THE WAR OF 1812-1814
American forces invaded Canada at Qureenston on October 13, 1812. Part of the invading force got over the river and succeeded in taking a fortified position atop the Queenston escarpment. British forces under General Brock hurried down the road from Niagara-on-the-Lake to reinforce the troops at Queenston. When they arrived, the fight began to warm up and the main body of the American militia, on the U.S. side, refused to cross the river to back up the success of their comrades. Their cowardice in abandoning the brave men who had gone before, and the poor leadership of the American Forces changed victory to defeat and possibly changed the entire outcome of the war.
General Brock led an attack against the forces on the hill and was killed by a sniper's bullet in the first charge. The frontal attack was repulsed, but another British force under General Shaeffe climbed the escarpment by a path near St. David's. Shaeffe's men attacked from the rear and succeeded in dislodging the invaders, most of who were either killed or captured. The action was a resounding defeat for the Americans. It caused the resignation of the U.S. commander and gave Upper Canada a military hero.
A few weeks later, the U.S. forces were back again, with an army of 5,000 troops assembled near Buffalo. A small force crossed the river and captured a British battery. General Smythe demanded the British surrender Fort Erie, when this was refused, he called off the invasion plan. His men broke their weapons in frustration and humiliation. Smythe was publicly called a coward and challenged to a duel by U.S. Col. Peter Proter. He resigned his command of the frontier, but was dismissed from the army in disgrace by the Senate.
In the summer of 1814, a well-trained American army crossed the river from Buffalo and easily captured Fort Erie. The British attempted to halt the American advance by attacking at Chippawa with a badly outnumbered army. They were compelled to retreat with heavy losses.
The American forces at Chippawa wore gray because no regular blue uniforms were available. It was in honor of this victory that West Point Cadets now wear gray.
When the army met again, three weeks after Chippawa, the numbers were more evenly matched. The battle, which took place at Lundy's Lane, about a mile west of Niagara Falls, was the bloodiest and most bitterly fought engagement of the War. U.S. troops captured the British artillery position, but were compelled to relinquish it after a determined counter-attack; the Americans retired Chippawa and left possession of the field to the British.
Later, the British commander, General Drummond, launched an attack on the American-held Fort Erie. The fighting was extremely fierce but Drummond's all out attack was repulsed. The spirited resistance of the British decided General Izzard, the U.S. Commander, to retire. He blew up Fort Erie, and returned with his troops to Buffalo.
This was the end of active warfare on the Niagara Frontier. After two years of bloodshed, misguided and misdirected efforts, the armies were back where they started. There was no doubt that both sides of the river gave her a heartfelt sigh of relief when the Treaty of Ghent ended the war in December, 1814.
The development of the Niagara Frontier had been set back many years. Perhaps the complete futility of the 1812 war helped to lay the foundations of our present good neighbour relationship.
THE BATTLE OF LUNDY'S LANE: On July 25, 1814 at 8 o'clock in the morning Riall set the army in motion and William Hamilton Merritt led his troops ahead. They reached Lundy's Lane at noon, and by 5 p.m. the war had begun. For an instant the British were on the verge of victory, but the flanks began to withdraw and the center folded. At about midnight, a strange event occurred when the Americans retreated to Chippawa. The next morning the American's advanced again, just to find the British in possession of the field. They burnt the mills at Bridgewater (Dufferin Islands) and the bridge across the Chippawa as they retreated all the way to Fort Erie.
Lundy's Lane Historical Museum occupies the former Stamford Township Hall, Niagara Falls. This handsome cut stone building was erected in 1874 by "Drummondville's noted architect and contractor, John Latshaw". This architecturally significant building was designated as a historic building in 1974 and is located on the site of the Battle of Lundy's Lane.
5810 Ferry Street, N.F., ON (416) 358-5082 Open May 1 - Nov. 30 - Daily & Dec. 1 - Apr. 30 - Week days only.
Dare Devils
Mrs. Annie Taylor, a 63 year old schoolteacher (incorrectly originally reported as 43 years of age), decided that a trip over Niagara Falls was the way to fame and fortune. On October 24, 1901, assistants strapped her into a special harness in the barrel. A small boat towed the barrel out into the mainstream of the Niagara River and the barrel was cast lose. It was slammed by the rapids, first one way, then the other. Then came the drop and a bone-wrenching jar so violent that Mrs. Taylor was sure she hit the rocks. Seventeen minutes after the plunge, the barrel had drifted close enough to the Canadian shore to be hooked and dragged onto the rocks. Mrs. Taylor was dazed, but triumphant, and being the first person to conquer the mighty Falls of Niagara, she found the fame she sought so desperately. The fortune was a bit more elusive. Twenty years after her brush with death at Niagara, she died destitute.
Bobby Leach, an Englishman, successfully made the trip in an all-steel barrel on July 25, 1911, but spent six months in the hospital recuperating from numerous fractures and other injuries. Fifteen years later, on a lecture tour in New Zealand, he slipped on an orange peel, broke his leg and died of complications from the injury.
