Here's what Niagara Falls looked like wh

They tamed it and now they will unleash it." 

According to The New York Times in 1969, that was how a tourist characterized the historic moment that the Niagara River was released to gush down over the American Falls once again after it had been cut off for six months. 

Engineers had blocked it off so they could examine the boulders at the base of the falls and see whether they could be removed. 

While it was blocked off, they discovered two bodies as well as countless coins. They also found it wasn't feasible to move all of the rock

About 12,000 years ago, Niagara Falls formed when a new channel — now known as the Niagara River — linked up between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The falls are at a crook where the Niagara River turns to the north by about 90 degrees.

Niagara Falls are divided up between Canada's Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls, and the Bridal Veil Falls. The most impressive of the falls is undoubtedly Horseshoe Falls

Niagara Falls began to get popular as a tourist destination as early as the 17th century.

In 1842, author Charles Dickens described his visit there. He wrote, "When I felt how near to my Creator I was standing, the first effect, and the enduring one — instant lasting — of the tremendous spectacle, was Peace."

For centuries, people visited the falls and some even jumped in. Some strange incidents occurred as well, including a hotel owner who sent a ship of animals down the falls, killing everything except a goose.

But on June 12, 1969, something unusual happened to the water itself. For the first time in 12,000 years, the American Falls were turned off.

Where previously 45 million gallons of water had been crashing down 11 stories every minute, there was suddenly nothing but a trickle of water.

The US Army Corps of Engineers had dumped 27,000 tons of rock upstream to dam the Niagara River. The plan was to spend six months assessing the pile of boulders at the bottom of the falls and whether it was feasible to remove them.

The pile of boulders had been building up at the base of the falls for years. At times, it happened rapidly, like in 1931 when about 76,000 tons of rock fell to the base or in 1954 when 185,000 tons fell to the base.

The boulders were considered unsightly, and authorities feared if they were left long enough, the falls could become nothing more than rapids.

According to The New York Times, the day after the falls were stopped, there was some "grisly excitement" after two bodies were found.

وفي نهاية الأسبوع الأولى من حزيران/يونيه، ظهر أكثر من 000 100 شخص لرؤية السقوط دون مائي. كان عدد الأشخاص الذين ذهبوا في نهاية نهاية نهاية الأسبوع في العام السابق

خلال الأشهر الخمسة القادمة، قام المهندسون بفحص سرير الحدود، قبل أن يختتم في وقت لاحق من عام 1974 أن الحدود كانت ضرورية في الواقع لدفع السقوط.

في 25 نوفمبر 1969، في الساعة 9:55 صباحاً، تجمع حشد من عدة مئات من الناس لمشاهدة حفرة حفرة في السد، ووفقاً لصحيفة نيويورك تايمز، بدأت المياه في التدفق "كما لو من من الصنع المتسرب.

بعد ساعة من ذلك، "أصبحت الصخور مغتصبة في المياه، حيث تم تصحيح على السطح، وفقاً لصحيفة بيضاء جميلة"، وفقاً لصحيفة نيويورك تايمز. لقد عاد (فاللز) الأمريكية

وهذا الرجل قد لا يزال في نهاية المطاف على حق. فالفالس الأمريكية لا تزال تتغير وتتآكل، على الرغم من أنها أقل مما كانت عليه. ويخسر الآن حوالي 4 بوصات كل عقد مقارنة بما كان عليه ما كان حوالي 13 قدما في السنة.

من المحتمل أيضاً أن يتم إطفاء هذه الأمور مرة أخرى في مرحلة ما وهناك خطط لإصلاح عدة جسور تربط نيويورك بجزيرة تُدعى جزيرة الماعز. لكن لم يكن هناك موعد مؤكد عندما سيحدث ذلك

جمعية ديويت التاريخية/مجموعة مورتون/صور غيتي