SS Edmund Fitzgerald (nicknamed "Mighty Fitz," "The Fitz," or "The Big Fitz") was an American
Great Lakes freighterLake freighters, or Lakers, are cargo vessels that ply the Great Lakes. The most well-known is the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, the latest major vessel to be wrecked on the Lakes. These vessels are traditionally called boats, not ships. In the mid-20th century, 300 lakers worked the Lakes but by the early...
launched on June 8, 1958. Until 1971 she was the largest ship on the
Great LakesThe Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth. They are sometimes referred to as the "Third...
. Although she had reported having some difficulties during a
galeA gale is a very strong wind. There are conflicting definitions of how strong. The U.S. Government's National Weather Service defines a gale as 34 to 47 knots of sustained surface winds...
on
Lake SuperiorLake Superior is the largest of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by Ontario, Canada and Minnesota, United States, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan...
, the
Fitzgerald sank suddenly on November 10, 1975 in 530 feet (162
mThe metre or meter is the basic unit of length in the International System of Units . Historically, the metre was defined by the French Academy of Sciences as the length between two marks on a platinum-iridium bar, which was designed to represent one ten-millionth of the distance from the Equator...
) of water without sending any
distress signalA distress signal is an internationally recognized means for obtaining help. Distress signals take the form of or are commonly made by using radio signals, displaying a visually detected item or illumination, or making an audible sound, from a distance....
s. The site of the loss is: , in
CanadianCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
waters approximately 17
mileA mile is a unit of length in a number of different systems. In contemporary English, mile most commonly refers to the statute mile of 1,609.344 meters or the nautical mile of 1,852 meters...
s (15
nmiThe nautical mile is a unit of length corresponding approximately to one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian....
; 27 km) from the entrance to
Whitefish BayWhitefish Bay is a large bay on the eastern end of the southern shore of Lake Superior between Michigan and Ontario. It begins in the north and west at Whitefish Point in Michigan, about 10 miles north of Paradise, Michigan and ends at the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie on the southeast...
. All 29 hands in the crew perished, presumably by drowning. The incident is the most famous disaster in the history of
Great LakesThe Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth. They are sometimes referred to as the "Third...
shipping, and is the subject of
Gordon Lightfoot'sGordon Meredith Lightfoot, Jr., CC, O.Ont is a Canadian singer and songwriter who has achieved international success in folk, country, and popular music...
hit song, "
The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is a song written, composed, and performed by Gordon Lightfoot in commemoration of the sinking of the bulk carrier S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975...
."
Construction
On February 1, 1957, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee,
WisconsinWisconsin is one of the fifty U.S. states. Located in the north-central United States, Wisconsin is considered part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the...
contracted Great Lakes Engineering Works (GLEW), of
River Rouge, MichiganRiver Rouge is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,917 at the 2000 census. It is named after the River Rouge , which flows through a portion of the city into the Detroit River...
, to design and build a
taconiteTaconite is an iron-bearing, high-silica, flint-like rock. It is a Precambrian sedimentary rock referred to as a banded iron formation due to the typical alternating iron-rich layers and shale or chert layers. The very finely dispersed iron content, present as magnetite, is generally 25 to 30%...
bulk carrierA bulk carrier, bulk freighter, or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo, such as grains, coal, ore, and cement in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, economic forces have fueled the development of these ships,...
lakerLake freighters, or Lakers, are cargo vessels that ply the Great Lakes. The most well-known is the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, the latest major vessel to be wrecked on the Lakes. These vessels are traditionally called boats, not ships. In the mid-20th century, 300 lakers worked the Lakes but by the early...
for Northwestern. The contract contained the stipulation that the boat be the largest on the
Great LakesThe Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth. They are sometimes referred to as the "Third...
. GLEW laid the
keelIn boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, the construction is dated from this event, with only the ship's launching considered more...
on August 7 of that year, and some time between then and her
christeningThe ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
and launch on June 7, 1958, Northwestern announced their decision to name the boat for their
PresidentPresident is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries. Etymologically, a "president" is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
and Chairman of the Board, Edmund Fitzgerald, whose own father had himself been a lake captain.
The completed vessel had a capacity of 26,600 tons (24,131
tonneA tonne or metric ton , also referred to as a metric tonne, is a measurement of mass equal to , or approximately the mass of one cubic metre of water. It is not an SI unit but is accepted for use with the SI...
s). Her large cargo hold loaded through twenty-one watertight hatches, 11-feet 7-inches by 54 feet of 5/16 inch
steelSteel is an alloy consisting mostly of iron, with a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most cost-effective alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
(3.53 m by 16.5 m of 8 mm steel). The boat's boilers were originally
coalCoal is a readily combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock normally occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
-fired, but would be converted to burn oil during the 1971-72 winter layup. With a length of 729 feet (222 m), she met the demanding stipulation of the contract and until 1971 was the largest boat on the Great Lakes.
