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Maid of the Mist

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The Maid of the Mist is a boat tour of Niagara Falls, starting and ending on the American side, crossing briefly into Ontario during a portion of the trip. The vessels are named the "James V. Glynn" in honor of Maid of the Mist Chairman and CEO James V. Glynn, who in 2020 celebrated 70 years with the company, and "Nikola Tesla," who invented alternating current (AC) motor, the standard form of electricity that is used in American homes to this day. Tesla’s invention prompted George Westinghouse to invite him to join his team that won the bid to build the power plant at Niagara Falls.

Electric Maids

The Maid of the Mist, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, New York Power Authority and ABB announced on Oct. 6, 2020, that the Maid of the Mist, the iconic boat tour that has navigated the waters below Niagara Falls since 1846, has launched the first two new all-electric, zero-emission passenger vessels in the United States. Guests from around the world will now enjoy a smoother, quieter and greener ride when visiting the nation’s oldest state park.

“Niagara Falls is a wonder of the world unique to Western New York and Maid of the Mist has given people from all walks of life an up-close look at its majesty for more than 150 years,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. “Having this natural wonder in our backyard means we have a special responsibility as its steward and protecting it for future generations. This new fleet of all-electric vessels will protect the health of our waterways and environment and is another example of New York State building back better, smarter and greener.”

“The launch of the James V. Glynn and Nikola Tesla, the first passenger vessels of their kind in the United States, will markedly enhance the visitor experience, providing a smooth, quiet trip to and from the base of Niagara Falls,” said Maid of the Mist President Christopher M. Glynn. “With no engine noise, our guests will be amazed by the sounds of nature and the roar of the falls they will hear from the decks of our vessels.”

On May 4, 2019, Maid of the Mist President Christopher M. Glynn announced the construction of two all-electric, zero-free vessels, the first of their kind built in the United States.

History

The original Maid of the Mist was built at a landing near Niagara Falls on the American side of the border.[1] The boat was christened in 1846 as a border-crossing ferry;[2] its first trip was on September 18, 1846.[3] The two-stage barge-like steamer was designed primarily as a link for a proposed ferry service between New York City and Toronto. It was a 72-foot-long side-wheeler with an 18-foot beam which was powered by steam produced from a wood- and coal-fired boiler. It could carry up to 100 passengers.[4]

The ferry did well until 1848, when the opening of a suspension bridge between the United States and Canada cut into the ferry traffic. It was then that the owners decided to make the journey a sightseeing trip, plotting a journey closer to the Falls.

The present day Maid of the Mist Corporation was formed in 1884 by Captain R. F. Carter and Frank LaBlond,[5] who invested in a new Maid that would launch in 1885.[6][7] Captain Carter and Mr. LaBlond hired Alfred H. White from Port Robinson, Ontario to build the new ship. A letter in the archives of the Buffalo Historical Society from Mr. LaBlond to Alfred White says that they are well pleased with the vessel and asks Alfred to add a wale onto the boat.

The service is run by Maid of the Mist Corp. of Niagara Falls, New York. Maid of the Mist has been owned by the Glynn family since 1971.[8]

James V. Glynn is chairman and chief executive officer of Maid of the Mist Corp. Glynn joined Maid of the Mist in 1950 as a ticket seller and purchased the company in 1971. During his tenure, Maid of the Mist expanded operations, achieving ten-fold growth.

Access to the river-level attraction on the Canadian side was provided by the Maid of the Mist Incline Railway, a funicular railway, between 1894 and 1990, to travel between street level and the boat dock.[9] As this service proved increasingly inadequate in transporting the growing passenger base of the 1990s, four high-speed elevators replaced the railway in 1991. On the American side, the dock is reached by four elevators enclosed in the observation tower.[10]

The Russel Brothers of Owen Sound, Ont. made two all steel Maids for the Niagara Falls gorge, in 1955 and 1956.[11] The first one is now based in Parry Sound, Ont. and runs dinner cruises and day excursions. The second Maid was sold in 1983 to the United Pentecostal Church of Ontario and destined for missionary service in the Amazon. Maid of the Mist II took part in the 9 July 1960, rescue of Roger Woodward, a seven-year-old boy who became the first person to survive a plunge over the Horseshoe Falls with nothing but a life jacket. Maid of the Mist II served as a Maid of the Mist until 1983. Subsequently she was relocated to the Amazon River, where she served as a missionary ship for some years.[12]

A partial history of Maid of the Mist is featured in the IMAX film Niagara: Miracles, Myths and Magic.[13]

Story Behind the Maid of the Mist Name

The Maid of the Mist was originally a Haudenosaunee myth and predated European colonization of America.

