Maid of the Mist

The Maid of the Mist, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, New York Power Authority and ABB announced on Oct. 6, 2020, that the Maid of the Mist, the iconic boat tour that has navigated the waters below Niagara Falls since 1846, has launched the first two new build, all-electric, zero-emission passenger vessels in the United States. Guests from around the world will now enjoy a smoother, quieter and greener ride when visiting the nation’s oldest state park.[2]

“Niagara Falls is a wonder of the world unique to Western New York and Maid of the Mist has given people from all walks of life an up-close look at its majesty for more than 150 years,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. “Having this natural wonder in our backyard means we have a special responsibility as its steward and protecting it for future generations. This new fleet of all-electric vessels will protect the health of our waterways and environment and is another example of New York State building back better, smarter and greener.”

“The launch of the James V. Glynn and Nikola Tesla, the first passenger vessels of their kind in the United States, will markedly enhance the visitor experience, providing a smooth, quiet trip to and from the base of Niagara Falls,” said Maid of the Mist President Christopher M. Glynn. “With no engine noise, our guests will be amazed by the sounds of nature and the roar of the falls they will hear from the decks of our vessels.”

On May 4, 2019, Maid of the Mist President Christopher M. Glynn announced the construction of two all-electric, zero-emission vessels, the first of their kind built in the United States.[3]

American Ship Review honored Maid of the Mist in 2020 as its Ship of the Year.

American Ship Review and Marine News both named the new all-electric, emission-free Maid of the Mist vessels as “Boat of the Year” for 2021.

“To be the first to accomplish something like this in the United States is quite rewarding and to be recognized by the marine industry is very gratifying,” said Maid of the Mist President Christopher M. Glynn. “When we started this project, we knew we were doing something very special.

The Professional Mariner magazine cover story (Niagara Falls tour operator leads industry toward all-electric future) wrote: “The iconic Niagara Falls Maid of the Mist tour company made history of its own last fall when it took delivery of the first zero-emission passenger vessels built in the United States.

Inspired by the world’s first all-electric ferry, Norled’s Ampere in Norway, Glynn knew his team could bring the innovative and emissions-free technology stateside. “We were very excited and intrigued by the opportunity,” Glynn said. “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but it could be done,” wrote Marine News.

While on his 1860 tour of Canada, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), rode on Maid of the Mist.

In June 1952, Marilyn Monroe rode the Maid of the Mist while in Niagara Falls to film the movie Niagara.

Former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev was a passenger in 1983.

In 1991, Princess Diana, and her two young sons, Princes William and Harry, rode on Maid of the Mist.[4]

1846 The maiden voyage of the Maid of the Mist

Small rowboats were the first to operate as ferries across the Niagara River below the Falls, piloting passengers as early as 1834. By 1846, however, it became apparent that bigger and better craft could turn a profit transporting people and luggage, mail and cargo. So, in that year the first steamboat ferry was launched. She was christened Maid of the Mist. Large enough to carry a stagecoach and team of four horses, the craft appeared rather clumsy. But the Niagara Courier of May 27, 1846, described her maid voyage thus:

We regard the launching of the steamer as an event something more than ordinary…the scenery around, the majesty of the thundering cataract above, the fierce rapids, the high embankments on both sides…combine to produce a scene surpassing good and romantic. Whoever visits Niagara will have seen half its wonders till they have taken a trip on the steamer The Maid. The ferry did well until 1848, when construction of a suspension bridge dramatically curtailed business. It was then the owners recast the Maid of the Mist’s role as a sightseeing venture and began making the trips close to the Falls that continue to this day. The tourist trade flourished, and a second Maid of the Mist was built in 1854, replacing the first.[5]

1861 Captain Robinson’s Legendary Ride

Plagued with financial difficulties and fearing the impending Civil War in the United States, then owner W.O. Buchanon was forced to sell the second Maid of the Mist at auction. A Montreal firm agreed to purchase the boat, but on one condition – she must be delivered into Lake Ontario. The only way to get there was through the Whirlpool and the Devil’s Hole Rapids, three miles of the wildest water in the world.