Over 15,000 people attended the
Fitzgerald's launch. The event was troublesome. When Mrs. Edmund Fitzgerald christened the boat by smashing a champagne bottle over the bow, it took her three swings to break the bottle. The launch was delayed 36 minutes while the shipyard crew struggled to release the keel blocks. Upon launching sideways into the water, the boat crashed violently into a dock.
History
Sea trialA sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft . It is also referred as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and can last from a few hours to many days.Sea trials are conducted to measure a vessel’s performance...
s for the
Fitzgerald began on September 13, 1958, and Northwestern handed the operation of the boat to the Columbia Transportation Division of the Oglebay Norton Corporation one week later. For the next 17 years, the
Fitzgerald carried
taconiteTaconite is an iron-bearing, high-silica, flint-like rock. It is a Precambrian sedimentary rock referred to as a banded iron formation due to the typical alternating iron-rich layers and shale or chert layers. The very finely dispersed iron content, present as magnetite, is generally 25 to 30%...
from
mineMining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, usually from an ore body, vein or seam. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock salt and potash...
s near
Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,918 in the 2000 census and 84,397 according to July 1, 2007 census estimates. The Duluth MSA had a population of 275,486 in 2000...
to iron works in
DetroitDetroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded...
,
ToledoToledo is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio within the Great Lakes Region and the county seat of Lucas County. Named after Toledo, Spain, it is located on the western end of Lake Erie, on the Michigan border. It is the principal city in the Toledo Metropolitan Statistical Area. In the 2000 census,...
and other ports. Prior to the events of November 9, 1975, she suffered one collision, three allisions, and one grounding. She ran aground in 1969, collided with the S.S.
Hochelaga in 1970 and then struck the wall of a
lockA lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber whose water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is the...
later in the same year, hit a lock's wall again in 1973, and then again the following year. She also lost her original bow
anchorAn anchor is an object, often made out of metal, that is used to attach a ship to the bottom of a body of water at a specific point. There are two primary classes of anchors—temporary and permanent. A permanent anchor is often called a mooring, and is rarely moved; it is quite possible the vessel...
in the
Detroit RiverThe Detroit River is a 32 mile long river in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as River of the Strait. The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. ...
in 1974.
Final voyage and wreck
Fitzgerald left
SuperiorSuperior is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 27,368 at the 2000 census. Located at the junction of U.S. Routes 2 and 53, it is just north of and adjacent to both the Village of Superior and the Town of Superior.Superior is situated at...
,
WisconsinWisconsin is one of the fifty U.S. states. Located in the north-central United States, Wisconsin is considered part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the...
on the afternoon of Sunday, November 9, 1975 under Captain
Ernest M. McSorleyErnest Michael McSorley was the last captain of the ill-fated Laker-type freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald. McSorley died, along with the other 28 members of his crew, when the Fitzgerald sank suddenly and mysteriously in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975.A Canadian by birth, McSorley wanted to...
. She was
en route to the steel mill on
Zug IslandZug Island is a heavily industrialized island in the city of River Rouge near the southern city limits of Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located where the mouth of the Rouge River spills into the Detroit River...
, near Detroit, Michigan, with a full cargo of
taconiteTaconite is an iron-bearing, high-silica, flint-like rock. It is a Precambrian sedimentary rock referred to as a banded iron formation due to the typical alternating iron-rich layers and shale or chert layers. The very finely dispersed iron content, present as magnetite, is generally 25 to 30%...
. A second freighter,
Arthur M. AndersonThe SS Arthur M. Anderson is a cargo ship of the laker type. She is famous for being the last ship to be in contact with the SS Edmund Fitzgerald . The Anderson was also the first rescue ship on the scene in a vain search for Fitzgerald survivors .- History :The SS Arthur M...
, destined for
Gary, IndianaGary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population was 102,746 at the 2000 census, making it the fifth largest city in the state. Gary was once the second largest city...
out of
Two Harbors, MinnesotaTwo Harbors is a city in and the county seat of Lake County, Minnesota, United States, along the shore of Lake Superior. The population was 3,613 at the 2000 census.Minnesota Highway 61 serves as a main arterial route in the city....
, joined up with
Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald, being the faster ship, took the lead while
Anderson trailed not far behind.
Crossing Lake Superior at about 13
knotsThe knot is a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour, which is equal to exactly 1.852 km/h and approximately 1.151 mph. The abbreviation kn is preferred by American and Canadian maritime authorities, and by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; however, the...
