How the SS Edmund Fitzgerald Became Shipwrecked
The ship disappeared off the radar mysteriously from nearby vessels approximately 17 miles from the entrance to White Fish Bay. The Edmund Fitzgerald and its crew of 29 men seemed to have just vanished. To this day not one body has come to shore.
I can recall still the tone in my father's voice as he tells of the demise of the ship he once worked upon in the seventies himself. The tone was of absolute shock and disbelief.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was a mammoth vessel that had ran the Great Lakes since its maiden voyage in June of 1958. The ship was 729 feet long, 75 feet wide and weighed over 13632 ton empty. The Edmund Fitzgerald was the largest ship to operate the Great lakes waterways at its time. It had broken its own records for the most cargo carried in one year.
The November winds are famous around the Great Lakes for being violent and having no mercy. This storm reported by the captain of the Edmund Fitzgerald, was the worst he had ever seen. He reported thirty foot wave breaking the bow and winds greater than 60 miles per hour. The water pumps and the life rafts had been damaged by the strong winds of the storm. The final word from the captain was that they were holding their own.
How it happened that this gigantic ore carrier came to be split in half and end up 530 feet into the deep and icy waters of Lake Superior is still a mystery. And why was there no distress signal ever sent. Several theories have been touted but still no firm conclusion has been found as to why the huge ship went down.
If it had not been for the song from Gordon Lightfoot, "Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald", the Edmund Fitzgerald would have quickly been forgotten, people not familiar with the Great Lakes region do not understand the enormity of the lakes nor the size of theses big cargo vessels. But now because of the song and the mystery behind the ships sinking, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald has now become legend.
Published by Denise Nuttall
Denise Nuttall has been an active freelance writer and online business entrepreneur since 2006. Denise has also been very active in citizen journalism for well over a year and owns her very own hyper-local b... View profile
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Post a Comment35th Edmund Fitzgerald Service
PRESS RELEASE
Great Lakes Underwater Explorer Wants Protection For
Bardley Wreckage & Establishing Data Base
Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Service and Open House in River Rouge Michigan.
S. S. Edmund Fitzgerald 5th Service in River Rouge, Michigan
From 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM - Wednesday November 10, 2010 - Free Webcast
Night Watch for the Edmund Fitzgerald
November 10 - Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Service
. A memorial service for the men lost on the Edmund Fitzgerald will be held on
November 10 at Dr. Henri Belanger Park in River Rouge, Mi.
The service will be held near the Mariners Memorial Lighthouse beginning at 6:00 p.m.
The tug boat will be on hand to take out a wreath to be placed on the river.
The service will feature a plaque presentation, bell ringing, lantern lighting,
and refreshments will be served.
Meet Daughter of ROBERT C. RAFFERTY
I am honored and excited to be invited to attend the upcoming service held this
November 10th in River Rouge.I will be coming from Kansas to honor my dad and the other
28 crewmen.My father was the " Old Cook" referred to in the Gordon Lightfoot song.
There will be so many events having to do with the FITZ I hope to be able to fit it all in.
I think it's great to include the school kids learning about the Great Lakes and the ships
that have sailed on them.
I grew up in Toledo Ohio and watched from many ports my dads ship sail off with a load
of iron ore or coal. Those good memories never go away. Hope to see you there.
All are welcome to honor and remember that fateful night.
Pam Johnson
Daughter of ROBERT C. RAFFERTY
November 10 - Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Service
. A memorial service for the men lost on the Edmund Fitzgerald will be held on November 10 at Dr. Henri Belanger Park in River Rouge, Mi. The service will be held near the Mariners Memorial Lighthouse beginning at 6:00 p.m. The tug boat will be on hand to take out a wreath to be placed on the river. The service will feature a plaque presentation, bell ringing, lantern lighting, and refreshments will be served. For more information call Roscoe Clark at 810-519-2148 or Dolores Swekel 313-842-7822.
The service will be at River Rouge Michigan on the Detroit River next to where the ship was built at the slips and on the other side is where Zug Island is located. MAP
A special Edmund Fitzgerald open house
will be open to the pubic from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the River Rouge Historical Museum
River Rouge Historical Museum
10750 W. Jefferson Ave.
River Rouge, Michigan 48218
(Formerly Gallagher Funeral Home)
MAP
Excellent article! I will use this as supporting literature for my homeschooled children during our ship studies in a month or so. Thanks!