March 8th marks the conjunction of two celebrations - International Women's Day and a lesser known crossing of Niagara Falls. Whilst these two events may seem worlds apart, connecting them is true pioneering spirit. These two articles tell the true stories of crossing Niagara Falls. Whether you cross by rail, wire, or barrel, and whether you are motivated by escape from physical shackles or those imposed by your sex, conquering the Falls is part of a broader human accomplishment.
Part 1: A kite-flying competition, an engineer in a basket, and a railroad over a ravine.
Part 2: A lady on a wire, a pensioner in a barrel, and an undercover mission for liberation.
Let's take the plunge...
THE KITE COMPETITION
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| Donna Marie Campbell,'Kite Flying Contest...' (1975) |
Niagara Falls had always formed a natural barrier between New York State and Ontario. Prior to the construction of the first suspension bridge, you had to take a ferry across the gorge.
In the first half of the 19th-century, various people dreamt of a bridge over the Niagara and in 1846, a joint charter between the USA and Canada was agreed. Many engineers said it was an impossible feat but the flamboyant Charles Ellet Jr was one of the few visionaries who believed in the dream. He was given the job in 1847 and the team soon encountered their first problem. They needed to extend an initial wire across the gap in order to begin construction, but the extreme waters below meant sending the wire across in a boat was implausible. Many extreme solutions were suggested by the team over dinner:
"Ellet, himself, proposed the use of a rocket. A bombshell hurled by a cannon was [also] suggested..."
- From 'The Kite that Bridged a River", M. Robinson.
A local ironworker suggested a kite-flying competition. The first boy to fly his kite across the river, would receive a cash prize and the kite string would be the first stage in bridging the gap. In January 1848, American teenager Homan Walsh and his kite 'Union' were amongst the many eager competitors. Even after Union was broken and had to be repaired, and Walsh was stranded on the Canadian side, the pair pulled through. On 30th January, the determined young man was declared the winner and was awarded a small cash prize. His kite string was used to lay cables of increasing size across the gap. The building of the first Niagara bridge had begun!
AN ENGINEER IN A BASKET
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| Credit: Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society. |
After Walsh's kite laid the foundations, the first person to make the journey across the gorge was Ellet himself. So eager to make the crossing, the engineer and his team designed an iron basket which could travel back and forth, suspended from the cable. It was in this contraption that Ellet made his precarious maiden voyage. Despite his contract explicitly forbidding the collection of tolls, Ellet immediately proceeded to offer rides in the basket for one dollar return fare. He claimed this was appropriate as he charged passengers to "observe the engineering"! Over 150 people a day crossed in the cable car and reputedly, three-quarters of riders were women.
"Perched up as I was two hundred and forty feet above the rapids, and viewing from the centre of the river one of the sublimest prospects which nature has prepared on this globe of ours."
- Ellet describing his basket voyage.
Charles Ellet Jr's footbridge was opened on 1st August 1848, less than a year after building had begun. The impassioned engineer did not hesitate to charge across the gorge in a horse-drawn carriage, despite safety railings not yet having been installed! The bridge only stood for seven years but it opened the door for travel across what had once seemed an impenetrable border. This first bridge became the foundations for the world's first railway suspension bridge. All aboard!
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| Hand-coloured lithograph of John Roebling's Rail Road Suspension Bridge. |
TICKETS PLEASE!
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| Entrance to the suspension bridge lower level. |
Back to the anniversary we mentioned earlier. On this day in 1855, the first train crossed the world's first railway suspension bridge over Niagara Falls. Whilst a bridge-suspended train journey nowadays might not seem such a triumph, to 19th-century commuters this must have seemed like they were floating on air! Soon, tourists were flocking to experience it themselves and industrial giants were eager to capitalise on this. Over a period of 25 years, the Canadian Great Western Railway transported thousands of tourists on 50 trains a week. This was truly the beginning of Niagara Falls as the attraction we know today.
If you can't afford the train, there happens to be a footbridge underneath the tracks which you can use for 25 cents! Hold your horses - before you eagerly race across, there are rules to follow. To a modern traveller, some might seem a little strange...
"A fine of $50 to $100 will be imposed for marching over the bridge in rank and file."
"No musical band will be allowed to play whilst crossing except when seated in wagons or carriages."
"$5 fine for every horse driven over this bridge at a faster rate than a walk."
Now you've read the notice board, you are free to go, and don't forget to enjoy the view!
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| Advertisement for Great Western Railway travel via the Niagara Falls Railway Suspension Bridge, c. 1876 |
From a boy and his kite to an ambitious engineer willing to put his life on the line, to a transnational tourist highway. When the first train crossed the bridge on March 8th 1855, it laid the tracks for a new commercial Niagara Falls, luring future generations of tourists and opportunists in unprecedented numbers. Curious about some of the women who took advantage of this in remarkable ways? Read our Part 2 here!
Until next time,
The Anoraks
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