(15
mphThe mile per hour is a unit of speed, measured in Imperial units expressing the number of international miles covered per hour.It is currently the unit used for speed limits, and speeds, on roads in the United Kingdom and United States...
/24
km/hThe kilometre per hour is a unit of speed or velocity, expressing the number of kilometers traveled in one hour...
), the boats encountered a massive winter storm, reporting winds in excess of and waves as high as 35 feet (10 m). Because of the storm, the
Soo LocksThe Soo Locks allow ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. The locks pass an average of 10,000 ships per year. This is achieved in spite of the locks' being closed during the winter, from January through March, when ice shuts down shipping on the Great Lakes. The winter...
at
Sault Ste. MarieSault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River...
were closed. The freighters altered their courses northward, seeking shelter along the
CanadianCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
coast. Later, they would cross to
Whitefish BayWhitefish Bay is a large bay on the eastern end of the southern shore of Lake Superior between Michigan and Ontario. It begins in the north and west at Whitefish Point in Michigan, about 10 miles north of Paradise, Michigan and ends at the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie on the southeast...
to approach the locks.
Late in the afternoon of Monday, November 10, sustained winds of 50 knots were observed across eastern Lake Superior.
Anderson was struck by a 75-knot hurricane-force gust. At 3:30 pm
Fitzgerald radioed
Anderson to report a minor
list developing and top-side damage including the loss of
radarRadar is an object detection system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range, altitude, direction, or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as aircraft, ships, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The term RADAR was coined in 1941 as an acronym for RAdio Detection And...
. Visibility was poor due to heavy snow, and the Coast Guard warned all ships to find safe harbor. Two of the
Fitzgerald's six bilge pumps were running continuously to discharge shipped water. The lighthouse and navigational
radio beaconElectric beacons are a kind of beacon used with direction finding equipment to find ones relative bearing to a known location .The term electric beacon includes radio, infrared and sonar beacons.- Radio beacons :...
at Whitefish Point had also been knocked out by the storm.
Fitzgerald was ahead of
Anderson at the time, effectively blind; therefore, she slowed to come within 10 miles range so she could receive radar guidance from the other ship.
For a time
Anderson directed the
Fitzgerald toward the relative safety of Whitefish Bay. At 5:45 pm, Captain McSorley radioed another ship,
Avafors, to report that
Fitzgerald was suffering a bad list, had lost her radars, and had seas washing over her decks. McSorley described the situation as, "One of the worst seas I've ever been in."
The last communication from the doomed ship came at approximately 7:10 pm, when
Anderson notified
Fitzgerald of an upbound ship and asked how she was doing. McSorley reported, "We are holding our own." A few minutes later, she apparently sank; no distress signal was received. Ten minutes later
Anderson could neither raise
Fitzgerald by radio, nor detect her on
radarRadar is an object detection system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range, altitude, direction, or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as aircraft, ships, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The term RADAR was coined in 1941 as an acronym for RAdio Detection And...
. At 8:32 pm,
Anderson was finally able to convince the U. S. Coast Guard that the Fitzgerald had gone missing. Up until that time, the Coast Guard was looking for a 16 foot outboard lost in the area. The United States Coat Guard finally took Captain of the Anderson, Jesse "Bernie" Cooper seriously shortly after 8:30 PM. The Coast Guard then asked the "Anderson to turn around and look for survivors".
Search
Once
Anderson noted the loss of
Fitzgerald, a search was launched for survivors. The initial search consisted of the
Arthur M. Anderson, and a second freighter,
SS William Clay FordThe SS William Clay Ford was a bulk freighter built for hauling material on the Great Lakes. She was named for William Clay Ford, Sr., grandson of Henry Ford, Sr. Her keel was laid in 1952 at River Rouge, MI by the Great Lakes Engineering Works, and she was launched in 1953...
. The efforts of a third freighter, the Canadian vessel
Hilda MarjanneA straight deck bulk carrier operating on the Great Lakes, the Hilda Marjanne was commissioned by the U.S. Maritime Commission and launched on December 9 1943. Five years later she was sold to the Greek Cephalonian Maritime Company, and in 1960 was finally sold to the Canadian Leitch Transport.She...
, were foiled by the weather. The U.S. Coast Guard launched three aircraft, but could not mobilize any ships. A Coast Guard buoy tender,
WoodrushUSCGC Woodrush was a United States Coast Guard Buoy Tender stationed in Duluth, Minnesota. It is best remembered as the First Coast Guard vessel to arrive on the scene of the foundering of the Edmund Fitzgerald on the evening of November 10, 1975. Woodrush arrived shortly after 2 A.M. the next...
