Known in the past as the premiere Honeymoon destination,
this geological wonder is not only one of most popular tourist attractions in
the state of New York, but also functions as one of the major power providers
to the state itself. Comprised of three waterfalls — American Falls, Horseshoe
Falls and Bridal Veil Falls — Niagara Falls water stems from the upper Great
Lakes and the river is estimated to be 12,000 years old. The wonder of the
falls has intrigued many and has prompted daredevils to “conquer” the falls in
various contraptions from wooden barrels to rubber balls.
Niagara Falls consists of two waterfalls on the Niagara
River, which marks the border between New York and
Ontario, Canada: the American Falls, located on the American side of the
border, and the Canadian or Horseshoe Falls located on the Canadian side. To
the right of the American Falls is a smaller waterfall that has been separated
from the American Falls by natural forces, which is usually called Bridal Veil
Falls.
Did You Know?
"On October 24, 1901, a 63-year-old schoolteacher named
Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to take the plunge over Niagara
Falls in a barrel"
It is estimated that 12,000 years ago when the falls were
formed, the edge of the falls was as much as seven miles further down river
than it is today. Until the 1950s, when the flow of water began to be
controlled, the brink of the falls moved backward an estimated three feet every
year because of erosion.
The water that runs over the falls comes from the Great
Lakes. Ninety percent of the water goes over the Horseshoe Falls. Originally,
as much as 5.5. billion gallons of water per hour flowed over the falls. Today
the amount is controlled by the Canadian and American governments to slow
erosion. In addition, some of the water is diverted to provide power for the
United States and Canada, making Niagara Falls the largest source of electric
power in the world.
The Horseshoe Falls are 170 feet high. The brink of the
falls is approximately 2,500 feet from one side to the other. The American
Falls are 180 feet high and 1,100 feet long.
The river below Niagara Falls averages 170 feet deep.
Daredevils who go over the falls usually hit the bottom of the river before
popping back to the surface.
Niagara Falls has been one of the most popular destinations
for honeymooners in the world since promoters for the area helped institute
“honeymooning” as a tradition in the mid-nineteenth century. The 1953 film
Niagara starred Marilyn Monroe as a honeymooner with a wandering eye. The film
marked Monroe’s explosion as a film phenom—perhaps because the film features a
full two minutes of Monroe’s soon-to-be-famous backside as she walks toward the
falls for a better view.
THE BARREL BRIGADE
They are a group of daredevils firmly entrenched in North
American folklore. They are the men and women who have made headlines by an act
most people would find inconceivable: choosing to take a ride over the Canadian
Horseshoe Falls—sometimes with only inches of wood or metal as protection from
the pounding rush of thousands of gallons of water. Interestingly, these
adventurers, crazy as they may seem, have chosen not to brave the American
Falls—where less flowing water and more jutting rocks make the descent even
more dangerous. Fifteen adventurers have braved the Horseshoe Falls since 1901.
Read some of their stories below:
Annie Edson Taylor
Not only the first woman, but the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel, Taylor was a poor widow when she arrived in Niagara Falls in 1901. The sixty-three year old (although she said she was forty-two) saw the stunt as a way to make money. After hiring a manager, she braved the falls on October 24, 1901, in a barrel she designed herself. She survived, but “the heroine of Horseshoe Falls” didn’t end up with the financial windfall she expected. She worked as a Niagara street vendor for twenty years and died penniless.
Not only the first woman, but the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel, Taylor was a poor widow when she arrived in Niagara Falls in 1901. The sixty-three year old (although she said she was forty-two) saw the stunt as a way to make money. After hiring a manager, she braved the falls on October 24, 1901, in a barrel she designed herself. She survived, but “the heroine of Horseshoe Falls” didn’t end up with the financial windfall she expected. She worked as a Niagara street vendor for twenty years and died penniless.
