Niagara Falls, Winter of 1911
Stereogram--You can view this scene in 3-D if you slowly cross your eyes until you see a third image between the two. It's the one in 3-D. It helps to put a card or piece of paper between your eyes.
Modern day ice bridges forming at Niagra Falls
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Sep
14th, 2006 at 2:41 pm Quote
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Sep
17th, 2006 at 8:03 am Quote
| It is no trickery. Niagara Falls indeed has the ability to freeze over. It doesn’t happen so much anymore because of an ice boom. The ice boom keeps the river and the falls from clogging up with ice. This must be done to keep the water intakes for the hydro electric plants running. In the early 20th centruy it used to become so clogged up that an ice would create bridge. Each year there would be a winter festival held on the ice bridge. |
Jan 31st, 2007 at 5:35 am Quote
Do the Falls Freeze over in the Winter?
Yes and No…… We’ll try to explain
The tremendous volume of water never stops flowing, However, the
falling
water and mist create ice formations along the banks of the falls and
river.
This can result in mounds of ice as thick as fifty feet. If the Winter is
cold for
long enough, the ice will completely stretch across the river and form
what
is known as the “ice bridge”. This ice bridge can extend for several
miles
down river until it reaches the area known as the lower rapids.
Until 1912,visitors were allowed to actually walk out on the ice bridge
and
view the Falls from below. February 24th of 1888 the local newspaper
reported that at least 20,000 people watched or tobogganed on the ice.
Shanties selling liquor, photographs and curiosities abounded. On February
4th 1912 the ice bridge broke up and three tourists lives were lost.
There can also be a great deal of “mini-icebergs” which flow down the
Niagara River from frozen Lake Erie. The flow of ice has been reduced
considerably by the yearly installation of the “ice-boom” on Lake
Erie. The
ice-boom is a long floating chain (2miles- 3.2 KM) of steel floats strung
across
the Niagara River from Buffalo New York to Fort Erie Ontario.
It is set in place during the month of December and removed during the
month of March or April. It is maintained by the New York State Power
Authority. The ice boom helps prevent the ice from clogging the river and
most
importantly the hydroelectric companies water intakes.
Spring Ice flowing underneath the North Grand Island Bridge
HOWEVER…. The flow of water was stopped completely over both falls
on March 29th 1848 due to an ice jam in the upper river for several hours.
This
is the only known time to have occurred. The Falls did not actually freeze
over, but the flow was stopped to the point where people actually walked
out
and recovered artifacts from the riverbed!
The “Ice Bridge” underneath the Rainbow Bridge. 1997
Interesting facts about Niagara Falls
The flow over the American Falls was stopped completely for several
months
in 1969. The idea was to determine the feasibility of removing the large
amount of loose rock from the base of the falls to enhance it’s
appearance.
In the end the final decision was that the expense would be too great.
Even Snopes.com doesn't pooh-pooh this urban legend!
The Niagara Falls Public Library presents even more photos of this spectacle.
I lived in New York near the falls my whole life and this has happened twice. The first time in 1875. People back then thought it was the signal of the end of the world. While walking the dry riverbed people found Muskets, Arrowheads and Tomahawks from the War of 1812.