NFPP 02 - Scow

The map pin is at the site of the commemorative plaque for scow. Feel free to follow the path to the river to get a closer view. You can also get a good view of the scow, and the damage it has sustained over the years, from the other side of the Toronto Power House that the tour will take you to.



Early morning mist, February 2007. Photo by Andrew Porteus
 


 


 


 

The Niagara Scow by Amanda Tulk


Now it sits a pile of unstable rust
Amongst the falls
And their murderous rush
Two men on a routine trip
A few hours later Red Hill screaming
Dont lose your grip
A split second decision
Could have ended their lives
Lucky to make it home to their wives
One man risked it all
He figured as long as he tried
There was no fault
The unstable scow
Hung by a tree
Attached by a weak buckle
Inching the rope to answer the mens pleas
With each breath taking stride
Praying not to end it all
With a wavy ride
One man hooked and back on shore
Clipped to the rope
He goes back for one more
To this day
The scow sits, where waves strive
Two men, forever grateful
To be able to enjoy their lives

Source: Tulk, Amanda. Can You Hear It? : Poetry by Amanda Tulk. Niagara Falls, Ont. : Grey Borders Books, 2013

View this poem on the Niagara Falls Poetry Project website

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The scow and the subchaser



On August 6, 1918 a dredging barge, or scow, with two men on board was being towed by a tugboat near the power canal upriver from this location. The tugboat got lodged on a rocky shoal, and the towline broke. The scow drifted out of control until it grounded on the rocks about 100 feet (30 metres) south of its present location. A rescue operation lasting into the next day took place by firing a rope with a breeches buoy attached to it. The rope became tangled, and veteran riverman William "Red" Hill managing to climb along the rope to get it untangled. The two men, Gustave Lofberg and James Harris were rescued.

The scow remained in the same spot until October 31, 2019, when a massive wind storm turned the scow over and moved it about 100 feet (30 metres) downstream. A second windstorm turned it some more but didn't move it appreciably. A major hole in the hull can now be seen on the scow.

On May 19, 1923 a surplus U.S. Navy subchaser, the "Sunbeam," was being taken from New York to Chicago on the Erie Canal, but turned the wrong way and headed down the Niagara River towards Niagara Falls, rather than toward Lake Erie. It eventually grounded on the rocks just south of the scow, and all five people on board were rescued. It was deemed too dangerous to attempt to salvage the "Sunbeam," so it remained in the river until the winter of 1936/37 when the wooden boat was destroyed by winter storms. The engine and driveshaft are still on the rocks, and can be seen from the air when water levels are low.

In the background of some of the current pictures a large structure can be seen jutting into the river. This is the International Control Dam, which is used to divert water flow over Niagara Falls. It diverts water for the power plants, and can be used to lower river levels in an emergency, as when a boat gets swept toward the falls. During the day the gates a opened to allow more water to flow over the falls to give a better visitor experience.

For more information go to http://www.niagarafrontier.com/scow.html

 
 


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