, was able to launch within two and a half hours, but took a day to arrive. The search recovered debris, including
lifeboatA lifeboat is a small watercraft carried on a ship to provide a means of emergency evacuation in the event of a disaster aboard the ship. Lifeboats may be rigid or inflatable vessels; the inflatable type are sometimes referred to as liferafts. In the military, a lifeboat may be referred to as a...
s and rafts, but no survivors.
Underwater survey
The wreck was first located by a
U.S. NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
aircraft with on-board
magnetic anomaly detectorA magnetic anomaly detector is an instrument used to detect minute variations in the Earth's magnetic field. The term refers specifically to magnetometers used by military forces to detect submarines ; the military MAD gear is a descendent of geomagnetic survey instruments used to search for...
equipment, normally used to detect submarines. The wreck was further surveyed using side scan sonar on November 14 to November 16 by the Coast Guard. The sonar revealed two large objects lying close together on the lake floor. A second survey took place from November 22 through November 25 by a private contractor, Seaward, Inc.
In 1976, from May 20 to May 28, an unmanned U.S. Navy
submersible***Also see Submersible drilling rig for offshore drillingA submersible is a commerical or non-military midget submarine with limited service range and is typically transported to its area of operation by a surface vessel or large submarine....
photographed the wreck. This submersible, CURV III, consisted of an underwater vehicle connected via umbilical control to a surface support ship. On-board imaging equipment included one
35 mmThe term 135 was introduced by Kodak in 1934 as a designation for cartridge film wide, specifically for still photography. It quickly grew in popularity, surpassing 120 film by the late 1960s to become the most popular photographic film format...
stillA still camera is a type of camera used to take photographs. Traditional cameras capture light onto photographic film. Digital cameras use electronics, usually a charge coupled device to store digital images in computer memory inside the camera...
and two
black-and-whiteBlack-and-white is a number of monochrome forms in visual arts. Most forms of visual technology start out in black and white, then slowly evolve into color as technology progresses....
video camerasA professional video camera is a high-end device for recording electronic moving images...
. It found
Edmund Fitzgerald lying in two large pieces in 530 feet (160 m) of water. The bow section, approximately 276 feet (84 m) long, lay upright in the mud. The
sternThe stern is the rear or aft part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter to the taffrail...
section lay 170 feet (52 m) away, inverted (face down), at a 50-degree angle from the bow. Metal and taconite heaps between the bow and stern comprised the remnants of the mid-section.
Cause and controversy
When
Fitzgerald first vanished, it was widely believed the boat had snapped in half on the lake surface owing to storm action. Similar surface breakups in the past suggested bow and stern sections would be found miles apart on the lake floor. When underwater surveys revealed these sections were just 50 yards from each other, it was concluded that
Fitzgerald had instead broken upon hitting the lake floor.
A Coast Guard investigation postulated that the accident was caused by ineffective hatch closures. These devices were unable to prevent waves from inundating the cargo hold. The flooding occurred gradually and probably imperceptibly throughout the final day, and finally resulted in a fatal loss of buoyancy and stability. As a result, the boat plummeted to the bottom without warning.
The Coast Guard report proved controversial. Their conclusions failed to address critical pieces of evidence. Also, whether coincidence or not, the report always placed blame on the crew, which prevented a costly lawsuit against Oglebay-Norton. The most common alternative theory contends that inoperative radar forced the crew to rely on inaccurate charts. The Canadian and American versions of the same chart placed shoals and shallow water in different places, and failed to mark some shoals at all. As a result,
Fitzgerald briefly ran aground or scraped a
shoalThings known as shoal, shoals or shoaling include:* Shoal, a sandbank or reef creating shallow water, especially where it forms a hazard to shipping* Shoal draught , of a boat with shallow draught which can pass over some shoals...
near Caribou Island without the crew being aware of it. Consequently, she received bottom damage, which caused her to gradually take on water until she sank so suddenly in the deep water that none of her crew had time to react. The ship, pile-driving into the lake bottom, snapped in half, and its stern landed upside-down on the bottom. (If so, given the ship's length vs. the depth of the water, the stern could still have been above water when the bow hit bottom.) This theory is supported by final
radio communicationsRadio is the transmission of signals by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
between
Anderson and
Fitzgerald;
Anderson had been struck by two large waves that were heading toward
Fitzgerald. If the
hullA hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull comes the superstructure and deckhouse. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
had indeed been breached, it would be difficult to prove.
Fitzgerald has settled in mud up to her load marks, making it impossible to inspect for damage.
