Something bizarre appeared on the riverbed
It’s June 1969. A team of engineers has managed to complete a near impossible task. Against all odds, they have stopped the flow of Niagara Falls, silencing one of the most famous tourist attractions on Earth. However, while the water dries up for the first time in thousands of years, a secret is revealed on the rocks below. This find is truly unbelievable.
It all started as a far cry from what Niagara Falls looks like today. Every year, millions of tourists flock to the area to admire the swirling waters. But more than five decades ago, something special happened in that very place. Back then, the famous waterfall was reduced to a trickle of water, while engineers explored what was happening at the bottom.
At that time, man surpassed nature. As the waterfall began to recede, visitors gathered to witness a spectacle they had never seen before. But what was revealed after Niagara Falls had been stopped?
The story of Niagara Falls began about 18,000 years ago with advancing ice caps. After the ice melted, it left a waterfall that flowed into the Niagara River. Over time, this inundation eroded nearby cliffs, creating the wonder of nature that we know today.
Nowadays, the nature reserve is located on the border between the United States and Canada, and it is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the world.
Although French explorer Samuel de Champlain first heard rumors of a huge waterfall in the region in the early 1600s, it wasn’t until 1678 that Niagara was first spotted by Europeans. That year, a priest named Father Louis Hennepin was witness to the astonishing spectacle on an expedition to what was then known as New France.
Five years after his discovery of the falls, priest Hennepin published A New Discovery, in which he described his incredible find. It was in this publication that the name Niagara first appeared — believed to have originated from the Iroquian word “onguiaahra,” meaning “the strait.” From the moment Westerners became aware of the falls, more and more people started travelling to the region.
In the 1800s, the number of tourists arriving at Niagara Falls by train also increased. The area had increasingly become a tourist attraction. A wide variety of amenities soon emerged to accommodate the influx of visitors—many of whom were even on honeymoon. But it was not only the local hospitality sector that saw potential in the attraction.
Toward the end of the 19th century, the industrial world too recognized the value of the falls. By harnessing the power of the water flow, they were able to power their factories and mills. In 1895, a hydroelectric power station was opened—the first major facility of its kind the world had ever seen.
But while the waterfall was innovative, it could only carry electricity for about 90 meters. Fortunately, famed inventor Nikola Tesla took things to the next level in 1896. Making use of his knowledge of alternating current, he was able to divert current more than 20 miles away to Buffalo, New York.
Tesla made history with his AC induction motor. His experiments at Niagara Falls laid the foundation for a system that still transports electricity around the world today. More than a hundred years later, hydropower is still generated by the falls. The factories located there can produce up to 2.4 million kilowatts of electric current.
Today, Niagara Falls is split between two countries, with both an American and a Canadian side. Taken together, the countries receive about 30 million tourists every year. During peak hours, visitors can see the water tumble down at a rate of six million cubic feet per minute. Wow!
An interesting detail: the amount of water that flows down the falls decreases significantly at night. A 1950 treaty allows local businesses to direct more of the power to their power plants at times when the spectacular view is impacted the least. However, it is not the only time that the volume of the waterfall changes.
Eduindex News 