On March 30, 1848, locals woke to a startling site of Niagara Falls frozen over. 

Residents awoke on the morning of March 30th to an eerie silence and realized something was amiss. People were drawn to the Falls to find that the water flow of the Niagara River had been reduced to a mere trickle. Thomas Clark Street, the owner and operator of the large Bridgewater Mills along the Canadian shore at Dufferin Islands was awakened by one of his employees at 5 a.m. on March 30th reporting the mill had been shut down because the mill race was empty.  The Day Niagara Falls Sttod Still (niagarafrontier.com)

Niagara Falls
From the King George V 1935 “Pictorial” Definitive Issue
Canada issued June 1, 1935
Designer: Herman Herbert Schwartz
You can read more about Schwartz here

It’s unclear exactly when the Falls stopped. Some reports say it was late on March 29, but by the early morning of the 30th, the Falls were dry. Two days of gale force winds on Lake Erie created perfect conditions for an ice jam at the mouth of the Niagara River. Strong southwest winds pushed ice into the mouth of the river, creating an ice dam, blocking the water flow for 30 – 40 hours.  The Falls were silenced when the water flow was reduced to almost nothing. People slowly ventured out onto the top of the falls as well as the gorge below. Those brave enough to walk the now dried riverbed found numerous artifacts from the War of 1812, including muskets and bayonets. 

While mills and factories along the river, that depended on the rushing water, were silenced, the owners of the Maid of the Mist (a boat ride that takes visitors close to the falling water) took the opportunity to send workers out to clear away rocks that were navigation hazards to the boats. 

As the silence stretched on, people became increasingly fearful. Up to 5,000 had gathered to see the once-in-a-life-time event. Eventually rumours of the end of times began to run through the crowds. Thousands rushed to special church services, preparing to meet the apocalypse with hymns and sermons. Then, during the evening of the 31st, as anxiety grew with the silence, people were shaken by a “loud low pitched growl and grown” (ibid).  Reports say a “wall of water” quickly followed the noise, as the ice damn broke. The Falls quickly returned to its normal thunderous self. 

During the day, temperatures had slowly risen to 16 Celsius, and the winds shifted, allowing the ice to break apart. Water began flowing again, and the noise resumed.