Niagara Has A 104-Year-Old Shipwreck & It Has Moved Closer To The Edge Of The Falls
The last time it moved was in 2019.
Shipwreck in Niagara Falls.
If you're planning to travel to Niagara Falls anytime soon, you might be able to spot a century-old ship in the water.
On April 5, Niagara Parks said in a press release that the Iron Scow, a 104-year-old shipwreck lodged in the rapids, has moved closer to the Canadian Horseshoe Falls after being impacted by icy conditions in the Niagara River.
"Weather conditions over the weekend resulted in large pieces breaking free from the remaining wreck as it shifted further downriver towards the Horseshoe Falls," they noted.
The shipwreck has been stuck in the same place in the upper rapids of the falls since 1918. On Halloween night in 2019, it shifted closer to the falls, attracting tons of media attention, Niagara Park said.
At the time, the scow moved 50 metres toward the falls, and some wondered whether or not it would fall over the edge. According to the release, the possibility of this happening wasn't considered a public safety concern, and still isn't today.
"Despite considerable deterioration over the years, the scow, which was the site of a heroic rescue of the two stranded men aboard, has miraculously clung to its perch in the upper Niagara River since breaking loose from its towing tug on August 6, 1918," they said in the release.
Those who can't head down to Niagara Falls themselves can catch a glimpse of the shipwreck in the water in a video on Niagara Parks' Twitter account.
"The Iron Scow, the century-old shipwreck, moved closer to the Horseshoe Falls last weekend due to the weather. It last moved in 2019. The potential of it washing over the falls is not considered to be a public safety concern," they tweeted.
Jim Hill, senior manager of Heritage at Niagara Parks, expressed in the video that water and ice from Lake Erie had been pushed down the river into the Scow last week.
"Weather does have an effect here, but the Scow has lived through decades of being pounded by the river and storms and ice. So it's maybe just reaching the end of its life out there."