From the Nov. 12, 1965 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:

The three and a half hour period from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday evening, with all light and power shut off, illustrated in a shocking manner the dependency of the Island and surrounding area on electricity.

A blackout extending as far north as Toronto, as far west as Buffalo, and as far south as Philadelphia resulted from such a failure, affecting the entire northeastern seaboard.

The Vineyard did not suffer. With a promptness that indicated long preparation for emergencies, town and state police in all Island towns were mustered to the last man. Sheriff John E. Palmeira called out his deputies, fire departments stood by for emergency calls, and the police patrols began, continuing throughout the blackout period.

The first thought of the police chiefs were for the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, nursing homes and elderly persons living alone who might need heat as well as lights.

At the first loss of power the electric company officers and crew reported for duty, not knowing what the trouble might be, but having communicated with the mainland, realized that nothing could be done until the wheels began turning in New Bedford. Then lights began to appear as private homes and establishments took emergency measures, with candles, oil lamps, gas lanterns and the several private generating plants. The smell of wood smoke rose and drifted on the air from scores of fireplaces.

Highway traffic dropped to a trickle, although bright moonlight favored those who were obliged to drive, and police reported the Island over on the absence of trouble, accidents, and the wholehearted cooperation which was received between the towns, state police and the sheriff’s office. “No trouble at all”; that was the sum and substance of these reports.

There were incidents, however, which might have developed into difficulties in some cases, and others which illustrated Yankee cool-headedness and ingenuity.

Chief Frederick H. Worden of Edgartown went around to the home of Miss Christine Pease, “91 or 2,” said he, “and living alone. I though she might be cold, and certainly inconvenienced because of the lack of light. ‘Good Lord, young man,’ she told me, ‘I’ve lived for years without lights and heat, and I can get along without them now. I’m going to bed where I’ll be comfortable.’”

Fred Fisher of Nip ‘n’ Tuck Farm of the State Highway had a herd of cattle and some horses to care for and seventeen cows to milk. “I thought that some highway accident had disrupted the service,” he said. “Anyhow, we were paralyzed, milking machines, separators and the dairy equipment. So I waited, thinking that repairs would be made shortly.

“And then, I got one pleasant surprise which made me realize that some of our young people are neither delinquent nor indifferent. Three boys, learning of the emergency, showed up to help me do chores and milk. We waited until the lights came on, and wound everything up in jig-time. Maybe some of my motors were burned, but everything else is fine.”

Probably the individuals who felt the pressure most were the telephone operators. Although the warning came over the air to avoid unnecessary use of telephones, this message could not be picked up save by battery radios, and many persons did not know of it. The result was a barrage of phone calls as people sought to learn what had happened.

There was also worry among car owners who looked at their gas gauges to see how much fuel was in the tanks. All, or virtually all, gas pumps on the Island are powered by electricity, and could not be used during the blackout.

Envious eyes were directed toward those homes with their own emergency electric plants, and envious remarks were heard when it became known that Nantucket, almost the easternmost outpost of the nation, had no “outage” whatever during the blackout.

Let’s not kid ourselves, we are never going to be a united country after this divisive and dreadful election season,

Down at Eldridge’s Fish Market in Edgartown, all the boys were busy opening scallops when one bulb began to flicker. “Hey John,” said someone, “how about changing this bulb. It’s enough to drive you nuts!”

Suddenly, all the bulbs fluttered, turned a dark eerie orange, and then darkness. Not many of the boys remained idle for long. They kept right on opening scallops by candlelight!

The lack of television hampered some, especially those with children to be entertained at that crucial hour of housekeeping.

Dr. and Mrs. LeRoy A. Erickson had some sort of stove that could cook and spent the evening cooking for all the neighborhood children.

One woman caught alone in the house with no lights or flashlights resorted to last year’s red Christmas candles, giving her house a festive air and a preview of things to come.

Compiled by Hilary Wall
library@vineyardgazette.com