In the ancient myth, a young widow, in a suicidal bereavement, got into her canoe and entered the waters above the falls. At first, she felt peace, but when she heard the roar of the falls, her hands began to tremble, as she realized there would be physical pain with death.

She prayed to Hé-no, the God of Thunder, said to inhabit the waters below the falls, that her death should be swift and her courage would not fail her at the point of death.

Hé-no, having heard her prayers, caught the maiden in his arms, just as she was going over the crest, and carried her to his home beneath the waters, where he and his sons ministered to her, and ultimately she married the Thunder god's younger son.[14]

Notable passengers

While on his 1860 tour of Canada, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), rode on Maid of the Mist.[15]

In June 1952, Marilyn Monroe rode the Maid of the Mist while in Niagara Falls to film the movie Niagara.[16]

Mikhail Gorbachev was a passenger in 1983.[8]

In 1991, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and their two young sons, Princes William and Harry, rode on Maid of the Mist.[17]

Boats

First Maid of the Mist [18]

  • Years of service: 1846–1854
  • Type: double-stack steamboat ferry
  • Engine: one sidewheel steam

'Second 'Maid of the Mist[19]

  • Years of service: 1854–1860
  • Length: 72 feet (22 m)
  • Type: single-stack steamer
  • Engine: paddle boat
Maid of the Mist I, published c. 1901
Stereoscopic view of Maid of the Mist II, c. 1896–1906

Third Maid of the Mist[20]

  • Years of service: 1885–1955
  • Type: steam boat
  • Engine: N/A

Maid of the Mist II

  • Years of service: 1892–1955
  • Type: white oak steamboat
  • Length: 89 feet (27 m)
  • Engine: two-engine steam

These boats sailed the lower river until April 22, 1955, when they burned in a pre-season accident. Later that year, they were replaced by two new ships. The type and style of the boats is still seen today; they were made of steel and powered by diesel engines.

'Maid of the Mist I[21]

  • Years of service: 1955–1990
  • Length: 66 feet (20 m)
  • Engine: 200-horsepower (150 kW) diesel engines
  • Passengers: 101

Maid of the Mist II[22]

  • Years of service: 1956–1983
  • Type: all-steel boat, twin of I
  • Engine: 200-horsepower (150 kW) diesel engines
  • Passengers: 101
Maid of the Mist boarding dock, 1976
View of Niagara Falls from Maid of the Mist
Tourists on Maid of the Mist wear blue raincoats to protect themselves from the spray.
Maid of Mist IV and Maid of Mist VII

More ships have been added to the fleet.

Maid of the Mist III[23]

  • Years of service: 1972–1997
  • Length: 65 feet (20 m)
  • Gross tonnage: 75[24]
  • Engine: single 250-horsepower (190 kW) diesel
  • Passengers: 210
  • Vessel sold and renamed Chippewa III as tour boat in Parry Sound, Ontario 1992 and retired early 2017

Maid of the Mist IV[25]

  • Years of service: 1976–2013
  • Length: 72 feet (22 m)
  • Gross tonnage: 75[26]
  • Engine: two 250-horsepower (190 kW) diesel
  • Passengers: 300

Maid of the Mist V[27]

  • Years of service: 1983–2013
  • Length: 72 feet (22 m)
  • Gross tonnage: 74[28]
  • Engine: two 355-horsepower (265 kW) diesel
  • Passengers: 300

Maid of the Mist VI[29]

  • Years of service: 1990–2019
  • Length: 74 feet (23 m)
  • Breadth: 30 feet (9.1 m)
  • Depth: 10 feet (3.0 m)
  • Gross tonnage: 155[30]
  • Engine: two 355-horsepower (265 kW) diesel
  • Passengers: 600

Maid of the Mist VII[31]

  • Years of service: 1997–2020
  • Length: 80 feet (24 m)
  • Breadth: 30 feet (9.1 m)
  • Depth: 10 feet (3.0 m)
  • Gross tonnage: 155[32]
  • Engine: two 350-horsepower (260 kW) diesel
  • Passengers: 600