A documentary created and aired by the Discovery Channel investigated a large "fold" found in the hull plating. Previous defects with cargo hold covers and clamps as well as cracking issues were also addressed. Through the use of wave tanks and computer simulation, the Discovery Channel team concluded the loss of the SS
Edmund Fitzgerald was due to a rogue wave. Reports show three large waves were detected, two of which were reported by the
Anderson. As per the investigation, it was theorized that the
Fitzgerald was badly battered by the first two waves, further damaging the hatch covers. It was surmised ultimately that the
Fitzgerald took on water through the damaged cargo hold covers, which flooded the ore cargo and severely stressed the ship's hull, and was then overwhelmed by the third wave that snapped the weakened ship in half.
Memorials
The day after the wreck,
Mariners' ChurchMariners' Church of Detroit is a church in the Anglican tradition located at 170 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, United States. While the church uses the Book of Common Prayer and has historically been served by Anglican priests, it is not part of the Episcopal Church USA...
in Detroit rang its bell 29 times; once for each life lost. The church continues to hold an annual memorial, reading the names of the crewmen and ringing the church bell. On the 12th of November 2006, two days after the 31st anniversary of the sinking of the
Edmund Fitzgerald, the church broadened its memorial ceremony to include the more than 6,000 lives lost on the Great Lakes. In 2006, the bell at Mariners' Church tolled eight times, not the usual 29: five times for the 5 Great Lakes, a sixth time for the St. Clair and Detroit rivers, a seventh for the St. Lawrence Seaway and an eighth time for military personnel whose lives were lost.
The
ship's bellA ship's bell is usually made of brass, and has the ship's name engraved on it.Strikes of a ship's bell are used to indicate the hour aboard a ship and thereby to regulate the sailors' duty watches....
was recovered from the wreck on July 4, 1995 and is now in the
Great Lakes Shipwreck MuseumThe Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is located in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is on the northeastern portion of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on Whitefish Point which forms the northern end of Whitefish Bay on Lake Superior....
in
Whitefish PointWhitefish Bay is a large bay on the eastern end of the southern shore of Lake Superior between Michigan and Ontario. It begins in the north and west at Whitefish Point in Michigan, about 10 miles north of Paradise, Michigan and ends at the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie on the southeast...
near
ParadiseParadise is an unincorporated community in Whitefish Township, Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan.Paradise is on the northeastern portion of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the western side of Whitefish Bay, Lake Superior, about by road from Sault Ste. Marie and about north of the...
,
MichiganMichigan is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. An anchor from
Fitzgerald lost on an earlier trip was recovered from the
Detroit RiverThe Detroit River is a 32 mile long river in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as River of the Strait. The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. ...
and is on display at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum in Detroit, Michigan. Artifacts in the
Steamship Valley CampThe SS Valley Camp is a freighter boat that served on the Great Lakes for almost 50 years and is currently serving as a museum ship in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.- History :...
museum in
Sault Ste. Marie, MichiganSault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River...
include two lifeboats, (Lifeboat #2 is shredded like paper), photos, a movie of the
Fitzgerald and commemorative models and paintings.
On every 10th of November the
Split Rock LightSplit Rock Lighthouse is a lighthouse located just south of Silver Bay, Minnesota, USA on the North Shore of Lake Superior. The structure was designed by lighthouse engineer Ralph Russell Tinkham and was completed in 1910 by the United States Lighthouse Service at a cost of $75,000, including the...
house in
Silver Bay, MinnesotaSilver Bay is a city in Lake County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,068 at the 2000 census.The city attained notoriety in the 1960s when it was discovered that the Reserve Corporation was dumping taconite residue into Lake Superior...
emits a light in honor of the
Edmund Fitzgerald.
Coast Guard Cutter
Woodrush was replaced by a brand new buoy tender in 2001,
USCGC MapleThe USCGC Maple is a United States Coast Guard cutter — the seventh of 16 in the Juniper class taking the place of the decommissioned USCGC Woodrush...
. On her maiden voyage, the
Maple visited the final resting place of the
Fitzgerald and dropped the last
Woodrush life ring down to the wreck.
On August 8, 2007, a Michigan family discovered a lone life saving ring in a provincial park along the shores of Lake Superior that seemed to be from the
Fitzgerald. It was thought to be a hoax because there are considerable differences in the markings of proven rings found at the wreck site. A recent Associated Press article published 20 August 2007 confirms that the life ring was indeed a memorial, not an artifact.
Musical tributes
In 1976, Canadian singer-songwriter
Gordon LightfootGordon Meredith Lightfoot, Jr., CC, O.Ont is a Canadian singer and songwriter who has achieved international success in folk, country, and popular music...
recorded the song "
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is a song written, composed, and performed by Gordon Lightfoot in commemoration of the sinking of the bulk carrier S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975...
