IziMpophoma ZaseNiagara—Okuhlangenwe Nakho Okumangalisayo
MUVA nje ngibe nethuba lokubona iziMpophoma ZaseNiagara ngendlela engingakaze ngizibone ngayo ngaphambili—ngizibonele eduze kakhulu. Ngingakuqinisekisa ukuthi kungokuhlangenwe nakho okumangalisayo. Mina nabangane bami sasivakashele iziMpophoma ZaseHorseshoe eCanada, ezibizwa kanjalo ngenxa yendlela ezakheke ngayo. Ngase ngike ngaya izikhathi ezimbalwa kusukela ekuvakasheni kwami kokuqala ngo-1958, kodwa kunento eyodwa engangingakaze ngiyenze ngaphambili—ngangingakaze ngisigibele isikebhe esikhuphuka ngomfula siye phambi kwezimpophoma. Kodwa, abantu bebelokhu benza lokhu kusukela kwasungulwa izikebhe zohambo lokungcebeleka i-Maid of the Mist ngo-1848. Izigidi zabantu seziye zaluthatha lolu hambo olujabulisayo. Manje kwase kuyithuba lami.
Izikebhe zihamba njalo zisuka ezinhlangothini zombili zomfula, uhlangothi olungaseMelika nolungaseCanada. Kuhlala kukhona abantu abasemgqeni. Sasibona abantu babo bonke ubudala, ngisho nezingane ezincane, zigqoke amajazi emvula alula aluhlaza abalulekile ukuze akuvikele emanzini. (Labo abavakashele iziMpophoma ZaseMelika ngakolunye uhlangothi bagqoka amajazi aphuzi.) Isikebhe i-Maid of the Mist VII singathwala abantu abangu-582. Sinesisindo esingamathani angu-132 futhi singamamitha angu-24 ubude namamitha angu-9 ububanzi. Okwamanje kunezikebhe ezine ezisebenzayo, i-Maid of the Mist IV, V, VI, no-VII.
Ithuba Lethu Lokuba Manzi
Sama emgqeni nesixuku, futhi ngokushesha nje lapho i-Maid of the Mist VII seyehlise iqembu layo lezivakashi ezazimanzi té, sasho phakathi. Ngangibona ukuthi kwakuzoba uhambo olujabulisayo. Ebangeni elingaba ikhilomitha, amanzi ahaza ngomsindo onqenqemeni lwezimpophoma, ehle ibanga elingamamitha angu-52 ukuya esizibeni esijule ngamamitha angu-55. Isikebhe sethu sangena emfuleni futhi sashona ngasohlangothini lwaseMelika, lapho sanqamula khona emanzini ayaluzayo ngaphansi kweziMpophoma ZaseMelika, ezehla ibanga elingamamitha angu-54.a Sasisalindelwe ingxenye ethakazelisa kakhulu.
Amaphaphu aba phezulu njengoba sase sisondela emanzini ahlokomayo. Asibange sisakwazi ukuthatha izithombe ngenxa yomoya namanzi ayeza ngamandla ayegcwele emoyeni. Kwabonakala sengathi umshayeli akasaqedi njengoba esondeza isikebhe onqenqemeni lwesiziba lapho njalo ngomzuzu amanzi angaphezu kwama-cubic meter angu-168 000 ehla khona onqenqemeni lwempophoma ehlokoma phambi kwesikebhe! Kwachwaza omkhulu umsindo. Wawungeke uzizwe lapho umemeza. Inhliziyo yami yashaya ngamandla. Empeleni ngawanambitha amanzi aseNiagara, abandayo kodwa ahlanzekile. Ngempela kwakuyisenzakalo engingasoze ngasikhohlwa!
Ngemva kwesikhathi esabonakala siside, ekugcineni umshayeli wayisusa i-Maid yethu endaweni eyingozi sehla nomfula. Ehla amaphaphu kimi. Sasisindile. Kodwa empeleni, sasingangabazi. Inkampani yalezi zikebhe inedumela lokuthi ayikaze yenze ngozi. U-Emil Bende, umphathi wenkampani yezikebhe, wasiqinisekisa ngokuthi isikebhe ngasinye sinamajazi okuhlenga kanye nezihlenga ezanele bonke abagibeli. Ngeke lenzeke iphutha elenzeka emkhunjini i-Titanic lapha!
Izimpophoma Ziyancipha!
