Over the centuries, Niagara Falls has witnessed some strange incidents. In 1827, the owner of the hotel sent a herd of wild animals down the falls by cargo ship, and only the goose survived. But on June 12, 1969, something even stranger happened when the US Army Corps of Engineers stopped the flow of the waterfall. The researchers used up Niagara Falls to conduct the research, Business Insider reported.
Niagara Falls is an impressive waterfall connecting three waterfalls at the southern end of the Niagara Gorge, bordering Ontario, Canada, and New York, United States. The three bodies of water are named Horseshoe Falls, American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls according to size. While Horseshoe Falls straddles the border of two countries, the other two are within the United States. Bridal Veil Falls separates Goat Island from Horseshoe Falls and Luna Island from American Falls, both of which are in New York.
According to Bright Side, Niagara Falls was first formed about 12,000 years ago, after the last ice age. The falls appeared after ice sheets covered the southern Ontario region and began to move south, creating the Great Lakes basins along the way. They melted and released huge amounts of water into the reservoirs. As the ice melted, the resulting waters began to flow down through what is known as the Niagara River, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario.
In the 17th century, Niagara Falls began to gain popularity as a tourist attraction. In 1842, the author Charles Dickens visited the site and described the magnificent prospect, writing: “When I felt how near I stood to my Maker, the first and abiding—immediate lasting—out of the vast spectacle was Peace. .” The falls were not only a natural wonder, but also a wealth of natural resources.
A few years after King C. Gillette predicted that Niagara Falls could become part of a city called Metropolis, Nikola Tesla designed one of the first hydroelectric plants near the falls. According to Smithsonian magazine, he considered it a major achievement in human history. Over the years, piles of boulders have accumulated at the base of the falls. In 1931, nearly 76,000 tons of rock slid onto the base, and in 1954, 185,000 tons fell, according to Business Insider. So the boulders not only caused an unsightly appearance, but also posed a risk that the falls would soon turn into rapids.
So in the summer of 1969, some scientists were tasked with removing these boulders and examining them. Their goal was to analyze how they could save the falls from erosion. To this end, the US Army Corps of Engineers brought in 27,000 tons of rock loaded into thousands of trucks and used it to create a dam that blocked the waters. These waters were diverted to Horseshoe Falls, which, according to Bright Side, diligently absorbed the gushing stream.
When the waterfall was drained, scientists were surprised by what they found at its dried-up bottom. There were lots of coins lying around on the waterless bed that people could throw into the waterfall to make a wish. In addition to the coins, they found the bodies of two people. Over the next few weeks, more than 100,000 people visited the site to witness the waterless falls from the bare cliff. Most of them were curious as to why the water was stopped and how long it would remain blocked. Meanwhile, for the next five months, engineers worked tirelessly to examine the bottom of the boulders and in 1974 concluded that the boulders were necessary to maintain the waterfall’s position. The American Falls International Board said in a statement that it opposes their removal.
And so on November 25, 1969, a crane arrived at the Niagara site and drilled a hole in the dam. Water began to flow through the hole in torrents. The American Falls gushed freely again. However, scientists have estimated that at some point the falls may need to be blocked again to repair the surrounding bridges.