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41 years ago Nov. 10

A

Al Baker(pumpman)

Member
41 years ago the SS Edmund Fitzgerald went down in a hurricane type storm in Lake Superior. This must have been a terrible and violent way to die. I am not sure there is an easy way, but I remember how cold, rainy, and windy it was that night. I was a kid, but my Dad Knew most of the captains and crew who sailed the big boats. It was a real shock when she went down. Its still a mystery what happened. Al
 
Quite a piece of history, and like you said none of the theories as to why the "Fitz" went down have been proven. Lots of power in those lakes.
 
Those lake ships of that era were built to haul maximum payload and the cargo hold was just one gigantic open space. No separate compartments with water tight bulkheads dividing them, any fair size hole could flood the whole ship instead of being contained within an area small enough to not fatally affect stability.
 
This is one of my favorite midwestern tales... So much so that I decided to dedicate something to it... I love watching the documentary that was filmed on the Edmund Fitzgerald. Attached is my dedication to the story, and below you will find a video link to the documentary (about 45 minutes).
a242242.jpg

Edmund Fitzgerald Documentary Full Video
 
Power of the water isn't something to be messed with. I have been to White Fish Point where there are many thing from that boat. The life boat looks to be made of 1/2 thick alum and it is twisted like a piece of tin foil. There is some of buoys removed from the lake after that storm and they are all smashed. I remember the day it went down
 
After driving tractors across the Mackinac bridge in September went with friends to do the Soo locks tour, then the ship museum. Still amazed at the power it took to twist those steel buoys like that..
 
Reports are wave heights on Superior that night of November 10 were 25-30 feet. Fitz had 12 ft from normal waterline to top of cargo hold. She was heavy loaded and some say all the cargo lids were not secured and not waterproof although no one knows for sure. Another ship about 15 miles behind Fitz radioed to Fitz asked how she doing. Captain said am listing 10-15 degrees but have 3 bilge pumps running, don't seem to be keeping up. Was the last time anyone heard from the Fitz. Around 6:30 PM.
At Whitefish Point there is a interesting museum there to go thru.
 
Seems like I read they had recertified it to draft 3' more than original sometime before it went down, all about the $.
 
Remember it well. I was working at the VA Hospital in St. Cloud, Mn. That night I was working in my shop when the news broke on the radio. Months before that, I had 3 crewmembers (at different times) come through my department. Several Months ago Gordon Lightfoot performed at the Mountain Grand in Deadwood and stopped his show several times to take oxygen.
 
I have always had an interest in the story also, it happened on my birthday when I was 10. Bernie Cooper was the Captain of the Arthur Anderson, which was following the Fitz that day. He thinks she hit bottom or had a stress fracture . He and others said the official report of leaky hatch covers didn't make sense because hatch covers alone could not have allowed enough water in to sink her. From about 3 pm she had a list, broken railing and had lost 2 vent covers . Bernie said he believed she was sinking from that point on . The ship was fully loaded and the storm was terrible, and she was known to have structural problems, the so called "loose keel " which had been welded several times. The stresses on that ship must have been unreal, and a stress fracture sure seems plausible. The Anderson reported 3 giant waves passed her about 10 minutes before the Fitz went off radar, I believe one of those huge waves got the crippled ship. Lots of theories and info around the web for those curious.
 
35 foot waves, 70 mph winds. Barometric pressure equivalent to a cat II hurricane. No wonder the boat went down. Then there was the geography of the area. 'Nuff said. A real tragedy.
 
If you can find it on the net there is the last radio contact with the ship that night. If you listen to it ou can hear the fear in the voices. It is enough to make the hair on you neck stand up. I have been on Lake Mich in 6 foot waves with a 25 foot boat and I cannot imange what these guys went thru
 
I've through a class 4 hurricane, at sea, aboard a destroyer. Given the power of the water that could be felt, even on a ship small, and light enough to 'power through it', I can only imagine what these guys were going through aboard a cargo ship.

RIP to the crew........
 


I also remember when the news came over the radio, and the cold chills going through me. I also have been to the museum and watched their movie. I recommend anyone interested, to stop there, at Whitefish Point, at the lighthouse.
 
Never heard that rendition of the song ..... actually quite good, not "Gord Good" but very good. Mind you, being Canadian makes me slightly biased .... ha !!! Another ship sinking ballad that Lightfoot wrote was "The Ballad of the Yarmouth Castle" .... classic song.
 
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