Nokho, ukuguguleka kwenhlabathi kuye konakalisa lezi zimpophoma. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi eminyakeni engu-12 000 edlule, izimpophoma eNiagara ziye zancipha ngamakhilomitha angu-11, zaba yilokho eseziyikho manje. Ngesinye isikhathi kwakuguguleka inhlabathi engaba imitha ngonyaka. Manje sekungaba amasentimitha angu-36 njalo ngemva kweminyaka eyishumi. Kubangelwa yini lokhu kuguguleka kwenhlabathi?
Amanzi adlula ongqimbeni oluphezulu oluqinile lwegwadle eliphezu kwezingqimba zechoba nokhethe oluthambile. Lezi zingqimba ezingaphansi ziyaguguleka, bese kuthi amadwala egwadle awele phansi esizibeni.
Amanzi Awasaphazwa
Amanzi amaningi ehla ngoMfula omfushane iNiagara (ongamakhilomitha angu-56) avela emachibini amane kwamahlanu eGreat Lakes. Ageleza aye ngasenyakatho esuka eChibini i-Erie eya eChibini i-Ontario. Phakathi nalolu hambo olufushane, asetshenziselwa ukukhiqiza ugesi ophehlwa ngamanzi, ohlanganyelwa iCanada ne-United States. Kuthiwa angomunye wemithombo emikhulu kagesi ophehlwa ngamanzi emhlabeni. Izikhungo zikagesi zaseCanada nase-United States zikhiqiza amandla angama-kilowatt angu-4 200 000 zihlangene. Amanzi aphehla imishini athathwa eNiagara ngaphambi kokuba umfula ufike ezimpophomeni.
Amaholide Angemva Komshado Nezibani Zasebusuku
IziMpophoma ZaseNiagara ziyindawo ethandwa imibhangqwana esanda kushada. Kwakunjalo ikakhulukazi ngemva kwebhayisikobho yango-1953 ethi Niagara. Ebusuku izimpophoma zikhanyiswa izibani ezimibalabala, ezinezela ebuhleni nobukhulu bale ndawo evelele eplanethini yethu. Ngokuqinisekile, ukuvakashela eCanada nase-United States akuphelele uma ungavakashelanga kulesi simangaliso somhlaba. Futhi uma uyidelangozi, ungakhohlwa ukugibela isikebhe! Ngeke uzisole futhi ngeke ukhohlwe.—Inikelwe.
[Umbhalo waphansi]
a “EziMpophomeni ZaseMelika, amanzi ehla aqonde phansi emadwaleni asebangeni elingamamitha angu-21 kuya kwangu-34.”—Ontario’s Niagara Parks.
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 26]
I-SPANISH AERO CAR YASENIAGARA
Ebangeni elingamakhilomitha angu-4,5 ukusuka ezimpophomeni kukhona umsinga omkhulu “owakheke onqenqemeni lomfula, lapho iGreat Gorge ijika khona ngokushesha iye enyakatho-mpumalanga. Lapha umsinga oluhlaza omkhulu uyazungeleza bese uyaqaqeka ukuze uphume ngentunja encane kakhulu kuyiGorge.”—Ontario’s Niagara Parks.
Indlela engcono kakhulu yokubona bonke ubukhulu balo msinga ophawulekayo ukugibela i-Spanish Aero Car yaseNiagara, inqola ehamba ngezintambo phezulu emoyeni enqamula phezu kwaleli chibi ukuze umuntu awubuke kahle umfula, enhla nasezansi. Kodwa kungani ibizwa ngokuthi i-“Spanish” Aero Car? Yaklanywa futhi yakhiwa unjiniyela ohlakaniphile waseSpain, uLeonardo Torres Quevedo (1852-1936), futhi ibisetshenziswa kusukela ngo-1916. Yiyo yodwa yalolo hlobo ekhona.
[Umdwebo/Isithombe ekhasini 26]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)
UKUGUGULEKA KWENHLABATHI kuye kwanciphisa izimpophoma ngamamitha angu-300 noma ngaphezulu kusukela ngo-1678
1678
1764
1819
1842
1886
1996
[Umthombo]
Source: Niagara Parks Commission
[Amabalazwe ekhasini 27]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)
CANADA
U.S.A.
CANADA
U.S.A.
Lake Erie
Niagara Falls
Niagara River
Lake Ontario
[Isithombe ekhasini 25]
IziMpophoma ZaseMelika
IziMpophoma ZaseHorseshoe eCanada
[Isithombe ekhasini 26]
Izimpophoma zikhanyisiwe ebusuku ukuze kube sengathi kusebusika