Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects (the Condon Report, complete, three volumes)

the CClU;iC of the bl~ICk(Jut \~as st i II ulIknown. /\uthoritics
frajlkJ) iHlmi tted thelt there was 110 ~ls~;urancc whatever
that the incredible blackout coulu Ilot occur again, with-
out \\Cirning.
There \~as a curious lack of physical Jamagc ... only Ll few
generators wen:' out of act iOIl as il resul t of the power
failuH', !lot :.l l'UUSL'. hh;!t's lIlorl' , the utiiitics'Jerc
ablL' to 1'1.'5 to 1'1.' sl'l'vicv wi til the exact same equipment,
that h'as ill usc at t!le t illlV uf the blackout. What happened
that night hllS 1lot 0111)' far frail! llorroCJI; it was mystifying.
1£ there had been a 11Il'l'h:ll1il':l1 fJal'l, a fire, a breakdowlI,
a ::.ho1't cin:uit, J tupplil1g trullSlllissiull tower, the cau~c
1'01.111..1 hav(' beell quickly ~1I1J easily dctcl.:ted. Mechanically,
hOhC\'l'l', the sySh,\JIl a:-; :1 whole W:1S ill perf('ct repair b~fore
anJ aftl'r the failure.
IIi 11 iam II. I\l1[)l'1 t, of halki 11, N. ') ., j S Olll' of the thOUSdlHls
uf lint' patrol observers 1'1110, uCl~ordillg to '/'he Nev) Y01,k 'L'imes
hl'l1t intl) 'lI.:ti\111 to lry to discover the trouble. Ill' js
t;-.pical of all t}1l' others. 1((;0 flew over tile lines of the
Central Iltlllsl)l1 l;as and Ucctri I.' CorpoJ'atioll at daybreak
'ift-.:r the bbckout. Cruis:ing closl' to treetop JeveJ, }~l'
~hl.'ckl'd \\ire~, ll.:'>ulators, cross ilnllS 3m! $tructUH'S of the
hi~h-1Hwcr tr,lI1sl11issioll 1i flCS. lie looked for trees, branc!H.'s
\\ h i L 11 I1l i g ht 11 av(.' fa 11 ell 0 V l' r t Ill' \oJ j r L' S • "Ivc 100 k c J f UT
troubll' ., but l'oulJn't find allY at ;111," IIC' sCliJ.
1\0bl.'1't l;illl1a, Clwirrnilll of the' !\OL']H'stcr [illS :LIlli 1',l(.'dric
l:orpol'atioll. saId that h;s uUlit) had been receiving
~UL1, LlL1tl "'\\.. under ;m agl'l'l\IlIl'llt \v i til the 0iC\'i York. St at (
1'0\\1.'1' i\L1tllOrit)" 1~11ich operate:, 11le hyJroclcl.:tJ'ic plants
at :'o;l;lgUl':l r;all~. "SUJJclllYI I~t' Jidll't have it," hl' said.
"\\1: JUI1't kI10\~ what happencLI tll the .2UO,OUO kiluwatts. It just
h'(lSll't tht>rL'. 'I
Tlw diffi(ulty \~a~ tran,'d to ,I !'Ch1ote-L:OI,tl'olll'd substation at Clar,N.Y.,
IlL'Jl' S)'raCU5l', \\here, al"\~O'L\il1g to Mr. FUller, all \VaS fOllllU to he in oruer.
165
the CLlll:-iC of tLv blnckuut \~,IS st i 11 unknown. Authoriti cs
frtinkJ> uJmittcJ tlHlt tIH~rl' 11';1,., IlU dS~illJ'anCe whatever
that the incredible blu,'kout coulu Ilot occur again, with-
out \\~Hl1ing.
There 1'3::; a curious lad, of physical Jamagc ... ollly a few
generators \', JI.",ulators, cross arms alit.! st l'uctun.>s of the
high-pOI,,,!' t}"lIlslllission I inC's, lie looked foJ' trees. hrancll(>s
1,lu-:11 might ll:lvc fallell OVer thl' wi rTS. l/iVe looked fur
trouble .. but couldn't find all)' at ;ill,1/ 11(,' said.
Hobert l;illlla, C]wirlllilil of till' RlJL'lll'Stl'l' l;us :ltlL1 1',ll'Ltri<'
L'orpul'atiull. :;ald that h;s utlJit) had iJecil l'l'l'civillg
~Ull,LlLlU "II'. ullder ;.Ill agl'l'l'lIIt'llt '.,ith th .... Nc\, York State
l'U\l1..'1' ,\lIthor!.t)', \,bieil operate" li1l~ hyu)'oclect.ric plants
at :';l,lgHl';j ['alb, "Suddcnly, 1'1: Jidn't IHIVC it," hl' said,
"I\( JUl1't !;.1~O\'i Wh;,lt happcned tLi the 2Ull,OUO kilowatts. it jll~t.
"'asl1' t tlH'l'I.'."
Tlw diffi.:ulty I.;as tr<ll'l'J to ,I l'l'nlote-cOlitJ'()llL'd ~;uhstatioll at Clar,N.Y,.
n,'JI' S~Ta-:\J5I', \\I\l'l't', an'o'lling 10 ~Ir. Ful Jet', (lll WaS foulld to he in oruer.