Niagara Falls
a history
THE
ICE BRIDGES & THE ICE BOOM
A view
of the Ice Bridge and the Horseshoe Falls
The ice bridges of Niagara
Falls formed in the Niagara Gorge winter after winter with few exceptions. They were
caused by slush, ice and cakes of ice flowing over the Falls. The ice became choked in the
gorge and would freeze into a solid mass forming the world famous ice bridge.
The ice bridge was only safe if it
remained solidly anchored to the shorelines. This anchorage was quite often effected by
mild temperatures and by rising water beneath the ice bridge causing the ice to lift and
break free from the shoreline. If this happened the ice bridge would break apart into
small pieces and drift in ice flows down the Whirlpool Rapids.
Since 1964, an ice boom has been
stretched across the mouth of the Niagara River at Lake Erie. It has kept the ice build up
from Lake Erie from flowing into the lower gorge of the Niagara River causing an ice
bridge.
The ice bridge although a spectacular sight was also destructive by causing severe
shoreline damage including threatening the Maid of the Mist docks and tour boats. Most
importantly the ice threatened to jamb up and plug hydro generating station water intakes.
The ice boom extends 2680 meters (8800
feet) from the outer break wall at Buffalo, New York across the Lake Erie outlet to the
Niagara River to near the Canadian shoreline. The boom is situated approximately
300 meters (1000 feet) southwest of the City of Buffalo water intake crib and is 2 miles
(3 km) upstream of the International Peace Bridge.
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Pictures of the Ice
Bridge
The ice boom is jointly owned by the
New York State Power Authority (NYSPA) and Ontario Power Generation (OPG).
The ice boom installation begins each
year when the water temperature in Lake Erie drops to 4° degrees Celsius (39° degrees
Fahrenheit) or no later than December 16th of any year.
THE OLD ICE BOOM
The old ice boom
had been constructed of 30
foot (9.1m) floating timbers connected by steel cables. Twenty-two (22) span cables
were
used to connect each span section. Each span consisted of thirteen (13) timbers
individually chained. Each span was anchored at the bottom at 400 foot (122m) intervals by
using 2.5 inch (6.4cm) steel stay cables.
THE MODERN ICE BOOM
In 1997, the modern ice boom was
utilized for the first time.
The boom is made up of twenty-two (22) spans.
Each
boom span consists of a series of eleven (11) hollow steel surface floating
pontoons which are anchored
to the river bed at 400 foot (122 meter) intervals by a 2½ inch (6.4 cm) diameter
steel stay cables.
Each pontoon is 30 inches (76 cm) in
diameter and 30 feet (9m) long.
In 1999, the first seven spans were reduced to ten
pontoons
each instead of the usual eleven. This as done to create a more equal spacing between
the pontoons to avoid them crashing into each other during rough weather causing damage.
The modern ice boom requires less maintenance and is more
buoyant and efficient at restraining the ice pack.
The ice boom is flexible. It is
designed to assist in the formation of a stable ice arch (cover) at the mouth of the
Niagara River.
The ice boom will not stop all of the
ice from flowing from Lake Erie into the Niagara River. During periods of storms or winds
in excess of 30 miles per hour (50 km/h), the ice arch breaks and the pressure on the ice
boom becomes excessive, the boom pontoons will submerge to allow the ice to flow over it.
When the pressure returns to normal, the boom pontoons return to the floating position
again cutting off the ice flow.
The ice boom prevents an excessive ice
build up in the Niagara River which prevents ice build up at the hydro-electric water
intakes downstream which has resulted in the reduction of hydro production in the years
before the installation of the ice boom. It also reduces shoreline erosion and destruction
to property along the shoreline of the Niagara River.
Lake Erie has an average depth of
approximately 60 feet (18.2m) Lake Erie will during most winters freeze completely over
creating 10,000 square miles (25,900 sq. km) of ice. The Niagara River is only 23 square
miles (60 sq. km) and could not handle such a large volume of ice.
With or without the ice boom, only 2%
of all ice from Lake Erie enters the Niagara River. The remainder (98%) of the ice
pack melts in Lake
Erie.
The ice boom does not prevent the ice
in Lake Erie from melting any sooner or later. Studies have shown that the ice boom
holding back the ice pack on Lake Erie has little effect on the daily weather in Buffalo,
New York.
Each Spring, the International Niagara
Board of Control determines the date when the ice boom is removed. The decision is based
upon the amount of ice remaining in Lake Erie and the weather conditions. Normally, the
ice boom has to be removed by April 1st of each year unless there is still more than 250
square miles (650 square kilometres) of ice in the eastern portion of Lake Erie. The
earliest removal of the ice boom occurred on March 5th 1998 and the latest removal of the
ice boom occurred on April 25th 1997.
