Existing comment:
The Horseshoe Falls in Art and "Drama":
The Horseshoe Falls has inspired many people throughout history. Hundreds of artists have attempted to express the majesty and power of the falls. Perhaps the most famous depiction of the Horseshoe Falls is the 1857 painting by Frederick Edwin Church, a work that many feel captures the essence of the falls.
On October 24, 1901, Anna Edison Taylor, a 63-year-old widow and teacher from Bay City, Michigan, became the first person to go over the falls; this was done in a crude wooden barrel of her own design. Although she performed the stunt to gain financial security in her senior years, she died destitute. Many others have attempted this feat. A few of them lost their lives, and others narrowly escaped. It is now illegal to perform these stunts on both sides of the border.
The Horseshoe Falls has been the scene of both tragedies and narrow escapes. The most noted event has been referred to as the "Miracle of Niagara." On July 9, 1950, a small boat in the upper Niagara River drew too close to the Horseshoe Rapids and was overturned by the swift current. Its three occupants were thrown into the rushing water. Roger Woodward, 7 years old, wearing nothing more than a bathing suit and life preserver, went over the falls and miraculously survived! Two men recused his sister, Deanne, near the brink of the falls. Unfortunately, the boat's owner, James Honeycutt, was swept over the falls to his death. |