I recently came across the fascinating story of the Niagara scow and decided to learn more and share it with you. The Niagara scow, also known as the Iron Scow or Old Scow, refers to a dredging scow that was marooned upstream of the famous Niagara Falls in 1918.
What Is a Scow?
Firstly, let’s look at what a scow is. A scow is a flat-bottomed barge with broad, square ends. It is used for carrying cargo or bulk materials, such as sand, from ships to the dockside or around coastal and inland waterways.
Their flat bottoms meant they could navigate shallow waters. The word comes from the Dutch schouw, meaning punt pole. Scows were usually propelled using a pole, similar to punting. Some scows were also rigged as sailing scows, with a mast and sails.
The Niagara Scow
The scow that is the subject of this article was an iron scow owned by the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company. It was being used for dredging operations on the Niagara River upstream from Niagara Falls.
Measuring 80 feet long and 30 feet wide, the barge was attached to the tugboat Hassayampa with a steel towing cable. Work was being carried out to dredge the entrance of the Hydraulic Power Companies’ canal. A sand sucker removed sand from the bottom of the canal and deposited it onto the scow to be taken away.
The Hassayampa
At 3:10 pm on Tuesday, August 6th, 1918, the tug Hassayampa struck a rock or sandbar and ran aground, unable to move. This caused the steel towline to snap, setting the Niagara scow adrift.
Other tugs working nearby attempted to stop the scow, but the force of the river’s current meant they had to turn back. They blew their whistles continuously to raise the alarm and returned to assist the Hassayampa. Meanwhile, the scow drifted uncontrollably down the river toward Horseshoe Falls, around half a mile away.
The Deckhands
On board the Niagara scow were two deckhands: Gustave Ferdinand Lofberg, aged 51, and James Henry Harris, aged 40. Lofberg was the more experienced of the two, having spent many years working on the Great Lakes. Harris, by trade a rigger, had only recently started working for the company.
Much controversy surrounds what the deckhands did next. Some believe they opened the bottom hatches or threw an anchor overboard to stop the scow. Neither happened. By chance, as the scow drifted downstream, it swung in the current, grounded, and became stuck on a rocky shoal in midstream.
Once grounded, the deckhands deployed an anchor to secure the scow and began constructing a makeshift windlass to assist in any rescue attempt.
The Rescue
By the time the Niagara scow was firmly stuck, the alarm had been raised. The Niagara Falls Fire Department was first on the scene. They attempted to fire a line to the scow using a life-saving gun, but each attempt fell short into the river.
Next to arrive were five men from the Life Saving Station in Youngstown, equipped with a larger gun and longer ropes. They set up the gun on the roof of the nearby power station and fired a longer line, which passed over the scow. Lofberg and Harris were able to grab the rope and attach it to their makeshift windlass.
A heavier rope was then secured to the shore end of the line, and the exhausting task of winching it in began. With great effort from both the deckhands and the men onshore, who were also trying to prevent the rope from pushing the scow off the rocks, the heavier rope was finally secured to the windlass.
Next, a breeches buoy (a chair-like rescue device) was sent along the rope but became tangled. Just before midnight, the rescue attempt was suspended until the following morning.
A Second Attempt
By morning, the breeches buoy was still jammed. Red Hill Snr went out along the rope to free it. After considerable time, teamwork, and many tangled ropes, the buoy was finally running free.
Harris was rescued first, followed by Lofberg. Each man was slowly hauled back to shore in the harness, both exhausted, but alive.
The Wreck
The wreck of the Niagara scow remained on the rocky shoal for over 100 years. On Thursday, 31st October 2019, a severe storm dislodged the scow. It moved around 100 feet further down the river, coming to rest on its side on another rocky outcrop.
The Niagara scow can still be viewed today using Google Earth.
For more details on the rescue, a fantastic resource can be found at Niagara Frontier.
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