A view
of the Ice Bridge before the ice boom
courtesy of the Niagara Falls (Ontario) Public Library
On January 28th 1938, an ice bridge
caused the Falls View International Bridge (Honeymoon Bridge) to collapse.
On February 4th 1912, the Great Ice
Bridge disaster occurred when the ice bridge suddenly broke apart carrying three persons
to their deaths.
The Niagara River handles
approximately 212,000 cubic feet of water per second. The average depth is approximately
16 feet with a flow rate of 4 to 8 miles per hour. The Niagara River does not freeze over.
The Falls of Niagara and the river below is the same. The volume of water going over the
Falls and the depth and speed of the water below the Falls also precludes freezing. The
water will not be stopped or be frozen solid.
The ice bridge however does form at
the base of Falls and over portions of the Niagara River below the Falls. The ice bridge
is formed in late December to the end of February and into mid March dependant on
the weather.
Lake Erie which drains into the
Niagara River is a large lake but rather shallow. By the end of December, the entire lake
surface is frozen over. Although an ice boom has been put into place since the 1960's at
the mouth of the Niagara River and Lake Erie. The boom holds back most of the ice but not
all. When the ice goes over the Falls in volume the ice freezes to the edges of the gorge
and builds upon itself until the river is covered in this giant layer of ice. This layer
has grown to eighty feet thick in the past and currently 40 feet is not uncommon.
The Falls of Niagara still flows as
does the water under the ice and the ice shelf seems to rise on layer of air that builds
under the ice surface.
People are not allowed on the ice.
The ice shelf is constantly
growing, shifting and breaking up. In most winters the ice bridge can build and suddenly
break up several times.
HISTORIC
ICE BRIDGES
For hundreds of years, the
public were allowed access to the ice bridges that formed yearly at the base of
the Falls. For many years it was the only way in which to cross the river in
winter before bridges were built to span the Niagara Gorge. Thousands of people
came to play and cross the river upon the ice bridges year after year. favourite
sports included tobogganing down huge ice mountains that formed at the base of
the American Falls. Ice bridge activities were enjoyed by young and old alike.
The last major ice bridge occurred in
1954. Ice sheets as thick as 40 feet (12m) to 100 feet (30m) were common.
1835 - From
information contained in an old diary kept by C. H. Witmer, he crossed the
Niagara River at the ferry on the ice bridge on May 2nd 1835 on route to
purchase clover seed. He returned on the same route on May 3rd 1835. The ice was
piled 12 - 15 feet high and that it suddenly broke away a day or two
later.
1841 - This
ice bridge was uncommonly large as described in Orr's Pictorial Guide of Niagara
Falls. The ice bridge was not less than 100 feet thick and rising from the water
from 30 - 40 feet. People crossed this ice bridge from the Biddle staircase on
the American shore to the Canadian shoreline. At the ferry landing, the ice
bridge was passable for several months. A small shed was built near the center
of the ice bridge for the sale of liquor and other refreshments.
1880 - This
ice bridge was known for a famous picture that was taken which featured a horse
on the top of a huge ice mountain at the base of the American Falls. At about
the time that the Governor General, the Marquis of Lorne and Princess Louise
visited Niagara Falls, Andrew Wallace led or drove a horse to the top of this
ice mountain. Here Wallace seated upon his horse remained for more than a half
hour. This performance was witnessed by hundreds of spectators. In reports, the
trip up the mountain was far more easy than the perilous journey down.
1883 - This
ice bridge was claimed to have been the greatest ice bridge in the history of
the Falls. The ice bridge extended from the base of the Horseshoe Falls to the
beginning (head) of the Whirlpool Rapids. The water and ice rose to unprecedented
heights which caused enormous shoreline and property damage. The foot of the
incline railway was destroyed. The ferryman's house was carried 50 feet
downstream and tipped over. Both the boathouse and carriage shed were destroyed.
1888 - In
February 1888, local newspapers described this ice bridge and the large crowds
which were playing sports upon it. Sundays attracted the largest numbers of
people. The last Sunday of February was one great gala day and it was claimed
that up to 20,000 people visited the ice bridge that day.
1899 - This
ice bridge formed much earlier than usual and was of short duration. On January
22nd 1889, the ice bridge broke apart with three people caught on the ice.
Fortunately all three were able to escape to shore unharmed.
1909 - The
ice bridge formations in February have rarely been surpassed in their grandeur.
