"[147], After reviewing testimony that Edmund Fitzgerald had passed near shoals north of Caribou Island, the USCG Marine Board examined the relevant navigational charts. 8 and the deck plating was ripped up from the separation to the forward end of hatch No. The collision tore a hole in the ship's bow large enough to drive a truck through, but the Maumee was able to travel halfway around the world to a repair yard, without difficulty, because she was fitted with watertight bulkheads. It's the last and the largest ship ever lost on the lakes. Captained by Ernest M. McSorley, Fitzgerald left the Burlington Northern Railroad Dock 1 in Superior Wisconsin. Some theories deal with the weather conditions as well as focusing on equipment malfunctions that took . [135] The two vessels were built in the same shipyard using welded joints instead of the riveted joints used in older ore freighters. [3] The hold depth (the inside height of the cargo hold) was 33ft 4in (10.16m). Final resting place: Lake Superior, about 530 ft underwater. 5 hatch coaming. On Nov. 10, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald was sailing on Lake Superior with a crew of 29 men, according to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank Lake Superior nearly 47 years ago. In contrast to the NWS forecast, Captain Dudley J. Paquette of Wilfred Sykes predicted that a major storm would directly cross Lake Superior. 1960 Arthur B. Homer 1986. [42] The NWS altered its forecast at 7:00p.m., issuing gale warnings for the whole of Lake Superior. 1966 the "Daniel J. Morrell" sank in another horrific storm in Lake Huron (which so injured the "Morrell's" sister ship, the "Edward Y. Townsend" that it sank . The intensity of the November 10 storm would have made it difficult, if not impossible, to access the hatches from the spar deck (deck over the cargo holds). Keel laid March 18, 1959; launched Nov 7, 1959. The sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald was a tragedy of epic proportions. [35][108] The "three sisters" phenomenon is said to occur on Lake Superior as a result of a sequence of three rogue waves forming that are one-third larger than normal waves. Her sister ship, the Arthur B. Homer was ordered soon after. On the afternoon of November 9, 1975 the Fitzgerald departed Superior, Wisconsin en route to the steel mill on Zug Island, near Detroit, Michigan. When the gales of November came early. In the years between 1816, when Invincible was lost, and 1975, when Edmund Fitzgerald sank, the Whitefish Point area had claimed at least 240ships. Commercial Ship SS Edmund Fitzgerald Model Lenght 70 - 105 (cm) - home decoration. The massive ship sank in a severe storm on Lake Superior Nov. 10, 1975, killing all . She was never heard from again. [181] NTSB's investigation resulted in 19recommendations for the USCG, four recommendations for the American Bureau of Shipping, and two recommendations for NOAA. If this were true, the two sections would be much closer. [134] After August B. Herbel Jr., president of the American Society for Testing and Materials, examined photographs of the welds on Edmund Fitzgerald, he stated, "the hull was just being held together with patching plates." Measuring 729 feet (222 meters) in length and weighing over 13,632 gross tons, the Edmund Fitzgerald was . [110] This meant that Edmund Fitzgerald's deck was only 11.5 feet (3.5m) above the water when she faced 35-foot (11m) waves during the November 10 storm. Loaded with iron ore like so many other runs this vessel makes. This would restrict the operation of vessels in sea states above the limiting value. The launch of the EDMUND FITZGERALD. The Edmund Fitzgerald's final voyage. During 1974, she lost her original bow anchor in the Detroit River. Edmund Fitzgerald may have been swamped, suffered structural failure or topside damage, grounded on a shoal, or suffered from a combination of these. 9 was not detailed enough to indicate Six Fathom Shoal as a hazard to navigation.[146]. [211] Memorabilia on sale include Christmas ornaments, T-shirts, coffee mugs, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, videos, and other items commemorating the vessel and its loss. The USCG investigation of Edmund Fitzgerald's sinking resulted in 15recommendations regarding load lines, weathertight integrity, search and rescue capability, lifesaving equipment, crew training, loading manuals, and providing information to masters of Great Lakes vessels. The Edmund Fitzgerald was the first of two similar sister ships constructed by Great Lakes Engineering Works, the other being her sister Arthur B. Homer of 1960, constructed for Bethlehem Steel. [106] The analysis further showed that the maximum sustained winds reached near hurricane force of about 70mph (61kn; 110km/h) with gusts to 86 miles per hour (75kn; 138km/h) at the time and location where Edmund Fitzgerald sank. Stonehouse called on ship designers and builders to design lake carriers more like ships rather than "motorized super-barges"[152] making the following comparison: Contrast this [the Edmund Fitzgerald] with the story of the SS Maumee, an oceangoing