Jean Lussier
The third person to go over the falls, Lussier took the plunge on July 4, 1928, not in a barrel, but inside a six-foot rubber ball that was lined with oxygen-filled rubber tubes. He survived and afterwards made extra money by selling pieces of the ball’s rubber tubes.
The third person to go over the falls, Lussier took the plunge on July 4, 1928, not in a barrel, but inside a six-foot rubber ball that was lined with oxygen-filled rubber tubes. He survived and afterwards made extra money by selling pieces of the ball’s rubber tubes.
George Stathakis
This adventurer made the plunge in a ten-foot, one-ton wooden barrel on July 4,
1930. Sadly, however, Stathakis’s barrel was caught behind the falls for
fourteen hours. Having only enough air to survive for three hours, Stathakis
died before he was rescued, but his 105-year-old pet turtle, Sonny Boy, did
survive the trip.
Red Hill Jr.
The oldest son of a prominent Niagara Falls area family, Red, Jr., went over the falls on August 5, 1951. His father, Red Hill, Sr., had earned a permanent place in the history of the falls as its consummate “riverman.” In addition to pulling 177 bodies from the river, Hill thrice braved the intimidating Whirlpool Rapids below the falls in his own barrel. Red, Jr., decided to take the family tradition one step further by braving the Horseshoe Falls on what he called “the thing,” a flimsily constructed raft made of thirteen inner tubes tied together with rope and enclosed in a fish net. Soon after his plunge, the raft’s inner tubes began popping to the surface of the river, but there was no sign of Hill. His bruised body was not recovered until the next day.
The oldest son of a prominent Niagara Falls area family, Red, Jr., went over the falls on August 5, 1951. His father, Red Hill, Sr., had earned a permanent place in the history of the falls as its consummate “riverman.” In addition to pulling 177 bodies from the river, Hill thrice braved the intimidating Whirlpool Rapids below the falls in his own barrel. Red, Jr., decided to take the family tradition one step further by braving the Horseshoe Falls on what he called “the thing,” a flimsily constructed raft made of thirteen inner tubes tied together with rope and enclosed in a fish net. Soon after his plunge, the raft’s inner tubes began popping to the surface of the river, but there was no sign of Hill. His bruised body was not recovered until the next day.
Jessie Sharp
Sharp, who hoped to advance his career as a stuntman by going over the falls, chose to attempt the feat on June 5, 1990, in a white water kayak without a helmet or a life vest. His body was never recovered. Five years later, Robert Overacker attempted to go over the falls on a jet ski. The fifteenth person since 1901 to purposely try to make it over the falls, Overacker died. His body was recovered by the Maid of the Mist, the ferryboat that takes visitors to the foot of the falls for a closer lo
Sharp, who hoped to advance his career as a stuntman by going over the falls, chose to attempt the feat on June 5, 1990, in a white water kayak without a helmet or a life vest. His body was never recovered. Five years later, Robert Overacker attempted to go over the falls on a jet ski. The fifteenth person since 1901 to purposely try to make it over the falls, Overacker died. His body was recovered by the Maid of the Mist, the ferryboat that takes visitors to the foot of the falls for a closer lo
Steven Trotter and Lori Martin
On June 18, 1995, Trotter and Martin became the first man and woman to go over the falls together in one barrel. In 1985, Trotter had made the trip by himself, in a contraption made of two pickle barrels enclosed in large inner tubes. In 1989, Canadians Peter Debernardi and Geoffrey Petkovich had become the first team to go over the falls together, enclosed face to face in a single barrel. They survived with minor injuries, as did Trotter and Martin.
On June 18, 1995, Trotter and Martin became the first man and woman to go over the falls together in one barrel. In 1985, Trotter had made the trip by himself, in a contraption made of two pickle barrels enclosed in large inner tubes. In 1989, Canadians Peter Debernardi and Geoffrey Petkovich had become the first team to go over the falls together, enclosed face to face in a single barrel. They survived with minor injuries, as did Trotter and Martin.
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