Today we see people quietly driving their Telsa’s around, proud of their performance, technology and social status. While the car wasn’t actually designed by Nikola Tesla, the technology was. Tesla invented the induction motor and the AC Power transmission. So it was only right that the now popular motor company named their car after him.
Nikola Tesla
But that’s not all that Nikola Tesla created. Tesla was a famous inventor who was born in what is now Croatia. There have been books and documentaries written about Telsa’s great accomplishments as well as his many explosions and fires he created during his experiments. He was quite a character.
But did you know his technology behind the famous Telsa automobile isn’t considered his great accomplishment?
Niagara Falls is considered his greatest accomplishment. That’s right, Niagara Falls.
Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison’s Race to Power Niagara Falls
In the late 1800’s, Nikola Tesla was in a race and competition with Thomas Edison. They were involved in what was called the ‘War of the Currents’. Aptly named, as both were trying to develop the best technology to turn Niagara Falls into a power producing plant.
Telsa created the AC Power Transmission while Thomas Edison created the DC Power Transmission. Now if all this scientific mumbo jumbo isn’t your thing, just think. It was obviously something the band AC/DC thought of. In fact, Malcolm and Angus Young came up with the idea for the band’s name after looking at their sister’s sewing machine. They saw the initials AC/DC on the sewing machine and the rest is history. So in a way, both Telsa and Edison were the inspiration for the band AC/DC, in name anyway.
The Powering of Niagra Falls
Back to Niagara Falls… Obviously, Nikola Tesla’s design was considered the superior. Tesla along with Westinghouse won with their proposal and they began building the hydroelectric power station. It’s hard to believe, but Tesla never visited Niagara Falls until the project was completed. He was too busy working on other projects.
Tesla was at the opening though and made the following speech on November 16, 1896.
We have many a monument of past ages; we have the palaces and pyramids, the temples of the Greek and the cathedrals of Christendom. In them is exemplified the power of men, the greatness of nations, the love of art and religious devotion. But the monument at Niagara has something of its own, more in accord with our present thoughts and tendencies. It is a monument worthy of our scientific age, a true monument of enlightenment and of peace. It signifies the subjugation of natural forces to the service of man, the discontinuance of barbarous methods, the relieving of millions from want and suffering.
Visiting Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls can be visited at both the American and Canadian side of the Falls. I’ve only visited on the American side and it is spectacular. During peak visitor times the falls produces a massive six million cubic feet of water over the ridge line every minute. This sheer amount of water and power of the falls treats visitors with an almost never ending rainbow. Seriously, the rainbows are phenomenal.
Whether you are hungry or not, it is definitely worth a coffee and snack at the Top of The Falls Restaurant. We weren’t really hungry but took advantage of the beautiful scenery and had a quick sandwich at the restaurant. Our food was excellent and the staff was friendly. After we ate we took a walk around and enjoyed the area before getting back in the car.
There are several boat tours you can take into Niagara Falls and they even provide rain coats. Which trust me, you will need based on the state of people we saw getting back. I really wanted to take a boat tour but we had a business dinner in Ontario that evening so I decided it was best to save it for another day.
The Daredevils of Niagara Falls
Any tour you take will tell you about the daredevils of Niagara Falls. The daredevils would construct special barrels, jump in and see if they survived the trip down Niagara Falls. Yes, in the water. Hearing about these daredevils was a little disturbing, yet entertaining, as we stood next to the noisy and power water. How could anyone possibly think this is a good idea is beyond me. But they did and believe it or not, most of them survived.
Niagara Falls – There’s an app for that!
Before you visit Niagara Falls download the Niagara Falls Walking app. The app can be downloaded HERE.
Mobile app features include:
- Self-guided walking tour of the entire State Park and Niagara Falls viewing area
- Interactive map showing nearby attractions
- Comprehensive information for 17 sites throughout the park, including:
- Historical photos and stories
- Way finding maps
- Videos
- Promotions for gift shops and concessions
The app is a great way to enjoy Niagara Falls at your leisure and take breaks whenever you need to. Have you used the app? Did you love Niagara Falls?