It would require a competent and daring captain to pilot the large, unruly rig through the tangle of the Niagara River, and many answered the call. Upon one look at the course, however, not even the most seasoned sailors were willing to take up the challenge…none but the Maid of the Mist’s own captain, Joel B. Robinson. Renowned as a bold and able navigator, Robinson was a Niagara River expert with several audacious upper rapids rescues to his credit. With the promise of $500 and the help of two crew men, machinist James McIntyre and engineer James H. Jones, Robinson scheduled his match against the lower rapids for June 6, 1861.

Thousands of spectators crowded the shore. At 3:00 p.m., Jones set the steam valve. Robinson took his place at the wheel, McIntyre by his side, and pulled the starting bell. The whistle screamed. The Maid blew a blast of steam, swung out into the water and shot like a cannonball into the rapids below the bridge.

A torrent from each side of the river surged to the center. As the Maid rushed against this boiling ridge, a jet of water crashed into her rudder, wrenching the wheel from the grasp of the two men. A second burst struck her starboard side, heeling her far over and ripping her smokestack clean away. Robinson was thrown to the deck. McIntyre was hurled against the wheelhouse with such force it shattered around him. Down below, Jones fell to his knees in prayer.

The Maid disappeared, swallowed by the great waves. The crowd, hushed, feared she was lost. A moment later, though, the spunky craft broke free, seemed to shake herself, then plunged into the Whirlpool. Robinson sprang up, seized the helm and swung her to the right. Barely missing the vortex of the Whirlpool, he steered directly into the Devil’s Hole Rapids. At tremendous speed, the streamer careened through the violent, rock-strewn waters. Just 17 minutes after her perilous journey began, the Maid arrived at Queenston. It was the first time a boat had ever come to dock at this point of entry…and the last.

Robinson’s wife said he aged 20 years that day. Not only did he never venture onto the Niagara River, he even forbid his sons to do so. Two years later, he died.

Newspapers across the county heralded Robinson’s trip as the most remarkable ever made by men. The Maid’s new owners sailed her across Lake Ontario to the St. Lawrence River and on to Quebec City. There, rechristened the Maid of Orleans, she served for many years as a ferry to the Isle of Orleans.[6]

1885-1938 The Return of the Maid

There was no Maid of the Mist on the river again until 1885. Rowboats provided ferry service until R.F. Carter and Frank LeBlond invested in a new Maid. Launched on June 13 of that year, this boat ventured closer to the Horseshoe Falls than any ever had. Her trips were so successful, the owners built a sister ship in 1892. Although they were really the third and fourth to bear the name, the two boats were christened Maid of the Mist and Maid of the Mist No. 2.

In 1938, a massive ice jam below the Falls wrecked the Honeymoon Bridge and threatened to destroy the two Maids as they lay in their winter berths high on the Canadian shore. Although encased in ice nearly as high as their decks, they survived to carry millions of tourists.[7]

1955 Fire Destroys the Maids

On April 22, 1955 as the Maids were being readied for the coming season, a spark from a welder’s torch set both ablaze. Sadly, attempts to preserve the fire-ravaged boats failed, and wrecking orders were issued. An enterprising Chamber of Commerce supervisor salvaged some of the wood, carving out wooden nickels and imprinting them with likenesses of the Maid of the Mist. Only 40 of the 38,000 collector’s items distributed to tourists were actually redeemed. Quickly launching a 40-foot open yacht they called The Little Maid; the boats’ owners saved the season.[8]

1955-1956 The Launch of the Modern Fleet

New vessels were launched in July 1955 and June 1956 and christened Maid of the Mist I and Maid of the Mist II, even though they were the fifth and sixth to carry the name. Made all of steel and powered by mighty diesel engines, they carried 101 passengers apiece.[9]

1960 Youngster plunges over the falls….and survives

The Maid of the Mist performed a heart-stopping rescue on July 9, 1060. Jim Honeycutt, out for a cruise with a niece and nephew Deanne and Roger Woodward, was just approaching the rapids in the upper Niagara River when his small boat developed engine trouble. Though he rowed frantically, Honeycutt was no match for the swift current, which swamped the boat and pitched all three into the water. Deanne, swept close to the Terrapin Point shore, was rescued by tourists, but the unfortunate Honeycutt plunged over the Horseshoe Falls to his death.

