Last year while working on genealogy research in Southern Ontario I came across a newspaper story about the 1912 collapse of the Niagara Falls Ice Bridge. It wasn't so much the collapse that intrigued me, but that people were allowed to walk across the frozen river while water was still flowing over the Falls. How dangerous and silly that sounded. Did I understand the facts correctly?
As usual - because I'm a visual person - my research began by looking for images. I quickly found out that two historical events came up under this topic... the 1938 collapse of the Fallsview Upper Steel Arch Bridge... and the 1912 collapse of the natural Ice Bridge, the latter of which is what we're focusing on today.
One of the first images I discovered was this 1910 postcard entitled, Ice Bridge, Niagara Falls, published by the S.H. Knox & Co, printed in Germany.
|Ice Bridge, Niagara Falls, 1910, published by the S.H. Knox & Co, printed in Germany. Courtesy of the Baldwin Room of the Toronto Public Library Digital Archives.|
It was a nice postcard, but it didn't look real - more like a ski chalet environment, especially with all those people around. Was the image date accurate, or merely the printing date?
Over on the McCord Museum site, I was very surprised to find an actual image from 40 years prior to the above postcard. And even more surprised to see that it was more real than even I imagined for not only did it confirm the image on the postcard, it showed a row of buildings, people sliding down the side of the cliff, and what looks like mist/fog from the flowing falls.
American Falls from Ice Bridge, Niagara Falls, NY-ON, about 1870. Courtesy of the © McCord Museum Digital Archives.
I focused my research on the tunnel-like structure on the left side of the images and discovered a reference to the Ferry Stairs in Orr's 1842 Pictorical Guide to the Falls of Niagara:
|Entrance to the Ferry Stairs, Orr's 1842 Pictorial Guide to the Falls of Niagara. Courtesy of GoogleBooks.|
John William Orr created his guidebook to be read as if a guide was leading you around. Here's what he wrote about the Ferry Stairs: "...proceed to the Ferry Stairs, descend, take a view of the American Falls from its foot, pass behind the sheet, if you like, and then cross the river."
The ferry which Orr speaks of began in 1846 as a regular ferry to transport people and goods across the Niagara river, but has evolved into the famous Maid of the Mist boat tours with landings on both the American and Canadian sides.
Originally built in 1818, the Ferry Stairs were replaced in 1846 with an incline railway - 2 open cars holding about 15-20 passengers each - going in a different direction at the same time. But in 1907, the cable broke and both cars crashed into the chalet at the base of the incline, killing one person and injuring four others. Instead of repairing the incline railway, they began work in 1908 on an elevator system to reach the top-side Prospect Point. We can surmise then, that all images showing the tunnel-like structure with a chalet at the bottom pre-date July 1907.
So what of the people and the carnival-like atmosphere on the ice? Unfortunately, that part is true. But before I get into that, I want to show you the area in question. Here's a recent GoogleEarth image of the complete American/Bridal Vail/Horseshoe Falls area with the yellow outline showing the narrowest part of the river which is where the ice bridge forms. The red circle shows the location of the first 2 images in this post, although there is now the elevator and observation tower close to where the stairs and incline railway used to be.
|Niagara Falls, 2014. Courtesy of Google Earth|
When the wind blew huge chunks of ice from Lake Erie down the Niagara River and over the falls, the chunks would pile up at the narrow part of the river between the two ferry landings, forming an ice bridge.
With Niagara Falls already being a tourist destination, local businesses took advantage of the public's eagerness to experience the ice bridge and shanties popped up along the route which provided refreshments, such as hot drinks, liquor, and wienerwurst. Photographers set up stalls for once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunities. And the very bravest could have the supreme boasting privilege of renting a shanty and staying the night. Or should that be the most fool-hardy? I'll let you decide.
This next photograph taken from the Canadian side - probably from the middle of the cantilever bridge - shows the proximity of the shanties to the bombarding water.
|Ice bridge from the Canadian side - Niagara Falls in Winter, ca 1890. Courtesy of the Niagara Falls (Ontario) Public Library|
A road to the ferry landing on the Canadian side enabled horses for riding and pulling sleighs to make their way down to the bottom and journey across the frozen snow pack. In one photo, I even saw a woman pushing what looked like a baby's pram, except the quality was too poor to show here.
Horse and Sleigh rides were available to cross the Ice Bridge in the Niagara River, ca 1890. Courtesy of the Niagara Falls (Ontario) Public Library
This next photo is undated and it's not clear whether these two women left the path and went exploring, or took a chance when others didn't. Regardless, you can see the mist from the American Falls in the background.
|Ice Bridge Niagara / Niagara Falls in Winter, undated. Courtesy of the Niagara Falls (Ontario) Public Library|
Take a good look at this next photo as it was taken just minutes before disaster struck at noon on Feb 4, 1912. On the left is the Maid of the Mist boat launch building which leads to the Prospect Point elevator. You also see refreshment booths along the path to the Canadian side. According to the records, approx 35 people were on the ice bridge at the time.
|Frozen Niagara River with American Falls in the background just before the fatal disaster of February 4, 1912. Courtesy of the Niagara Falls (Ontario) Public Library|
According to the website, Niagara Falls Info, "William "Red" Hill was opening the little refreshment stand he built every year as soon as the ice was thick enough…Hill suddenly felt a small tremor under his feet. At that same moment came a loud groaning sound from the base of the Falls which made the roar of the distant Falls faint. Immediately Hill recognized the danger and began running towards the Canadian shore as he shouted for the others to follow him..."
And from The Toronto World, we find this...
At the top level Observation Deck of the Hornblower Plaza in Niagara Falls, Ontario, the Burrell Hecock Memorial plaque is set into a stone wall. It reads: "To the memory of Burrell Hecock of Cleveland Ohio aged 17 years who lost his life in an heroic attempt to rescue Mr. and Mrs. Eldridge Stanton of Toronto Ontario when the ice bridge in the gorge immediately below was swept down the Niagara River and into the Whirlpool Rapids, February 4th, 1912".
|Burrell Hecock last seen in this photo, stranded on an Ice Floe in the Niagara River after attempting to rescue others. Courtesy of the Niagara Falls (Ontario) Public Library|
Niagara Falls attracts twelve million tourists annually and the ice bridge continues to form, but since 1912, the frozen river isn't the winter playground it used to be, and no one is allowed to use it as a route across.
It doesn't mean they don't try...just that they shouldn't. But that's another story...
So...adventure or folly? Would you try it?
Anita Mae Draper is retired from the Canadian Armed Forces and lives on the prairie of southeast Saskatchewan, Canada with her hubby of 30 plus years and the youngest of their four kids. Anita's historical stories are set in the western prairies and Ontario. She is blessed to be included in Guideposts Books A Cup of Christmas Cheer collection. Anita is represented by Mary Keeley of Books & Such Literary Management. You can find Anita Mae at www.anitamaedraper.com