The Alliance was a wooden sidewheel steamer, most likely a ferry, built in 1857 by Bidwell & J.W. Banta in Buffalo, New York. It had an official number of 300 and had the dimensions of 87 feet in length, 16.1 feet in beam, and 6.1 feet in depth. It had a tonnage of 85 tons (or 107 gross tons after being rebuilt).
The steamer was initially owned by Absalom Bull, and later it came under the ownership of James Haggart of Black River. In 1865, the vessel was rebuilt, and its tonnage increased to 107 tons. By 1868, it was operating in the Buffalo District.
However, on November 21, 1869, the Alliance broke free from its moorings on the Niagara River at Lower Black Rock. It slipped its moorings and went over Niagara Falls. The exact cause of the incident is described as neglect or vandalism. Fortunately, there were no reported fatalities in the incident.
The Alliance was owned by Henry Thornton at the time of the loss. After the wreck, the documents for the vessel were surrendered on March 31, 1869. The final location of the wreck was Buffalo, New York, on Lake Erie.
The Alliance was known to operate as a ferry between Black Rock and Fort Erie. It was considered well-fitted for ferry service and underwent renovations, including repainting and improving the cabins, with cushioned seats and carpeted floors.
The disappearance of the Alliance from its moorings was reported in the Buffalo Daily Courier on November 23, 1869, suggesting that it had likely gone over the falls.