Fate smiled on young Roger as, with nothing but a life jacket to protect him, he hurled over the brink an estimated 75 miles per hour. Maid of the Mist II, with Captain Clifford Keech at the helm, was right below. “Man overboard!” an incredulous voice cried out. Keech swiftly veered off course and headed for the boy swimming valiantly in the churning pool. A life ring soared through the air…and fell short. The second toss came closer, till the current cruelly snatched it away. On his third try, Captain Keech swung the Maid in a wide circle, wrapping the life ring line around the boy. As it floated, at last, within reach, Roger grabbed and, in seconds, was safely aboard.

While Roger Woodward gained instant fame as the fourth person to live through a plunge over the cataract, the other three shielded themselves within specially constructed barrels of wood, rubber or steel. Roger was the first human being to survive a trip over the Falls protected only by a life jacket. In 1980 Roger returned to the scene with his wife, Susan, this time simply to enjoy the Maid of the Mist like so many other travelers.[10]

1971 James V. Glynn fulfills a lifelong dream

On May 25, 1971, James V. Glynn became president of the corporation he had served as business manager for 10 years. Glynn, of nearby Lewiston, New York, had started his career with the Maid of the Mist at age 16, using his salary to finance his college education.[11]

1972 The thrilling arrival of Maid III

Maid of the Mist I and Maid of the Mist II had been assembled at the water’s edge. Maid of the Mist III, however, made a much more dramatic debut. Built in Wheatley, Ontario, the boat traveled up Lake Erie to Chippawa, then was hauled on a 100-ton flatbed truck, the last 3.5 miles to Niagara Falls. On June 13, 1972, she was lowered – all in one piece – over the gorge to the landing below.

It was a delicate process monitored by thousands of fascinated tourists. Two 100-ton cranes hoisted the boat over the embankment. Unable to see what they were doing, the crane operators relied on two-way radio signals from a crew stationed below. Inch by painstaking inch, they lowered the 65-ton boat to a truck waiting 60 feet down. This first step alone absorbed more than an hour.

The Maid then crept down the steep service road. At an appointed spot upstream from the docks, more giant cranes slid her carefully to the water’s edge. As newspapers of the day exclaimed, Maid of the Mist III was the largest known object ever to arrive in this manner at the river’s edge. The feat was repeated when Maid of the Mist IV, even bigger at 72 feet, was launched in 1976 (and again in 1983 when Maid of the Mist V, also at 72 feet, was launched.[12]

1996 Celebrating 150 years of magic

North America’s most venerable tourist attraction celebrated a landmark anniversary in 1996. For 150 years, the fleet of valiant Maids has ferried awe-struck passengers through the swirling currents into the magical mist.

In a season filled with congratulations, some of the most notable include a proclamation from New York State Governor, George Pataki, which honored both the Maid’s 150th year and Glynn’s 25th year as president of the company. “Thundering Mist,” an art print depicting Niagara Falls, was presented by the Niagara Park’s Commission. The postal services of the United States and Canada participated in a joint commemorative stamp cancellation event.

The eventful summer was also marked by distinguished visitors, among them former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalyn, who were observing their own 50th anniversary.[13]

1997 Another dramatic Maid arrival

Unlike Maids III, IV and V, which were lowered into the gorge in a single piece, in 1997 Maid of the Mist VII (like Maid of the Mist VI in 1990) was first assembled in its entirety, then cut apart for the trip to the Falls. Once driven down the steep incline, the 14 sections were welded back together at the dock.[14]

A Glynn family tradition

Beginning with the launch of Maid of the Mist III in 1972, every new boat has been christened by a member of the family of James V. Glynn, president of the company. James V. Glynn and Nikola Tesla, the all-electric vessels, were christened during family ceremony on July 31, 2020.

The new all-electric Maid of the Mist vessels were christened on July 31, 2020.

