Maid of the Mist

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Maid of the Mist
Maid of the Mist

The Maid of the Mist is a boat tour of Niagara Falls. (The actual boats used are each named Maid of the Mist, followed by a different Roman numeral in each case.) The boat starts off at a calm part of the Niagara River, near the Rainbow Bridge, and takes its passengers past the American and Bridal Veil Falls, then into the dense mist of spray inside the curve of the Horseshoe Falls. The tour is available starting from either the Canadian or U.S. side of the river, returning to the starting point in each case.

All passengers receive a blue Maid of the Mist poncho.

Contents

[edit] History

The first Maid of the Mist was launched in 1846 as a ferry service between the Canadian and American sides, pre-dating by two years the construction of the first suspension bridge at the site. However, with the opening of the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge further downriver in 1848, the ferry service lost business, and by 1854, became a tourist attraction instead with the launch of a more luxurious boat.

Financial difficulties and the impending American Civil War forced the boat to be sold to a Montreal firm in 1860, and formal service was not restored until 1893, when two new boats were constructed and launched under a new partnership, Maid of the Mist Steamboat Company. These boats sailed the lower river until April 22, 1955, when they burned in a pre-season accident. Later that year, they would be replaced by the type and style of boat still seen today.

The Maid of the Mist is well known for its role in the July 9, 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. The boat involved in the rescue (known as Maid II) was retired from service in 1983 and relocated to the Amazon River, where it served as a missionary ship for years after.

Access to the river-level attraction on the United States side was provided by the Maid of the Mist Incline Railway, a funicular railway, between 1894 and 1991 to travel between street level and the boat dock. As this service proved increasingly inadequate in transporting the growing passenger base of the 1990s, four high-speed elevators replaced the railway by the start of the 1991 tourist season. On the Canadian side, the dock is reached by elevators enclosed in the gorge wall.

[edit] Distinguished passengers

[edit] Fleet

Maid of the Mist at the American Falls
Maid of the Mist at the American Falls
Maid of the Mist Boat Tours building
Maid of the Mist Boat Tours building
Maid of the Mist on the Canadian side
Maid of the Mist on the Canadian side
Maid of the Mist in front of the American Falls
Maid of the Mist in front of the American Falls
Maid of the Mist in front of the Canadian Falls
Maid of the Mist in front of the Canadian Falls
Maid of the Mist approaching the Canadian Falls
Maid of the Mist approaching the Canadian Falls

Maid of the Mist I

  • Years of service: 1846-1854
  • Type: double-stack steamboat ferry
  • Engine: 1 sidewheel steam

Maid of the Mist I

  • Years of service: 1854-1860
  • Length: 72 ft
  • Type: single-stack steamer
  • Engine: paddle boat

Maid of the Mist I

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

Maid of the Mist II

  • Years of service: 1892-1955
  • Type: white oak steam boat
  • Length: 89 ft
  • Engine: 2 engine steam

Maid of the Mist I

  • Years of service: 1955-1990
  • Length: 66 ft
  • Engine: 200 hp diesel engines
  • Passengers: 101

Maid of the Mist II

  • Years of service: 1956-1983
  • Type: all-steel boat, twin of I
  • Engine: 200 hp diesel engines
  • Passengers: 101

Maid of the Mist III

  • Years of service: 1972-1997
  • Length: 65 ft
  • Weight: 65 tons
  • Engine: single 250 hp diesel
  • Passengers: 210

Maid of the Mist IV

  • Years of service: 1976-present
  • Length: 72 ft
  • Weight: 74 tons
  • Engine: two 250 hp diesel
  • Passengers: 300

Maid of the Mist V

  • Years of service: 1983-present
  • Length: 72 ft
  • Weight: 74 tons
  • Engine: two 355 hp diesel
  • Passengers: 300

Maid of the Mist VI

  • Years of service: 1990-present
  • Length: 80 ft
  • Weight: 145 tons
  • Engine: two 350 hp diesel
  • Passengers: 600

Maid of the Mist VII

  • Years of service: 1997-present; twin of VI
  • Length: 80 ft
  • Weight: 145 tons
  • Engine: two 350 hp diesel
  • Passengers: 600

The Little Maid

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

[edit] In movies

[edit] See also

[edit] References

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[edit] External links