Caught In The Blackout

If you were unlucky enough to stay late after school at M&A on Tuesday, November 9, 1965, you might have gotten caught in the New York City blackout that started at 5:28 pm. This is Janis' story:

In November of our freshman year, 3 of us who travelled daily from Queens to M&A on the subway, were caught in the big blackout of 1965. We had taken a detour that day before getting on the train, to do a favor for a friend and classmate (who by the way, is now a well-known musician). Being already late, we decided to take the local train to the end of the line to avoid the mobbed subway cars on the express train to Queens. This made us even later, but we were able to get seats before the train filled up with rush hour commuters. When the train reached the Jackson Heights station, it stopped. The lights went out, except for those above the exit doors which are battery powered. This was not so unusual, but on this day, hours passed without the lights going back on or the train resuming its route. Nobody knew what was going on. We had seats and our bulky portfolios, but several older ladies were standing and visibly weary, so we gave up our seats to them and sat on our portfolios by the subway doors. After several more hours, some men appeared with lanterns and all of the passengers were instructed to follow them. 

Because it was an express train, Jackson Heights was not a scheduled stop, but we were 2 tracks away and parallel to the platform. A plank had been placed from the train to the platform above the tracks which we were all expected to traverse in order to reach the station. The men held up the dim lanterns which barely lit the way. We were young and for us it was an adventure. After ascending the stairs, we arrived at a candy store and with 10 cents among the 3 of us, bought 2 candy bars which we split up 3 ways. When we got outside it was pitch dark except for the full, extraordinarily luminous moon. There were no street lights, traffic lights or lights from the houses and buildings. None of us knew where we were or how to get home from there. Buses were running, but they were so jam-packed with people, they passed right by the bus stops.

We stood shivering together, trying to decide what to do when a red sports car pulled up to the curb beside us. Upon rolling down the window, the woman on the passenger side told us they were 2 musicians trying to help people out by giving them rides. Having no real options, we decided to take them up on their offer. The 3 of us squeezed into the back of that little sports car with our big awkward portfolios and asked if they could take us to the bus terminal in Jamaica. Being musicians, they were delighted to know that we were students at M&A and drove us straight to the terminal. (My friend Jacqui swears to this day that the guy was Alice Cooper before he became well-known.) We arrived home around midnight that night to parents who were out of their minds with worry. That was our big M&A freshman year adventure.

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