James V. Glynn

  • Years of service: 2020–present
  • Length: 90 feet (27 m)
  • Breadth: 34 feet (10 m)
  • Depth: 6 feet (1.8 m)
  • Propulsion System: Lithium-ion battery packs power the all-electric motor
  • Passengers: 600

Nikola Tesla

  • Years of service: 2020–present
  • Length: 90 feet (27 m)
  • Breadth: 34 feet (10 m)
  • Depth: 6 feet (1.8 m)
  • Propulsion System: Lithium-ion battery packs power the all-electric motor
  • Passengers: 600

Little Maid

  • A small tug-like vessel found at the docks on the American side

References

  1. ^ John Brandt Mansfield (1899). History of the Great Lakes ... J.H. Beers & Company. pp. 652–.
  2. ^ Barbara Hopkinson; Lorraine Johnson (1 May 2013). Top 10 Toronto. DK Publishing. pp. 57–. ISBN 978-1-4654-1230-0.
  3. ^ John Disturnell (1857). A trip through the lakes of North America: embracing a full description of the St. Lawrence River, together with all the principal places on its banks, from its source to its mouth ; commerce of the lakes, etc. ; forming altogether a complete guide for the pleasure traveler and emigrant ; with maps and embellishments. Published by J. Disturnell. pp. 213–.
  4. ^ Willard V. Anderson (1954). Ships and the Sea. Kalmbach Publishing Company.
  5. ^ Niagara Parks Commission (Ont.) (1896). Annual Report of the Niagara Parks Commission. Niagara Parks Commission. pp. 137–.
  6. ^ http://www.nemoha.org/2900436/data
  7. ^ Gene Buel; Scott Buel (2012). Marine City. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 118–. ISBN 978-0-7385-9180-3.
  8. ^ a b "Unclear Future for Mainstay of Niagara Mist". The New York Times. 24 May 2012.
  9. ^ "Niagaraparks.com". Niagaraparks.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  10. ^ "Niagarafallsstatepark.com". Niagarafallsstatepark.com. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  11. ^ Steve Briggs (2018). "Russel Brothers Boats Archive". Steve Briggs.
  12. ^ http://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/vessel/view/003515
  13. ^ "The Niagara Falls Movie: "Legends and Daredevils"". Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada: IMAX Theater. Archived from the original on June 2, 2008.
  14. ^ "The Original Legend of the Maid of the Mist". www.niagarafallsreporter.com. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  15. ^ Ian Walter Radforth (2004). Royal Spectacle: The 1860 Visit of the Prince of Wales to Canada and the United States. University of Toronto Press. pp. 300–. ISBN 978-0-8020-8665-5.
  16. ^ http://www.torontosun.com/2014/03/05/marilyn-monroes-room-at-the-crowne-plaza
  17. ^ "Famous Visitors". Niagara Parks. Archived from the original on 2012-09-04. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  18. ^ Edwin C. Guillet (15 December 1933). Early Life in Upper Canada. University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division. pp. 78–. ISBN 978-1-4875-9803-7.
  19. ^ https://www.maidofthemist.com/the-maid-experience/maid-history/
  20. ^ https://www.maidofthemist.com/the-maid-experience/maid-history/
  21. ^ https://www.maidofthemist.com/the-maid-experience/maid-history/
  22. ^ https://www.maidofthemist.com/the-maid-experience/maid-history/
  23. ^ https://www.maidofthemist.com/the-maid-experience/maid-history/
  24. ^ Results for Vessel: Maid of the Mist III, United States Coast Guard Maritime Information eXchange (CGMIX)
  25. ^ https://www.maidofthemist.com/the-maid-experience/maid-history/
  26. ^ Results for Vessel: Maid of the Mist IV, United States Coast Guard Maritime Information eXchange (CGMIX)
  27. ^ https://www.maidofthemist.com/the-maid-experience/maid-history/
  28. ^ Results for Vessel: Maid of the Mist V, United States Coast Guard Maritime Information eXchange (CGMIX)
  29. ^ https://www.maidofthemist.com/the-maid-experience/maid-history/
  30. ^ Results for Vessel: Maid of the Mist VI, United States Coast Guard Maritime Information eXchange (CGMIX)
  31. ^ https://www.maidofthemist.com/the-maid-experience/maid-history/
  32. ^ Results for Vessel: Maid of the Mist VII, United States Coast Guard Maritime Information eXchange (CGMIX)
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