," commemorating the events surrounding the sinking of the ship. The song was later covered by
The Dandy WarholsThe Dandy Warhols are a US rock band formed in Portland, Oregon, by Courtney Taylor-Taylor , Zia McCabe , Peter Holmström , and Eric Hedford , who left in 1998 to be replaced by Taylor-Taylor's cousin Brent De Boer...
on their second album,
The Black Album. The band's lead singer,
Courtney Taylor-TaylorCourtney Taylor-Taylor is the primary songwriter, lead singer and guitarist for The Dandy Warhols, a band he co-founded. He attended Sunset High School in Beaverton, Oregon, a suburb of Portland...
, is the cousin of the ship's
Third MateA Third Mate or Third Officer is a licensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. The third mate is a watchstander and customarily the ship's safety officer...
Michael Armagost.
In 1986, writer
Steven DietzSteven Dietz is an American playwright whose work is largely performed regionally, i.e. outside of New York City. Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Dietz graduated in 1980 with a B.A...
and songwriter/lyricist Eric Peltoniemi wrote the musical Ten November in memory of the
Fitzgerald's sinking. In 2005, the musical was re-edited into a new musical called
The Gales Of November, which opened on the 30th anniversary of the sinking at the
Fitzgerald TheaterThe Fitzgerald Theater is the oldest existing stage venue in the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota, and the home of American Public Media's A Prairie Home Companion. It was one of many theaters built by the Shubert Theatre Corporation, and was initially named the Sam S. Shubert Theater...
in St. Paul.
Also in 2005, Michigan based Northern-Rock band Great Lakes Myth Society included audio samples of transmissions from the
Anderson relaying the suspected loss of the
Fitzgerald to the Coast Guard in their song "Lake Effect."
Another 30th anniversary commemoration was a piano concerto entitled "The Edmund Fitzgerald" by American composer Geoffrey Peterson in 2002, which was premiered by the Sault Symphony Orchestra in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada in November 2005.
One of many wrecks
Although she is the latest vessel lost, and the largest,
Fitzgerald is not alone on the bottom. Between the loss of the
Invincible in 1816 and sinking of the
Fitzgerald in 1975, the
Whitefish PointThe Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve was established in 1987 to protect and conserve shipwrecks and historical resources on of Lake Superior bottomlands in Whitefish Bay and around Whitefish Point, Michigan. The formation of the Michigan Underwater Preserves helped stop controversy over...
area has claimed at least 240 ships. The Great Lakes have a long history of nautical disaster; nearly 6,000 shipwrecks occurred between 1878 and 1994, with about a quarter of those being listed as total losses with a total of 1,166 lives lost.Some ships and crews simply vanished in storms. The
SS Carl D. BradleyThe was a self-unloading Great Lakes freighter. Built in 1927 by the American Ship Building Company in Lorain, Ohio, the Bradley was owned by the Michigan Limestone division of U.S. Steel, and operated by the Bradley Transportation Line.- History :...
-- the largest freighter on the lakes and dubbed "Queen of the Lakes" until the Fitzgerald was launched -- suffered a similar fate in November, 1958. Thirty three crew perished, and two survived.
See also, SS Daniel J. MorrellThe SS Daniel J. Morrell was a Great Lakes freighter that broke up in a strong storm on Lake Huron on 29 November 1966, taking with it 28 of its 29 crewmen.-The Ship's Name:...
. Moreover, losses of even greater magnitude, measured by the number of ships involved and lives lost due to a 'freshwater snow-filled hurricane', have occurred in the past. See
Great Lakes Storm of 1913The Great Lakes Storm of 1913, historically referred to as the "Big Blow", the "Freshwater Fury" or the "White Hurricane", was a blizzard with hurricane-force winds that devastated the Great Lakes Basin in the Midwestern United States and the Canadian province of Ontario from November 7 through...
and
Great Storms of the North American Great LakesEver since people have traveled the Great Lakes storms have taken lives and vessels. The first sailing vessel the Le Griffin was lost on its return from Green Bay in 1679. Since that time, memorable storms have swept the lakes, often in November taking men and ships to their death...
.
A number of diveable marine preserves, including 11 in the
Michigan Underwater PreservesMichigan Underwater Preserves or Michigan Bottomland Preserves are protected areas of the Great Lakes on Michigan's coast. The eleven designated areas, comprising a surface area of over 2,400 square miles, are considered to be "Underwater museums" and serve to protect concentrations of shipwrecks,...
, have been established that contain multiple
sunken shipsA shipwreck is the remains of a ship that has wrecked, it having either been sunk or beached. A shipwreck can refer to a wrecked ship or to the event that caused the wreck, such as the striking of something that causes the ship to sink, the stranding of the ship on rocks, land or shoal, or the...
. In 2005, efforts were underway to establish in Washington, D.C. a memorial remembering all lost Great Lakes mariners. A campaign to establish the November 10th as "Great Lakes Mariners Day" fell short when in 1994, the
House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as the "House," is the lower house of the bicameral United States Congress, the upper house being the United States Senate. The composition and powers of the House and the Senate are established in Article One of the Constitution...
ended the practice of annual Congressional recognition days.
