Halloween storm dislodges vessel abandoned for 101 years in Niagara Falls

A 101-year fixture at Niagara Falls may be on the move. After a heavy Halloween storm moved through the area of the North American landmark, a popular tourist attraction within the park was dislodged.

An 80-foot iron boat, nicknamed the "Iron scow" or the "Niagara scow," has been planted upon the rocks of Horseshoe Falls since 1918.

"On August 6, 1918, a dumping scow broke loose from its towing tug about 1.6 km up river with Gustav F. Lofberg and James H. Harris aboard. The men opened the bottom dumping doors and the scow grounded in the shallow rapids only 600 metres from the brink of the Horseshoe Falls," Niagara Parks writes on its website. "With the cooperation of The Niagara Parks Police, The Niagara Falls Fire and Police Departments, The U.S. Coast Guard and recently returned WWI veteran, William ‘Red' Hill Sr., the two men were successfully rescued the next day by breeches buoy on a line shot out from the roof of the adjacent power house."

In this Nov. 1, 2019, photo provided by Niagara Parks, a century-old barge has shifted slightly in the St. Lawrence River above the Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada. Parks officials are monitoring the iron scow, which grounded in 1918, that briefly broke loose during a storm last week. (Chris Giles/Niagara Parks via AP)

The rescue of Lofberg and Harris became recognized folklore in the surrounding region and the efforts of Hill earned him widespread acclaim. He was awarded the Carnegie Medal for his rescue and the Parks Commission installed a plaque in his honor in 2018.

Years after the grounding, a salvage mission was deemed infeasible and the boat was left to sit on the rocks, where it had endured over 100 years of wind and rains. Over the past century, the boat has significantly deteriorated due to the rushing waters, which can reach up to 65 km/h (40.3 mph).

However, last Thursday's fierce weather was the first to move the vessel from its rocky home. The Halloween storm brought severe winds that reached 94 km/h (58.4 mph) on Thursday night along with about 35 mm (1.37 in.) of rain reported at nearby Buffalo Niagara Airport.

"It could have been the way the wind came down the river," Niagara Parks CEO David Adames said to CBC. "If it came down at a high enough gust, at that point in time, it might have hit the side of the rusted structure and it was enough to move it."

Drone footage captured the vessel in 2018 to celebrate its centennial grounding.

Visitors and officials alike now fear that the scow could be sent toppling down the falls. The dramatic evolution of the scow's positioning will happen slowly, but officials say there is no timeline for when it might go over.

While Adames said his staff doesn't believe the scow to be in present danger, its rusted state presents an uncertain future in the face of other strong storms.

"Will it stay in place? Well it's been stuck there for 101 years and it appears to have sort of flipped on its side and spun around, it's not in the exact same spot it was yesterday," Jim Hill, senior manager of heritage at the Niagara Parks Commission, said in a video posted on Friday. "We think it's about 50 meters down river from its original location... It could be stuck there for days or years, it's anyone's guess."