The Niagara Scow (also called the Old Scow or Iron Scow) is the unofficial name of the Shipwreck of a small scow that brought two men perilously close to plunging over the Horseshoe Falls, the largest of the Niagara Falls, in 1918. The wreck can still be seen, upstream of the falls.
There are conflicting reports whether Lofberg and Harris were able to release the false bottom of the scow to dump their load of sand and silt. Regardless, the boat got caught on a shoal from the edge of the falls, leaving the two Niagara Falls Power Company employees stranded in the middle of the raging torrents of water. Later reports suggest that Lofberg had tied a rope between himself and the scow as a safety precaution lest he fall overboard while the scow was still beached, while Harris tied one between himself and a free barrel. Since a rescue boat was out of the question, the Niagara Falls (Ontario) Fire Department tried using a Grappling hook to shoot a life line out towards the barge, from atop the roof of the Toronto Power House while awaiting the arrival of the US Coast Guard from Youngstown, New York, to bring a heavier grappling gun. When the US Coast Guard arrived, they managed to send a lifeline over to the barge, and both marooned men made it safely back to shore via breeches buoy, 17 hours after they first found themselves drifting towards the falls. The work of riverman William "Red" Hill Sr. was particularly significant; he ventured out to free the tangled breeches buoy line several times throughout the night, and eventually assisted the men to safety. Hill was awarded the Royal Canadian Humane Association Medal for his efforts. Hill and his sons went on to be involved in many other river rescues and recoveries in the next several decades.
In 2018, the Parks Commission celebrated the 100th anniversary of the rescue, particularly Hill's role, and installed a new plaque and panels depicting the event.
The current carried the craft to the vicinity of the scow, and it likewise became caught in the shoals. The owners sold the wreck to Red Hill for one dollar, but Hill decided that the salvage cost was too high, particularly because the Parks Commission wanted a cash bond that would cover any damage caused during the process. As a result, the boat remained marooned and by the late 1930s had broken apart. A 2014 report stated that some people claim that some of its metallic parts (such as the boilers and propeller shaft) are still visible at times when a significant quantity of water is being diverted for hydropower production.
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