Crew members
Edmund Fitzgeralds crew of 29 on her final voyage included:
| Last, First | Position | Age | Hometown |
|---|
| Armagost, Michael E. |
Third MateA Third Mate or Third Officer is a licensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. The third mate is a watchstander and customarily the ship's safety officer...
|
37 |
Iron River, Wisconsin Iron River is a town in Bayfield County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,059 at the 2000 census.U.S. Highway 2 serves as a main arterial route in the community.-Geography:...
|
| Beetcher, Fred J. |
Porter |
56 |
Superior, WisconsinSuperior is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 27,368 at the 2000 census. Located at the junction of U.S. Routes 2 and 53, it is just north of and adjacent to both the Village of Superior and the Town of Superior.Superior is situated at...
|
| Bentsen, Thomas D. |
Oiler An oiler is a worker whose main job is to oil machinery. In previous eras there were oiler positions in various industries, including maritime work , railroading, steelmaking, and mining...
|
23 |
St. Joseph, MichiganSt. Joseph is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It was incorporated as a village in 1834 and as a city in 1891. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,789. It lies on the shore of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the St. Joseph River, about 60 miles east-northeast of Chicago. It is the...
|
| Bindon, Edward F. |
First Assistant Engineer A First Assistant Engineer is a licensed member of the engineering department on a merchant vessel. This title is used for the person on a ship responsible for supervising the daily maintenance and operation of the engine department...
|
47 |
Fairport Harbor, Ohio Fairport Harbor is a village in Lake County, Ohio, United States, along Lake Erie at the mouth of the Grand River. The population was 3,180 at the 2000 census....
|
| Borgeson, Thomas D. |
Maintenance Man |
41 |
Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,918 in the 2000 census and 84,397 according to July 1, 2007 census estimates. The Duluth MSA had a population of 275,486 in 2000...
|
| Champeau, Oliver J. |
Third Assistant Engineer The Third Assistant Engineer, also known as the Fourth Engineer, is a licensed member of the engineering department on a merchant vessel....
|
41 |
Sturgeon Bay, WisconsinSturgeon Bay is a city in and the county seat of Door County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 9,437 at the 2000 census. It is located at the natural end of Sturgeon Bay, although the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal was built across the remainder of the Door Peninsula.-Geography:Sturgeon Bay is...
|
| Church, Nolan S. |
Porter |
55 |
Silver Bay, Minnesota Silver Bay is a city in Lake County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,068 at the 2000 census.The city attained notoriety in the 1960s when it was discovered that the Reserve Corporation was dumping taconite residue into Lake Superior...
|
| Cundy, Ransom E. |
Watchman |
53 |
Superior, Wisconsin |
| Edwards, Thomas E. |
Second Assistant Engineer A Second Assistant Engineer or Third Engineer is a licensed member of the engineering department on a merchant vessel.The Second Assistant is usually in charge of boilers, fuel, auxiliary engines, condensate and feed systems, and is the third most senior marine engineer on board. Depending on...
|
50 |
Oregon, Ohio Oregon is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States. It is a suburb of Toledo. The population was 19,355 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Oregon is located at ....
|
| Haskell, Russell G. |
Second Assistant Engineer |
40 |
Millbury, Ohio Millbury is a village in Wood County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,161 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Millbury is located at ....
|
| Holl, George J. |
Chief Engineer A Chief Engineer is a licensed mariner in charge of the engineering department on a merchant vessel. "Chief Engineer" is the official title of someone qualified to oversee the entire engine department; the qualification is colloquially called a "Chief's Ticket"...
|
60 |
Cabot, Pennsylvania |
| Hudson, Bruce L. |
Deck HandAn Able Seaman is an unlicensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. An AB may work as a watchstander, a day worker, or a combination of these roles.-Watchstander:...
|
22 |
North Olmsted, Ohio North Olmsted is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 34,113.- History :The entire area containing North Olmsted was originally part of the Connecticut Western Reserve....
|
| Kalmon, Allen G. |
Second Cook A Chief Cook is a senior unlicensed crewmember working in the Steward's department of a merchant ship.The chief cook directs and participates in the preparation and serving of meals; determines timing and sequence of operations required to meet serving times; inspects galley and equipment for...
|
43 |
Washburn, WisconsinWashburn is a city in Bayfield County, in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 2,280 at the 2000 census. The city is just east of and adjacent to the Town of Washburn...
|
| MacLellan, Gordon F. |
Wiper A wiper is the most junior crewmember in the engine room of a ship. Their role consists of cleaning the engine spaces and machinery, and assisting the engineers as directed....