The Ice King reigned supreme with the result being very little water flowing
over the American Falls that they were nearly dry. For one of the very rare
instances in history, people were able to walk across the rapids channel
between the mainland and the many islands upstream of the American Falls in
contravention of police regulations.
On Saturday April 9th 1909,
as a direct result of this great ice jam, Niagara Falls and several other cities
were plunged into darkness. Factories were forced to shut down and streets
were darkened. Ice and water forced the closure of the Ontario Power Company
Generating Station on Friday April 8th, and workmen were not able to connect
power from the neighbouring Electrical Development Company into the local power
grid until Sunday April 10th.
Heavy ice damage was
inflicted along the river banks. The Maids of the Mist boats were damaged and
the dock waiting room was carried up the bank. LaBlond's house had water in the
second storey. The ice was 50 feet thick and the Ontario Power Plant had
eighteen feet thick ice slabs on the generating floor. All boat houses between
Queenston and Niagara on the Lake were destroyed. The suspension bridge at
Queenston - Lewiston which was normally 60 feet above water level was now only
25 feet above water level. The Great Gorge Railway tracks were buried in ice and
all the poles and wires were torn down.
Thousands of people came to
view this ice bridge. The lowlands downstream of Lewiston were in danger of
being inundated with ice and water.
Captain Carter said that he
had burned nearly 15 tons of coal to melt the ice near the Maid of the Mist
boats. Damage inflicted to the Maid of the Mist property was estimated at $4,000
dollars.
1912 - The
ice bridge formed about January 15th 1912. From January 20th to February
4th, many people visited to view and venture onto the ice bridge to cross to the
other side and otherwise play on the ice. Playing and walking on this ice bridge
was considered safe. On Sunday February 4th, a large crowd had assembled near
and on the ice bridge. At noon time, approximately 35 persons
were standing on the ice bridge which had formed covering the Niagara River
below the Falls. They included Mr. & Mrs. Eldridge Stanton and Burrell
Hecock of Cleveland. With little warning the ice bridge broke apart stranding
these three persons on the ice flow. The ice was quickly swept down river.
Despite heroic efforts to rescue the Stanton's and Hecock, they were swept into
the Whirlpool Rapids and drowned.
The catastrophic loss of life
meant that all ice bridge activities and sports would no longer be allowed for
safety reasons. Authorities decreed that from this time forward people would be
prohibited from crossing the ice bridge.
for more information about
this tragedy, please visit:
Niagara:
Life & Death on the River
1936 - The
winter of 1935 - 1936 was noted for an extended period of extremely cold
temperatures. This caused an ice jam at the eastern tip of Goat Island which
reduced the water flow over the American Falls to a mere trickle. The American
Falls ran dry. Soon hundreds of people were crossing the dry river channel on
foot from the mainland to Luna Island only feet from the precipice of the
American Falls.
1938 - On
January 25th 1938, a south-west gale force wind sent an enormous amount of ice
from Lake Erie down the length of the Niagara River and over the both the
Horseshoe Falls and American Falls. Quickly two ice bridges developed. The first
ice was located at the base of the Horseshoe Falls and extended downstream to
the area of the Ontario Power Company Generating Station. The second ice bridge
developed downstream of the Whirlpool and extended to the mouth of Lake Ontario.
Ice began mounting higher and higher. Soon the river banks disappeared from
sight. The rock talus at the base of the American Falls began to disappear under
the cover of the ice as well. The river bed rose 30 feet at the Queenston Power
Plant (Sir Adam Beck Generating Station) and the river water level rose a record
9 feet. The docks of the Maid of the Mist were crushed by the massive onslaught
of ice.
Ice and water quickly began
pouring into the Ontario Power Company Power Station. The Generators became
buried in ice and the generating station was brought operations at this plant to
a sudden halt.
The mounting ice began
enveloping the abutments of the Falls View Steel Arch Bridge. The enormous
pressure being applied to the girders of the bridge was causing the bridge to
become unsafe despite the efforts of workers trying to remove the ice at the
base of the bridge. At 9:15 a.m. on January 26th, all vehicle and pedestrian
traffic was stopped from crossing the bridge. The ice had caused irreparable
damage to the bridge and it was now only a matter of time before it would
collapse. Crowds of people came to the Falls and lined the river banks in a
death watch for the bridge. Finally, at 4:10 p.m. on January 27th 1938, the
Falls View Bridge collapsed into the Niagara Gorge and onto the ice bridge
below. No injuries were reported.
for more information about
the Falls View Bridge, please visit:
Bridges
Over Niagara Falls
read more in
Lake Erie Living
Magazine