In the summer of 1951, Red Hill Jr. planned to go over the Falls in a flimsy contrivance consisting of 13 inner tubes held together with fish net and canvas straps. On August 5, the "Thing" with Hill in it was heading into the Rapids. It was tossed into the air, upended, thrown from side to side, and bounced off rocks. Even before it reached the Falls, it was starting to disintegrate. When the drop came, the "Thing" disappeared into the mist and boiling water at the base of the Falls. Seconds later, what was left had floated into view. The following day, Hill's battered body was taken from the river.
On July 3, 1984, Karl Soucek of Hamilton, Ontario was the first Canadian to go over the Horseshoe Falls and live to tell about it. The 176-foot plunge took 3.2 seconds in his bright red barrel, but he was trapped for 45 minutes in the dangerous waters below the Falls. He suffered cuts and bruises, injured his left arm and chipped a tooth. He was rescued by members of his crew and escorted to the hospital by Niagara Parks Police. On January 9, 1985, Mr. Soucek attempted to plunge 180 feet from the top of the Houston Astrodome in a specially designed wooden barrel into a 10-foot deep pool. Unfortunately, the barrel started to spin as it was released and this caused the barrel to crash onto the edges of the tank. Karl Soucek died of massive injuries. Mr. Soucek is now buried at the Drummond Hill cemetery in Niagara Falls.
LIST OF TRIPS OVER THE FALLS IN A BARREL & OTHER
CONTRAPTIONS
| NO. |
NAME |
DATE |
RESULTS |
| 1 |
Annie Edson Taylor |
10/24/1901 |
Survived |
| 2 |
Bobby Leach |
07/25/1911 |
Survived |
| 3 |
Charles Stephens |
07/11/1920 |
Died |
| 4 |
Jean Lussier |
07/04/1928 |
Survived |
| 5 |
George Stathakis |
07/04/1930 |
Died |
| 6 |
William "Red" Hill Jr. |
08/05/1951 |
Died |
| 7 |
William Fitzgerald PH. D. |
07/15/1961 |
Survived |
| 8 |
Karel Soucek |
07/03/1984 |
Survived |
| 9 |
Steven Trotter |
08/18/1985 |
Survived |
| 10 |
David Munday |
10/05/1985 |
Survived |
| 11 |
Peter DeBernardi/
Jeffrey Petkovich (same barrel) |
09/27/1989 |
Survived |
| 12 |
Jessie Sharp |
06/05/1990 |
Died |
| 13 |
David Munday (2nd trip) |
09/26/1993 |
Survived |
| 14 |
Steven Trotter (2nd trip)
& Lori Martin (same barrel) |
06/18/1995 |
Survived |
| 15 |
Robert Overacker |
10/01/1995 |
Died |
When the second Maid of the Mist was sold by auction, Captain Joel E. Robinson agreed to take the boat through the rapids and deliver it to Queenston. They cast off from the dock and headed towards the rapids. They disappeared from sight in the roughest section of the rapids, but somehow survived the jagged rocks and came safely to the dock at Queenston.
On July 11, 1886, Carlisle Graham was the first daredevil to navigate the Whirlpool Rapids in a seven foot hand made oak barrel without mishap. Graham made three more successful trips after that.
The most recent person to go through the rapids was David Munday, who went through illegally on October 11, 1987. Munday had gone over the Horses on October 5, 1985 and again on September 26, 1993. Others have also gone through the lower rapids in rubber rafts, kayaks and one man even went through in a canoe on the same day Munday rode the rapids.
THE MIRACLE AT NIAGARA FALLS: Jim Honeycutt took his co-worker's children, 17 year old Deanne and 7 year old Roger Woodward, for a boat ride in the upper Niagara River. Intent of giving the kids a good view of the rapid's, he was soon past the point of no return. He turned the boat around, but a shear-pin failure disabled the motor and left the boat wallowing in the swift current. Roger was already wearing a life jacket and Deanne quickly put her's on. Seconds later, the light boat flipped end over end. Honeycutt and Roger were whipped toward the brink of the Falls. Deanne was carried into the shallow rapids near Goat Island. Within a few feet of the brink of the Falls at Terrapin Point, Deanne clutched at the hand of a rescuer who leaned far out over the protective railing. Another person grabbed her by the thumb. She was dragged to safety just in time. Honeycutt and Roger were swept to the brink. Roger was swept over and outwards by the trajectory of the Falls. Honeycutt disappeared in the three thousand tons of water that crash over the Horseshoe each second. Moments later, the captain of the Maid of the Mist could hardly believe his eyes when he saw an orange life jacket appear in the boiling white water at the base of the Falls. Maneuvering the Maid closer, he saw the boy was still alive. A life buoy was thrown and within minutes, Roger Woodward was safely aboard. He was the first person to survive the Horseshoe Falls without a protective capsule. Unfortunately, his father's co-worker, Jim Honeycutt, died in the mist.
