This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/14/nyregion/1977-blackout-photos.html
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| The 1977 Blackout in New York City Happened Exactly 42 Years Ago | The 1977 Blackout in New York City Happened Exactly 42 Years Ago |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| On Saturday at 6:47 p.m., parts of Midtown Manhattan and the West Side went dark. | On Saturday at 6:47 p.m., parts of Midtown Manhattan and the West Side went dark. |
| Pedestrians used their cellphones as flashlights to cross the streets, Broadway shows were disrupted and commuters scrambled to find alternative ways home after subway stations were shuttered. | Pedestrians used their cellphones as flashlights to cross the streets, Broadway shows were disrupted and commuters scrambled to find alternative ways home after subway stations were shuttered. |
| A little more than three hours later, Con Edison announced that power was being restored. | A little more than three hours later, Con Edison announced that power was being restored. |
| On a steamy July night in 1977, exactly 42 years ago, the same thing happened: New York City plunged into darkness, but that time the city was left without power for 25 hours. | |
| It became a defining event. Looting and arson spread through the streets, resulting in 3,800 arrests and millions of dollars worth of damage. | |
| There were also some familiar scenes. Take a look. | There were also some familiar scenes. Take a look. |
| Refrigerators without power caused food to spoil. But that didn’t stop restaurants and bars from keeping their doors open and their liquor pouring. | Refrigerators without power caused food to spoil. But that didn’t stop restaurants and bars from keeping their doors open and their liquor pouring. |
| Some people eating in restaurants made their way onto the streets — when the power went out, so did the air conditioning. On Saturday, many people finished their meals by the lights of their cellphones, an option not available in 1977. | Some people eating in restaurants made their way onto the streets — when the power went out, so did the air conditioning. On Saturday, many people finished their meals by the lights of their cellphones, an option not available in 1977. |
| The city’s skyline became a silhouette, as iconic buildings like the Empire State Building blended in with the night sky. | The city’s skyline became a silhouette, as iconic buildings like the Empire State Building blended in with the night sky. |
| Despite the looting, some New Yorkers took to the streets to help direct traffic. The same scene played out on Saturday evening when over 200 traffic lights went out, according to the city’s Department of Transportation. | Despite the looting, some New Yorkers took to the streets to help direct traffic. The same scene played out on Saturday evening when over 200 traffic lights went out, according to the city’s Department of Transportation. |
| The 1977 blackout also caused widespread transportation disruption, including at Grand Central Terminal. Saturday’s blackout caused problems along the entire subway system, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. | |
| And yet, some went about their evenings, which for some lucky people at Rockefeller Center in 1977 meant a stop at an ice cream truck. |