Nora Fiore Costanzo, granddaughter of Maid of the Mist Chairman & CEO James V. Glynn, christened the vessel named in his honor. In 2020, Glynn marked 70 years with one of North America’s oldest tourist attractions. Another Glynn granddaughter, Elisabeth Hanley, christened the Nikola Tesla, named after the Serbian-born engineer who played a key role in the development of the AC motor and its application in Niagara Falls.[15]

While on his 1860 tour of Canada, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), rode on Maid of the Mist.[16]

Marilyn Monroe in front of Maid of the Mist while filming the movie, "Niagara."

In June 1952, Marilyn Monroe rode the Maid of the Mist while in Niagara Falls to film the movie Niagara.[17]

Mikhail Gorbachev was a passenger in 1983.[18]

Princess Diana and her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, soak up the mist in 1991.

In 1991, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and their two young sons, Princes William and Harry, rode on Maid of the Mist.[19]

First Maid of the Mist [20]

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

Second Maid of the Mist[21]

• Years of service: 1854–1860
• Length: 72 feet (22 m)
• Type: single-stack steamer
• Engine: paddle boat

Maid of the Mist I, published c. 1901

Stereoscopic view of Maid of the Mist II, c. 1896–1906

Third Maid of the Mist[22]

• Years of service: 1885–1955
• Type: steam boat

Fourth Maid of the Mist[23]

• Years of service: 1892–1955
• Type: white oak steamboat
• Length: 89 feet (27 m)
• Engine: two-engine steam

These boats sailed the lower river until April 22, 1955, when they burned in a pre-season accident. Later that year, they were replaced by two new ships. The type and style of the boats is still seen today; they were made of steel and powered by diesel engines.

Maid of the Mist I[24]

• Years of service: 1955–1990
• Length: 66 feet (20 m)
• Engine: 200-horsepower (150 kW) diesel engines
• Passengers: 101

Maid of the Mist II[25]

• Years of service: 1956–1983
• Type: all-steel boat, twin of I
• Engine: 200-horsepower (150 kW) diesel engines
• Passengers: 101

Maid of the Mist boarding dock, 1976

View of Niagara Falls from Maid of the Mist

Maid of Mist IV and Maid of Mist VII

Maid of the Mist III[26]

• Years of service: 1972–1997
• Length: 65 feet (20 m)
• Gross tonnage: 75[27]
• Engine: single 250-horsepower (190 kW) diesel
• Passengers: 210

Maid of the Mist IV[28]

• Years of service: 1976–2013
• Length: 72 feet (22 m)
• Gross tonnage: 75[29]
• Engine: two 250-horsepower (190 kW) diesel
• Passengers: 300

Maid of the Mist V[30]

• Years of service: 1983–2013
• Length: 72 feet (22 m)
• Gross tonnage: 74[31]
• Engine: two 355-horsepower (265 kW) diesel
• Passengers: 300

Maid of the Mist VI[32]

• Years of service: 1990–2019
• Length: 74 feet (23 m)
• Breadth: 30 feet (9.1 m)
• Depth: 10 feet (3.0 m)
• Gross tonnage: 155[33]
• Engine: two 355-horsepower (265 kW) diesel
• Passengers: 600

Maid of the Mist VII[34]

• Years of service: 1997–2020
• Length: 80 feet (24 m)
• Breadth: 30 feet (9.1 m)
• Depth: 10 feet (3.0 m)
• Gross tonnage: 155[35]
• Engine: two 350-horsepower (260 kW) diesel
• Passengers: 600

James V. Glynn[36]

• Years of service: 2020–present
• Length: 90 feet (27 m)
• Breadth: 34 feet (10 m)
• Depth: 6 feet (1.8 m)
• Propulsion System: Lithium-ion battery packs power the all-electric motor
• Passengers: 600

Nikola Tesla[37]

• Years of service: 2020–present
• Length: 90 feet (27 m)
• Breadth: 34 feet (10 m)
• Depth: 6 feet (1.8 m)
• Propulsion System: Lithium-ion battery packs power the all-electric motor
• Passengers: 600

Little Maid

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

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Maid of the Mist.

• Russel Brothers Boat Archive
• Maid of the Mist
• Images from the Historic Niagara Digital Collections
• Diana Princess of Wales, Prince William and Prince Harry aboard the Maid of the Mist Niagara Falls Public Library (Ont.)