He Welded His Bulldozer to the Cliff 72 Hours Hanging Over Niagara Falls 1941 скачать в хорошем качестве

He Welded His Bulldozer to the Cliff 72 Hours Hanging Over Niagara Falls 1941

August 4, 1941, 4:23 PM. Niagara Falls. A 12-ton Caterpillar D7 bulldozer drops over a cliff edge. Hangs 70 feet above the gorge. Engine still running. Fuel tank 3/4 full. If it falls, it destroys the hydroelectric tunnel feeding half of Ontario's power grid. Nobody will touch the rescue. Insurance companies refuse. Crane operators decline. Then someone mentions Red Hill Jr.—a broke riverman who makes $800 to do what nobody else will: weld a steel frame to the bulldozer while standing on it as it hangs over Niagara Falls. For 72 hours, he'll live on that machine. Sleep in the cab. And move it 8 feet sideways to save 300 workers below. This is the story of the most dangerous bulldozer rescue ever attempted—and the daredevil who died chasing his father's legend. ⚠️ THE IMPOSSIBLE RESCUE: Location: Sir Adam Beck Hydroelectric Station, Niagara Falls Machine: Caterpillar D7 (12 tons, serial #7J4429, 8 months old) Height: 70 feet above Niagara River gorge Hanging time: 72 hours, 11 minutes Payment: $800 ($500 offered, negotiated to $1,200, settled at $800) Workers at risk: 300 people in tunnel below Water flow: 200,000 gallons/second through intake tunnels Stakes: Half of Ontario's industrial power capacity 🚜 CATERPILLAR D7 SPECIFICATIONS: Weight: 25,000 lbs (12.5 tons) Serial number: 7J4429 Built: Peoria, Illinois (8 months before accident) Cost: $8,500 (1941) = more than most houses Blade: 7 feet wide Hanging angle: 40 degrees Engine: Still running while hanging Fuel tank: 3/4 full (fire risk) Snagged on: Limestone outcrop (eroded by falls mist) 👤 RED HILL JR: Age: 32 years old Profession: Riverman, salvage specialist Father: Red Hill Sr. (first to survive Horseshoe Falls in barrel, twice) Previous salvage: 6 cars, 2 trucks, 1 carnival Ferris wheel from Niagara Financial status: Broke (Depression hit rivermen hard) Brother: David Hill (assisted in rescue) Final fate: Died 1951 attempting falls in inner tube contraption (age 33) 🔧 THE WELDING OPERATION: Equipment: 4 twenty-foot steel I-beams, 40 expansion bolts (2,000 lbs each), acetylene welding rig, 300 feet rope No safety harnesses: "Too bulky" - just waist rope Day 1 (Aug 5): Welded 4 I-beams to chassis while standing on dozer Weld time per beam: 18-40 minutes Anchor points: 12 holes drilled in cliff face with 35-lb hand drill Night 1: Hill slept in bulldozer cab, David on cliff top Temperature: 48°F, constant mist from falls Sleep: 3 hours total in 72 hours ⚡ THE CRISIS TIMELINE: Aug 4, 4:23 PM: Morrison operates D7, cliff opens, dozer hangs Aug 4, 6:30 PM: Ontario Hydro emergency meeting Aug 4, midnight: All contractors refuse, someone mentions Hill Aug 5, 1:15 AM: Hill found at Prospect Point Inn, negotiates $800 Aug 5, 6:00 AM: Hill and David start welding steel frame Aug 5, 4:00 PM: Frame anchored to cliff with 12 expansion bolts Aug 5, night: Hill sleeps in cab (monitoring frame stress) Aug 6, 8:30 AM: Begin moving dozer sideways (block & tackle) Aug 6, 2:17 PM: Dozer moved 8 feet 3 inches, tunnel clear Aug 6, 3:00 PM: Engineers cut cables, dozer drops 70 feet 💡 WHY IT MATTERED: Tunnel damage = flood lower station = 300 workers dead Power loss = half Ontario industrial capacity shutdown Bulldozer positioned exactly wrong: would hit tunnel mouth if dropped Required: Move 8 feet sideways BEFORE cutting loose Insurance companies refused = liability too high Construction firms declined = certain death job 📊 THE ECONOMICS: Rescue payment to Hill: $800 Salvage payment (3 weeks later): $600 Repair cost: $1,100 Total Ontario Hydro cost: $1,700 New track assembly cost: $2,000+ New D7 cost: $8,500 Bulldozer returned to service: October 1941 Operated until: 1957 (16 years) Sold to farmer: Welland, Ontario Farmer used until: 1969 Perfect for Niagara Falls historians, daredevil story enthusiasts, Caterpillar collectors, extreme rescue operations fans, and anyone fascinated by the people who risk everything for $800. 🔔 SUBSCRIBE to Bulldozer Geek USA for forgotten rescue stories, daredevil operations, and the rivermen who saved industrial America! 💬 COMMENT: Would you weld a bulldozer hanging over Niagara Falls for $800? 👍 LIKE to preserve Red Hill Jr.'s forgotten legacy! 📱 New extreme rescue docs every Tuesday & Friday --- SOURCES: Ontario Hydro Commission Archives Niagara Falls historical records Red Hill family documentation Caterpillar D7 service records (serial 7J4429) #NiagaraFalls #RedHillJr #CaterpillarD7 #1941 #ExtremeRescue #Daredevil #WeldingOperation #OntarioHydro #BulldozerRescue #Riverman #CliffHanging #HydroelectricStation #SalvageOperation #BulldozerGeekUSA