Niagara Falls

A majestic force of nature falling from a height of 53 meters and creating a cloud of spray visible tens of kilometers away – Niagara Falls is rightly considered one of the most impressive wonders of the world. A frontier attraction shared between Canada and the United States, it attracts some 30 million tourists each year. But behind the facade of postcard views and popular hiking trails lie surprising secrets and little-known facts that few people have heard of. 10. The Dark Side of Niagara: the Falls of Death and Despair American Falls (American Falls) – located entirely within the United States Bridal Veil Falls – also on the U.S. side, separated from American Falls by Luna Island Horseshoe Falls – the largest of the three, located mostly in Canadian territory Every second about 2,800 cubic meters of water falls from these three falls, making Niagara one of the most powerful waterfalls in North America. However, it should be noted that the height of Niagara Falls is significantly inferior to many others – even on the American continent there are more than 50 waterfalls that surpass it in this parameter. Long before European settlers arrived, Niagara was a sacred place for indigenous peoples – primarily the Iroquois. They called the falls “Thunder Waters” (Onguiaahra, later transformed into “Niagara”). According to ancient beliefs, the cave behind the falls was home to the powerful spirit of He-no, the God of Thunder. One of the most famous legends is related to a girl named Lelawala, the daughter of a chief. According to the legend, she was sent on a sacrificial canoe across the falls to propitiate He-no and stop the spread of disease in the tribe. The Thunder God saved the girl by taking her to his dwelling behind the falls, where she became an intermediary between humans and spirits. The first European to see and describe Niagara Falls was the French explorer Louis Ennepin in 1678. In his notes, he noted, “The waters fall with such fury into this awful abyss as to produce an amazement that cannot be expressed in words.” His somewhat exaggerated descriptions of a waterfall “more than 600 feet high” (actually about 170 feet) nevertheless fired the imagination of Europeans. By the mid-nineteenth century, Niagara had already become a popular tourist destination, especially after the completion of the railroad connecting New York City and the falls. This was a period of rapid and often uncontrolled tourism development, when numerous observation decks, souvenir shops and attractions of dubious quality began to appear along both sides of the river. One of the most surprising and little-known facts: Niagara Falls has completely stopped! on March 30, 1848, an event occurred that locals mistook for the end of the world – the falls suddenly went silent. Strong winds and an ice jam on Lake Erie created a natural dam, cutting off the flow of water for 30-40 hours. Locals wandered the exposed river bottom in panic, collecting artifacts, weapons, and even the remains of dead people who had been hiding under the churning waters for decades. Muskets of British soldiers from the War of 1812 and many Native American relics were found. In more modern times, in 1969, the American side of the falls was deliberately “turned off” by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for several months. The purpose of this unprecedented project was to study rock erosion and perform rock stabilization work. Residents and tourists could see a surreal picture of dry rocks where a powerful stream would normally have come down. Behind the colossal water curtain of the Horseshoe Falls lies an amazing space that few people know about – the so-called “Cave of the Winds”. Until the 1920s, tourists could tour this mysterious place where the thundering roar of the water and gusts of wind created an almost mystical experience. After a serious rockfall in 1920, access to the cave was closed to the public for safety reasons. Today, only geologists and explorers hav