Niagara Falls Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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What is that foam below the falls?   (Back to the list of questions).

Despite the beautiful blue-green color that the Falls take on during a bright day, tourists often wonder "what's the deal with that disgusting foam?" Is is pollution? Natural? Soap?

The answer is quite easy. I'm sure some pollution may contribute to a more foam-friendly river. After all, the millions of residents along the Great Lakes dump thousands of tons of detergents and soaps down their drains each year. Although proper water treatment can drastically reduce this number, some of those everyday household cleaning products eventually make their way, in diluted form, into the Great Lakes and the Niagara River. Although I doubt this is the reason for the clumps of foam that you see below the falls.

What you are seeing is the result of decaying organics. The same algae plants and diatoms that give the water its fluorescent color also contribute to the grayish foam you see floating on it. The waters of the Niagara, rich in dissolved calcium (in the form of calcium carbonate, from dissolved limestone bedrock) reacts with the organics in the water (from decaying plant and animal material) creating a sticky substance. The turbulence from the Falls and the rapids creates foam out of it. The foam isn't very stable and it tends to dissolve within minutes, only to be replenished by more.

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How many people have gone over the falls in a barrel?  (Back to the list of questions).

Including Jessie Sharp (who went over in a Kayak) and Robert Overacker (who made an attempt in a jet ski) and including balls, rubber tube and various crafts, there have been a total 15 people (or should I say "Daredevils") that challenged the Horseshoe Falls in a craft or barrel.  One man, Kirk Raymond Jones, went over with nothing but the clothes on his back. Of those that intentionally went over the falls, 5 died. 2 people (Steven Trotter and David munday) went over the falls twice and lived.

 

7-year-old Roger Woodward accidentally went over the falls wearing a life preserver and survived in 1960. James Honeycutt, the driver of the boat he was in, which capsized upstream, did not survive the drop. For more information on Niagara daredevils, check out the Historic Timeline.

Ever year there are about a dozen suicides at the Falls, from people entering the rapids and going over. Some change their minds at the last minute and require rescue. Others die leaving authorities wondering if it was an intentional suicide or an attempt at becoming a famed Niagara Daredevil. An attempt at becoming a Niagara Falls Daredevil (or suicide case) will set you back $10,000 in fine plus the costs of your rescue.

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Has a boat ever gone over the falls?  (Back to the list of questions).

Yes. During the dawn of Niagara Falls tourism, a group of local hotel owners, lead by William Forsyth of the Pavilion Hotel, organized the first tourist stunt at Niagara falls. Their plan was to send a ship full of "ferocious animals" over the falls, and hopefully draw thousands of onlookers. They hoped many of which would patronize their establishments. They advertized the event heavily, and their efforts paid off. Nearly 15,000 people showed up on September 8, 1827 to watch the ship plummet.  The event planners took an old lake schooner, the "Michigan," and dressed it up as a pirate ship—complete with hay-stuffed dummies as crew. The "ferocious animals" they stocked it with turned out to be a buffalo, two small bears, two raccoons, a goose and a domestic dog.

The ship was set adrift upstream from the horseshoe falls, but before it could fall down the cataract the hull scraped along rock outcroppings in the rapids and began to break apart. The bears seized this opportunity and escaped, swimming safely to Goat Island. The rest of the animals went down with the ship. It is said that a single goose survived, and he became a quite a draw for a local hotel.

An attempt was made to repeat the stunt in 1931, when local business owners sent 9-year-old steamer, the "Superior," over the falls. It wasn't packed with animals, but crowds wanted to see it, because it was the a famous ship: the second steamer to sail on Lake Erie. It didn't quite make it to the falls. It became stuck on an island of rocks for hours and the crowds left disappointed. It wasn't until the water level rose that it finally went over the brink—with little fanfare.

Another ship was send deliberately over the falls in 1837 during the Upper Canada Rebellion. William Lyon Mackenzie, a journalist who was very critical of the Upper Canadian government, formed a armed rebellion against them. He and 700 of his "Patriots", occupied Navy Island on the Niagara River, calling themselves "The Republic of Canada." The steamer "Caroline," a vessel chartered by Mackenzie to run supplies, was caught by the British, set ablaze, and run over the Falls. Early in 1938 the rebellion was crushed and Mackenzie fled to the United States.

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