The Maid of the Mist is a boat tour of Niagara Falls, starting and ending on the American side, crossing briefly into Ontario during a portion of the trip. The actual boats used are also named Maid of the Mist, followed by a different Roman numeral in each case.
The original Maid of the Mist was built at a landing near Niagara Falls on the American side of the border. The boat was christened in 1846 as a border-crossing ferry; its first trip was on September 18, 1846. The two-stage barge-like steamer was designed primarily as a link for a proposed ferry service between New York City and Toronto. It was a 72-foot-long side-wheeler with an 18-foot beam which was powered by steam produced from a wood- and coal-fired boiler. It could carry up to 100 passengers. The ferry did well until 1848, when the opening of a suspension bridge between the United States and Canada cut into the ferry traffic. It was then that the owners decided to make the journey a sightseeing trip, plotting a journey closer to the Falls. The present day Maid of the Mist Corporation was formed in 1884 by Captain R. F. Carter and Frank LaBlond, who invested in a new Maid that would launch in 1885. Captain Carter and Mr. LaBlond hired Alfred H. White from Port Robinson, Ontario to build the new ship. A letter in the archives of the Buffalo Historical Society from Mr. LaBlond to Alfred White says that they are well pleased with the vessel and asks Alfred to add a wale onto the boat. The service is run by Maid of the Mist Corp. of Niagara Falls, New York. Maid of the Mist has been owned by the Glynn family since 1971. James V. Glynn is chairman and chief executive officer of Maid of the Mist Corp. Glynn joined Maid of the Mist in 1950 as a ticket seller, and purchased the company in 1971. During his tenure, Maid of the Mist expanded operations, achieving ten-fold growth.
Canada
Access to the river-level attraction on the Canadian side was provided by the Maid of the Mist Incline Railway, a funicular railway, between 1894 and 1990, 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 in 1991. On the American side, the dock is reached by four elevators enclosed in the observation tower. The Russel Brothers of Owen Sound, Ont. made two all steel Maids for the Niagara Falls gorge, in 1955 and 1956. The first one is now based in Parry Sound, Ont. and runs dinner cruises and day excursions. The second Maid was sold in 1983 to the United Pentecostal Church of Ontario and destined for missionary service in the Amazon. Maid of the Mist II took part in the 9 July 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. Maid of the Mist II served as a Maid of the Mist until 1983. Subsequently she was relocated to the Amazon River, where she served as a missionary ship for some years. A partial history of Maid of the Mist is featured in the IMAX film . Maid of the Mist lost a 30-year contract deal to Hornblower Cruises on the Canadian side in 2012 and ceased operations in Canada in 2014.
Name source
The name, Maid of the Mist, could be a reference to the Iroquoismyth of Lelawala.
Maid of the Mist I, this one sailed closer to Horseshoe Falls than any had previously.
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:
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
Years of service: 1955–90
Length:
Engine: diesel engines
Passengers: 101
Maid of the Mist II
Years of service: 1956–83
Type: all-steel boat, twin of I
Engine: diesel engines
Passengers: 101
from Maid of the Mist More ships have been added to the fleet. Maid of the Mist III
Years of service: 1972–97
Length:
Gross tonnage: 75
Engine: single diesel
Passengers: 210
Vessel sold and renamed Chippewa III as tour boat in Parry Sound, Ontario 1992 and retired early 2017
Maid of the Mist IV
Years of service: 1976–2013
Length:
Gross tonnage: 75
Engine: two diesel
Passengers: 300
Maid of the Mist V
Years of service: 1983–2013
Length:
Gross tonnage: 74
Engine: two diesel
Passengers: 300
Maid of the Mist VI
Years of service: 1990–present
Length:
Breadth:
Depth:
Gross tonnage: 155
Engine: two diesel
Passengers: 600
Maid of the Mist VII
Years of service: 1997–present;
Length:
Breadth:
Depth:
Gross tonnage: 155
Engine: two diesel
Passengers: 600
Little Maid
A small tug-like vessel found at the docks on the American side
Electric ''Maids''
On May 4, 2019, Maid of the Mist President Christopher M. Glynn announced the construction of two all-electric, emission-free vessels, the first of their kind built in the United States. The boats were originally scheduled to launch in September 2019 but, as of October 2019, are now expected to launch sometime in 2020. The boats are trucked in sections to a harbor near the falls and assembled there. The catamaran hull is welded 5086 H116 aluminum, and is long and wide, with a draft, and can carry 500 people. Each boat has 316 kWhbatteriespowering 400 kW motors. A ride is 20 minutes, and the batteries are then charged to 80% in seven minutes. The steel and diesel boats Maid of the Mist VI was decommissioned at the end of the 2019 season. Maid of the Mist VII will be decommissioned once the electric boats enter service.