Celebrities
SPECIAL VISITORS: In the summer of 1952, Joe DiMaggio (baseball's famed Yankee clipper for the New York Yankee's) came to Niagara Falls to spend time with Marilyn Monroe who was in town for the filming of "Niagara". Niagara Falls gained a worldwide reputation as the Honeymoon Capital of the World. Released in 1952, this thriller featured Marilyn Monroe and Joseph Cottonon on their honeymoon. Niagara Falls remains a popular destination for the filming of major motion pictures and television commercials.
This small list shows only a few of the many special visitors that visited Niagara Falls which include: Sir Winston Churchill on August 12, 1943, Charles Dickens (famous author) in 1842, Wayne Gretzky on June 24, 1989, Liberace, Tom Cruise, Cybel Sheppard, add many more.
VISITS FROM THE ROYAL FAMILY: In the year of 1891, the Duke of Kent, father of Queen Victoria; was one of the first of the Royal family to visit Niagara Falls.
In 1951, the present Queen Elizabeth (Princess Elizabeth at that time) visited Niagara Falls with her husband the Duke of Edinburgh. They were welcomed in to Niagara Falls with a 21-gun salute.
On July 23, 1987, the Duke & Duchess of York - Andy & Sarah; arrived in Niagara Falls for their first Anniversary. There was a private reception held for them at the Skylon Tower, and then a private ride on the Maid of the Mist.
On October 23, 1991, Princess Diana and her two sons Prince William and Prince Harry made stops at the Table Rock, The Scenic Tunnels, the Maid of the Mist and then stopped to have lunch at the Queen Victoria Restaurant during their visit to Niagara Falls.
Geology of the Falls
Approximately 12,000 years ago, Niagara Falls was 11 Kilometres downstream from its present location. The Falls eroded at an average rate of 1 metre per year up to the early 1950's. From that time on, major water diversions have been implemented to spread the flow of water more evenly over the entire crest-line of the Falls and reduce the rate of erosion. The Niagara River is about 56 kilometres in length and is one of the world's greatest sources of hydro-electric power. The drop from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario is about 99 metres (326 feet), and nearly 168,000 cubic metres (6 million cubic feet) of water go over the crestline every minute during the peak daytime visitor hours. The force of the water tumbling over the Falls will cause large sections of rock to erode and fall away, but due to the major diversions created, today the estimated erosion is at approximately 36 cm (1 foot) every 10 years.
Tight Rope Walkers
Professionally known as the Great Blondin, Gravelet was the first of many tightrope walkers to appear at Niagara Falls. He was a professional artist and showman trained in the great tradition of the European circus. At age 31, he came to America and made the announcement that he would cross the gorge of the Niagara River on a tightrope. On June 30, 1859, the rope was in position and at five o'clock in the afternoon, Blondin started the trip that was soon to make history. Incredulous, watchers saw him lower a rope to the Maid of the Mist, pull up a bottle and sit down while he refreshed himself. He began his ascent toward the Canadian shore, paused, steadied the balancing pole and suddenly executed a bock somersault.
Never content merely to repeat his last performance, Blondin crossed his rope on a bicycle, walked blindfolded, cooked an omelette in the centre and made the trip with his hands and his feet manacled.
Yet even these stunts failed to satisfy Blondin's urge to test himself. He announced that on August 19, he would cross the gorge carrying his manager, Harry Colcord, on his back. It was to be the supreme test of Blondin's skill and stamina.
According to Colcord, the trip was a nightmare. In the unguyed centre section, the pair swayed violently. Blondin was fighting for his life. He broke into a desperate run to reach the first guy rope. When he reached it and steadied himself, the guy broke. Once more, the pair swayed alarmingly as Blondin again ran for the next guy.
When they reached it, Blondin gasped for Colcord to get down. Six times in all, Colcord had to dismount while Blondin struggled to gather his strength. In the end, Blondin had to change the crowd on the brink to prevent the press of people forcing the back in the precipice. The Great Blondin had done it again, but this time he had only just made it. He died in England at the age of 73.
A resident of Port Hope, Ontario, and known as Signor Farini, William Hunt duplicated almost all of Blondin's stunts, but never managed to steal the limelight from Blondin.
The Niagara Falls Gazette reported Farini's September 5, 1860, Washing Machine stunt, "He strapped an Empire Washing Machine to his back and walked slowly to the desired place in the centre of the rope. He secured his balancing pole and machine on the cable. He then drew water from the river nearly 200 feet below, in primitive style, with a pail and cord. Several ladies, desiring to patronize him in his character as a washerwoman, had given him their hankerchiefs to wash. Before long, his washing was done, the hankerchiefs wrung out and hung to dry on the uprights and crossbars of the machine. With the washing flapping in the wind, he readjusted his load and returned.
™