|
30 |
Clearwater, FloridaClearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, USA, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787; however, according to the 2005 U.S. Census Bureau's estimates, the city's population fell slightly to 108,687....
|
| Mazes, Joseph W. |
Special Maintenance Man |
59 |
Ashland, WisconsinAshland is a city in Ashland and Bayfield counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The city is a port on Lake Superior, near the head of Chequamegon Bay. The population was 8,620 at the 2000 census....
|
| McCarthy, John H. |
First Mate |
62 |
Bay Village, Ohio Bay Village is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 16,087 at the 2000 census. Bay Village is located in Ohio's 10th congressional district.-Geography:Bay Village is located at ....
|
| McSorley, Ernest M. Ernest Michael McSorley was the last captain of the ill-fated Laker-type freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald. McSorley died, along with the other 28 members of his crew, when the Fitzgerald sank suddenly and mysteriously in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975.A Canadian by birth, McSorley wanted to...
|
CaptainThe Captain or Master of a merchant vessel is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. A Ship's Captain, also called Shipmaster or Skipper, is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel...
|
63 |
Toledo, OhioToledo is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio within the Great Lakes Region and the county seat of Lucas County. Named after Toledo, Spain, it is located on the western end of Lake Erie, on the Michigan border. It is the principal city in the Toledo Metropolitan Statistical Area. In the 2000 census,...
|
| O'Brien, Eugene W. |
Wheelsman A helmsman is a person who steers a ship, sailboat, submarine, or other type of maritime vessel. In the merchant marine, the person at the helm is usually an able seaman, particularly during ship arrivals, departures, and while maneuvering in restricted waters or other conditions requiring precise...
|
50 |
Toledo, Ohio |
| Peckol, Karl A. |
Watchman |
20 |
Ashtabula, OhioAshtabula is a city in Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States, and the center of the Ashtabula Micropolitan Statistical Area . A major location on the Underground Railroad in the middle 19th century, the city today is a major coal port on Lake Erie at the mouth of the Ashtabula River northeast of...
|
| Poviach, John J. |
Wheelsman |
59 |
Bradenton, Florida Bradenton is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's 2007 population to be 53,471. Bradenton is the largest Principal City of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2007 estimated population of 682,833...
|
| Pratt, James A. |
Second MateA second mate or second officer is a licensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. The second mate is the third in command and a watchkeeping officer, customarily the ship's navigator. Other duties vary, but the second mate is often the medical officer and in charge of maintaining...
|
44 |
Lakewood, OhioLakewood is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Greater Cleveland Metropolitan Area, and borders the city of Cleveland...
|
| Rafferty, Robert C. |
StewardA Chief Steward is the senior unlicensed crew member working in the Steward's Department of a ship. Since there is no purser on most ships in the United States Merchant Marine, the steward is the senior person in the department, from whence its name...
|
62 |
Toledo, Ohio |
| Rippa, Paul M. |
Deck HandAn Able Seaman is an unlicensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. An AB may work as a watchstander, a day worker, or a combination of these roles.-Watchstander:...
|
22 |
Ashtabula, Ohio |
| Simmons, John D. |
Wheelsman |
62 |
Ashland, Wisconsin |
| Spengler, William J. |
Watchman |
59 |
Toledo, Ohio |
| Thomas, Mark A. |
Deck HandAn Able Seaman is an unlicensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. An AB may work as a watchstander, a day worker, or a combination of these roles.-Watchstander:...
|
21 |
Richmond Heights, Ohio Richmond Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 10,944 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Richmond Heights is located at...
|
| Walton, Ralph G. |
Oiler |
58 |
Fremont, OhioFremont is a city in and the county seat of Sandusky County, Ohio, United States. The population was 17,375 at the 2000 census. Former president Rutherford B. Hayes lived in the city for a period of time and dedicated a library to the town...
|
| Weiss, David E. |
Cadet |
22 |
Agoura, California Agoura is the name of the neighborhood in the southeastern area of the city of Agoura Hills, California, adjacent to the city of Calabasas in Los Angeles County. Agoura was the historical name of the area, before much of the area was developed and before the incorporation of the city of Agoura Hills...
|
| Wilhelm, Blaine H. |
Oiler |
52 |
Moquah, Wisconsin Pilsen is a town in Bayfield County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 203 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 35.1 square miles , of which, 34.9 square miles of it is land and 0.2 square miles of it ...
|
Additional Reading
- Shumacher, Michael. Might Fitz: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Bloomsbury, 2005. ISBN 1596911670.
- Bishop, Hugh E. The Night the Fitz Went Down. Lake Superior Port Cities, Inc., 2000. ISBN 0-942235-37-1
External links