According to an article published in NBCDFW, severe weather that battered the Northeast this weekend has appeared to have loosened a massive ship that had been stuck near Niagara Falls for over a century.
What happened?
Halloween night’s heavy storms moved the dumping scow more than 150 feet downstream, Niagara Parks officials said. It’s unclear how long the ship will stay there but measures are being taken to protect visitors in case it plunges off the falls’ edge.
Deemed to be an unmovable landmark
Niagara Parks officials say the iron scow was considered to be an unmovable landmark before storms dislodged it from a rocky perch.
The scow broke loose from a towing tug on August 6, 1918, with two men on board. Gustav F. Lofberg and James H. Harris were quickly drifting towards the Falls but their decision to open the scow’s dumping door and flood the compartments, slowing down the ship and possibly saving their lives.
They became stuck in the rocks along with the ship and emergency officials rescued the two men the following day. However, the ship was deemed salvageable.
A key part of Canadian folklore
The decaying Iron Scow has been a key part of the falls folklore for generations after becoming lodged in rocks on the Canadian side in 1918 — after breaking loose from its tug and sparking a dramatic rescue of its two passengers.
But the steadfast vessel moved for the first time in over a century, ending up more than 150-feet downstream from its usual position following heavy storms, Niagara Parks said.
Dislodged due to storm and strong currents
“It has been in place for over 101 years but it appears that last night, on Halloween, that the scow shifted,” senior manager of heritage Jim Hill said in a video posted Friday.
Hill said the scow “appears to have sort of flipped on its side and spun around,” adding, “We think it turned and twisted in the very heavy current and flow of the river.”
Its new resting spot is close to the edge of Horseshoe Falls — the largest of the three falls there — with officials unsure of how long it will stay there.
Precautions in place
If it does seem like the scow will go over the Falls, authorities will be notified so that precautions can be made to keep tourists well away, Niagara Falls CEO David Adames told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
“It looks secure at the moment; however, if there’s severe weather that comes along, it may shift it some more,” he told the station.
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Source: NBCDFW
