On about midnight on March 29, 1848; Niagara residents accustomed to the flow of the river were awakened when the Niagara River ceased to flow. The reason-a strong south-west gale had pushed the ice fields in Lake Erie in motion. Millions of tons of ice became lodged at the source of the mouth of the Niagara River, blocking the channel completely stopping the flow of water over the American and Canadian Horseshoe Falls. The self-made dam held the water for approximately thirty hours until the wind shifted and the pent-up weight of the water broke through to its accustomed route. Niagarans went back to sleep.
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