tanker that struck an iceberg near the South Pole recently. On NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday on February 14, 2015, Gordon Lightfoot said he was inspired to write the song when he saw the name misspelled "Edmond" in Newsweek magazine two weeks after the sinking; Lightfoot said he felt that it dishonored the memory of the 29 who died. Edmund Fitzgerald. Its mysterious demise inspired Gordon Lightfoot's hit song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" (1976), which helped make it the most famous shipwreck in the Great Lakes. The third incoming wave again adds to the two accumulated backwashes, quickly overloading the deck with too much water. It was designed to carry taconite pellets (a type of iron ore) from mines near Duluth to iron works in Detroit . His hypothesis held that Edmund Fitzgerald grounded at 9:30a.m. on November 10 on Superior Shoal. The NTSB made the following observations based on the CURV-III survey: The No. The ship is scheduled to transport the cargo to Zug Island on the Detroit River. [153], After Edmund Fitzgerald foundered, Great Lakes shipping companies were accused of valuing cargo payloads more than human life,[154] since the vessel's cargo hold of 860,950 cubic feet (24,379m3) had been divided by two non-watertight traverse "screen" bulkheads. [177] In addition to the crew, 26,116 long tons (29,250 short tons; 26,535t) of taconite sank along with the vessel. [24] More than 15,000 people attended Edmund Fitzgerald's christening and launch ceremony on June 7, 1958. [15] Edmund Fitzgerald's three central cargo holds[16] were loaded through 21 watertight cargo hatches, each 11 by 48 feet (3.4 by 14.6m) of .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}516-inch-thick (7.9mm) steel. An additional $2.1million lawsuit was later filed. The Fitzgerald and the Arthur M. Anderson, another freighter on . 7. But I think, it is more a result of the fact, that it happened in recent times . [9] In 1957, they contracted Great Lakes Engineering Works (GLEW), of River Rouge, Michigan, to design and construct the ship "within a foot of the maximum length allowed for passage through the soon-to-be completed Saint Lawrence Seaway. [3][4] GLEW laid the first keel plate on August 7 the same year. It has virtually no watertight integrity. [25] On September 22, 1958, Edmund Fitzgerald completed nine days of sea trials. the family didn't tell Brabon's sister, who . . [53], Captain Cooper of Arthur M. Anderson first called the USCG in Sault Ste. The ship's esteemed history is overshadowed by the tragedy that sent the vessel plunging to the bottom of Lake Superior with all 29 crew . The Edmund Fitzgerald was ordered by the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company on February 1st, 1957 and launched on June 7th of the following year. [45] Until then, Edmund Fitzgerald had followed Arthur M. Anderson, which was travelling at a constant 14.6 miles per hour (12.7kn; 23.5km/h),[40] but the faster Edmund Fitzgerald pulled ahead at about 3:00a.m.[46] As the storm center passed over the ships, they experienced shifting winds, with wind speeds temporarily dropping as wind direction changed from northeast to south and then northwest. While it is true that sailing conditions are good during the summer season, changes can occur abruptly, with severe storms and extreme weather and sea conditions arising rapidly. Compiled from over 50 years of exhaustive research by Gerald Metzler, the database is in the process of being digitized from a collection of over 30,000 handwritten vessel records. This water is unable to fully drain away before the second wave strikes, adding to the surplus. She was located in deep water on November 14, 1975, by a U.S. Navy aircraft detecting magnetic anomalies, and found soon afterwards to be in two large pieces. He said: The Great Lakes ore carrier is the most commercially efficient vessel in the shipping trade today. Despite the passage of time, the story of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald continues to fascinate the residents of the Great Lakes state and beyond. Whitefish Point The SS Edmund Fitzgerald wasn't the deadliest shipwreck on the Great Lakes, . [50], McSorley was known as a "heavy weather captain"[167] who "'beat hell' out of the Edmund Fitzgerald and 'very seldom ever hauled up for weather'". The two vessels were built in the same shipyard using welded joints instead of the riveted . The simulation indicated such a rogue wave could almost completely submerge the bow or stern of the ship with water, at least temporarily. SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American Great Lakes freighter that sank in Lake Superior during a storm on November 10, 1975, with the loss of the entire crew of 29 men. Compressed air pressure blew a hole in the starboard bow, which sank 18degrees off course. Built at River Rouge MI by Great Lakes Engineering Works, Hull 303. The bow section abruptly ended just aft of hatch No. Red, died aboard the ship Nov. 10, 1975. . The bow section would have had to right itself and the stern portion would have had to capsize before coming to rest on the bottom. [104], A group of three rogue waves, often called "three sisters,"[107] was reported in the vicinity of Edmund Fitzgerald at the time she sank. [65], Although the search recovered debris, including lifeboats and rafts, none of the crew were found. He concluded that the topside damage Edmund Fitzgerald experienced at 3:30p.m. on November 10, compounded by the heavy seas, was the most obvious explanation for why she sank. [97] On the basis of the amended law, to protect wreck sites considered "watery graves", the Ontario government issued updated regulations in January 2006, including an area with a 500-meter (1,640ft) radius around Edmund Fitzgerald and other specifically designated marine archeological sites. