From the Niagara Falls Review:
One of the most dramatic events in the history of Niagara Falls took place 70 years ago Sunday, on Jan. 27, 1938.
During the previous few days, high winds had driven unprecedented amounts of Lake Erie ice into the Niagara River – ice that, due to a recent mild spell, was in smaller pieces than usual.
As a result, a massive ice jam, the biggest in many decades, quickly accumulated immediately below the falls. Soon, the gorge was choked with 18 metres or more of ice, raising the water level more than 10 metres higher than usual.
The moving wall of ice became a destructive, unstoppable force.