled...[more]

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