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. SS Edmund Fitsgerald sank pludselig d. 10. november 1975 p 160 m vand uden forudgende udsendelse af ndsignal. "[188] Mark Thompson wrote, "Since the loss of the Fitz, some captains may be more prone to go to anchor, rather than venturing out in a severe storm, but there are still too many who like to portray themselves as 'heavy weather sailors. "[88] Shannon concluded that "massive and advancing structural failure" caused Edmund Fitzgerald to break apart on the surface and sink. [21], Edmund Fitzgerald was a record-setting workhorse, often beating her own milestones. . Last vessel built by this shipyard. [34], Because of her size, appearance, string of records, and "DJ captain,"[4] Edmund Fitzgerald became a favorite of boat watchers throughout her career. The storm she was caught in reported winds from 35 to 52 knots, and waves anywhere from 10 to 35 feet high. THE EDMUND FITZGERALD LEAVES PORT from northwestern Wisconsin on November 9, 1975. The journey ended about 17 miles north-northwest of . As a result, ineffective hatch closure caused Edmund Fitzgerald to flood and founder.[111]. [48] In a broadcast shortly afterward, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) warned all shipping that the Soo Locks had been closed and they should seek safe anchorage. An event of interest to all Great Lakes historians occurred on June 7th of this year. The christening and launch ceremony was held on June 7, 1958, and was attended by more than 15,000 people. Marie, Ontarioa distance Edmund Fitzgerald could have covered in just over an hour at her top speed. [109], The July 26, 1977, USCG Marine Casualty Report suggested that the accident was caused by ineffective hatch closures. Prior to the load-line increases she was said to be a "good riding ship" but afterwards Edmund Fitzgerald became a sluggish ship with slower response and recovery times. "[196] As of 2005[update], the bell is on display in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Whitefish Point near Paradise, Michigan.[197]. Carried 72,000U.S.gal (270,000L; 60,000impgal) fuel oil, This page was last edited on 3 January 2023, at 04:57. The sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald - November 10, 1975 The SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior 20 years ago. And am taking heavy seas over the deck. The board was resolute, and Edmund abstained from voting; the 36 board members voted unanimously to name her the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. 2 hatch was fractured and buckled. No distress signal was received, and ten minutes later, Arthur M. Anderson lost the ability either to reach Edmund Fitzgerald by radio or to detect her on radar. "Bernie" Cooper, Arthur M. Anderson, destined for Gary, Indiana, out of Two Harbors, Minnesota. 138. What happened on that fateful night to the ship and the entire 29-man crew? Captain Ernest M. McSorley had loaded her with 26,116 long tons of taconite pellets, made of processed iron ore, heated and rolled into marble-size balls. The pair are the only people known to have touched the Edmund Fitzgerald wreck. In 1976, Ontario singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot wrote, composed, and recorded the song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" for his album Summertime Dream. [49] Divers searched the Six Fathom Shoal after the wreck occurred and found no evidence of "a recent collision or grounding anywhere. Four days later, the ship was found in deep water by a US Navy aircraft. The disaster is one of the best known in the history of Great Lakes shipping. When launched on June 7, 1958, she was the largest ship on North America's Great Lakes, and she remains the largest to have sunk there.She was located in deep water on November 14, 1975, by a U.S. Navy aircraft detecting magnetic . The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was known by many nicknames Fitz, Big Fitz, Mighty Fitz, Toledo Express, Pride of the American Stride, Titanic of the Great Lakes, and Queen of the Lakes. By the next day, the two ships were caught in a severe storm on Lake Superior, with near-hurricane-force winds and waves up to 35 feet (11m) high. [173], Mark Thompson countered that "the Coast Guard laid bare [its] own complacency" by blaming the sinking of Edmund Fitzgerald on industry-wide complacency since it had inspected Edmund Fitzgerald just two weeks before she sank. [4][7] Captain Peter Pulcer was known for piping music day or night over the ship's intercom while passing through the St. Clair and Detroit rivers (between lakes Huron and Erie), and entertaining spectators at the Soo Locks (between Lakes Superior and Huron) with a running commentary about the ship. The SS Edmund Fitzgerald made history on June 7th, 1958. Hatches Nos. "[148] Thereafter, at the request of the Marine Board and the Commander of the USCG Ninth District, the Canadian Hydrographic Service conducted a survey of the area surrounding Michipicoten Island and Caribou Island in 1976. One of the most famous ships ever to sail on the Great Lakes, the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald was built in 1957 and early 1958 by Great Lakes Engineering Works of Ecorse, Michigan. [9], Edmund Fitzgerald left Superior, Wisconsin, at 2:15p.m. on the afternoon of November 9, 1975,[37] under the command of Captain Ernest M. McSorley. 2:20 PM. [134] Paquette held the opinion that negligence caused Edmund Fitzgerald to founder. [161] The Marine Board noted that because Edmund Fitzgerald lacked a draft-reading system, the crew had no way to determine whether the vessel had lost freeboard (the level of a ship's deck above the water). [169] Paquette was never asked to testify during the USCG or NTSB investigations. The SS Fitzgerald carried taconite iron ore from the mines near Duluth, Minnesota to the ironworks in Detroit, . Shortly after 7:10p.m., Edmund Fitzgerald suddenly sank in Canadian (Ontario) waters 530 feet (88 fathoms; 160m) deep, about 17 miles (15 nautical miles; 27 kilometers) from Whitefish Bay near the twin cities of Sault Ste. A total of 29 lives lost; no bodies were ever recovered. Despite repeated attempts to raise the USCG, Cooper was not successful until 7:54p.m. when the officer on duty asked him to keep watch for a 16-foot (4.9m) boat lost in the area. The Edmund Fitzgerald was lost with her entire crew of 29 men on Lake Superior November 10, 1975, 17 miles north-northwest of Whitefish Point, Michigan. The U.S. Navy also contracted Seaward, Inc., to conduct a second survey between November 22 and 25. They found that the Canadian 1973navigational chart for the Six Fathom Shoal area was based on Canadian surveys from 1916 and 1919 and that the 1973U.S. Lake Survey Chart No. [209] A "cottage industry"[210] has evolved across the Great Lakes region from Two Harbors, Minnesota, to Whitefish Point, the incident's "ground zero". [13] The moulded depth (roughly speaking, the vertical height of the hull) was 39ft (12m). Relatives of the crew halted this move, objecting that the bell was being used as a "traveling trophy. [78] Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution provided Edwin A. On November 10, 1975, SS Edmund Fitzgerald and its crew of 29 men sank in Lake Superior. Of this series, the first and eighth were distorted or broken. [61] Petty Officer Philip Branch later testified, "I considered it serious, but at the time it was not urgent. For data concerning Canadian areas, Canadian authorities have been consulted. [163] Captain Paquette of Wilfred Sykes noted that this change allowed loading to 4,000 tons more than what Edmund Fitzgerald was designed to carry. She was found with cracks after the Big Fitz sank and then they scrapped her in 1986, so . For more information: check out the National Transportation Safety Board Marine Accident Report. Marie, Ontario, in November 2005 as another 30th-anniversary commemoration. 2:39 PM. Captain Ernest M. McSorley commanded the enormous vessel during what was meant to be his last trip before retirement. The vessel had also developed a list. [104], Edmund Fitzgerald sank at the eastern edge of the area of high wind[105] where the long fetch, or distance that wind blows over water, produced significant waves averaging over 23 feet (7.0m) by 7:00p.m. and over 25 feet (7.6m) at 8:00p.m. The Real Housewives of Atlanta The Bachelor Sister Wives 90 Day Fiance Wife Swap The Amazing Race Australia Married at First Sight The Real Housewives of Dallas My 600-lb Life Last Week Tonight . Fitzgerald and her sister the . [127], Another published hypothesis contends that an already weakened structure, and modification of Edmund Fitzgerald's winter load line (which allows heavier loading and travel lower in the water), made it possible for large waves to cause a stress fracture in the hull. Saying "Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya." "[21], Northwestern Mutual wanted to name the ship after its president and chairman of the board, Edmund Fitzgerald. He therefore chose a route that gave Wilfred Sykes the most protection and took refuge in Thunder Bay, Ontario, during the worst of the storm. [48] Two of Edmund Fitzgerald's six bilge pumps ran continuously to discharge shipped water. . [72], In 1980, during a Lake Superior research dive expedition, marine explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau, the son of Jacques Cousteau, sent two divers from RVCalypso in the first manned submersible dive to Edmund Fitzgerald.
