"Edmund Fitzgerald" redirects here. For the Gordon Lightfoot song about the sinking of this ship, see The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. For other uses, see Edmund Fitzgerald (disambiguation).
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald in the St. Mary's River during May 1975.
Career
Name: SS Edmund Fitzgerald
Owner: Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company
Operator: Columbia Transportation Division, Oglebay Norton Company of Cleveland, Ohio
Port of registry: United States
Ordered: February 1, 1957
Builder: Great Lakes Engineering Works of River Rouge, Michigan
Yard number: 301
Laid down: August 7, 1957
Launched: June 8, 1958
Christened: June 8, 1958
Completed: June 7, 1958
Maiden voyage: September 24, 1958
Identification: Registry number US 277437
Nickname: "Mighty Fitz"
"The Fitz"
"The Big Fitz"
Fate: Lost in a storm on November 10, 1975 with all 29 hands
General characteristics
Class and type: Lake freighter
Tonnage: 8,713 Net Register Tonnage
13,632 Gross Register Tonnage
26,660 Deadweight tonnage
Length: 729 ft (222.2 m) oa
Beam: 75 ft
Height: 38 ft
Depth: 39 ft
Installed power: As built:
Coal fired Westinghouse Electric Corporation Steam Turbine 2 cylinder @ 7,500 SHP
After refit:
Conversion to oil fuel and the fitting of automated boiler controls over the winter of 1971–72.
Carried 72,000 U.S. gallons (60,000 imp gal; 273 m³) fuel oil
Propulsion: One 19.5 ft diameter propeller
Speed: 14 knots
Crew: 29
SS Edmund Fitzgerald (nicknamed "Mighty Fitz," "The Fitz," or "The Big Fitz") was an American Great Lakes freighter launched on June 8, 1958. At the time of its launching, it was one of the first boats to be at or near maximum "St Lawrence Seaway Size" which was 730 feet (220 m) long and 75 feet (23 m) wide. From its launching in 1958 until 1971 the Fitzgerald continued to be one of the largest boats on the Great Lakes.[1]
On November 10, 1975, while traveling on Lake Superior during a gale, the Fitzgerald sank suddenly in Canadian waters approximately 17 miles (15 nmi; 27 km) from the entrance of Whitefish Bay at a depth of 530 feet (160 m). Although it had reported having some difficulties before the accident, the Fitzgerald sank without sending any distress signals. Its crew of 29 perished in the sinking with no bodies being recovered. When the wreck was found, it was discovered that the Fitzgerald had broken in two.
The sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald is the most famous disaster in the history of Great Lakes shipping.[2] The disaster was the subject of Gordon Lightfoot's 1976 hit song, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald".
Construction
On February 1, 1957, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin contracted Great Lakes Engineering Works (GLEW), of River Rouge, Michigan, to design and build a taconite bulk carrier laker for Northwestern. The contract contained the stipulation that the boat be the largest on the Great Lakes. GLEW laid the keel on August 7 of that year, and some time between then and its christening and launch on June 7, 1958, Northwestern announced their decision to name the boat for its President and Chairman of the Board, Edmund Fitzgerald, whose father had been a lake captain.[3][4]
The completed vessel had a capacity of 26,600 short tons (24,100 t). Its large cargo hold loaded through twenty-one watertight hatches, 11.6 by 54.1 feet (3.5 by 16.5 m) of 5⁄16-inch (7.9 mm) steel. The boat's boilers were originally coal-fired, but would be converted to burn oil during the 1971–72 winter layup. With a length of 729 feet (222 m), it met the demanding stipulation of the contract and until 1971 was the largest boat on the Great Lakes.[5]
More than 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 pier.[6]
[edit] History
Sea trials for the Fitzgerald began on September 13, 1958 and were completed one week later. Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company handed the operation of the boat to the Columbia Transportation Division of the Oglebay Norton Corporation. For the next 17 years the Fitzgerald carried taconite from mines near Duluth, Minnesota to iron works in Detroit, Toledo and other ports. The Fitzgerald ran aground in 1969 and collided with the S.S. Hochelaga in 1970. Following the collision with the Hochelaga, it struck the wall of a lock later that same year. In 1973, as well, the Fitzgerald struck a lock's wall. During 1974, the Fitzgerald again struck a lock's wall along with losing its original bow anchor in the Detroit River.[4]
[edit] Final voyage and wreck
NTSB report probable tracks of Edmund Fitzgerald and Arthur M. Anderson. (Click to enlarge)Fitzgerald left Superior, Wisconsin on the afternoon of Sunday, November 9, 1975 under the command of Captain Ernest M. McSorley. It was en route to the steel mill on Zug Island, near Detroit, Michigan, with a full cargo of taconite.[7] A second freighter, Arthur M. Anderson, destined for Gary, Indiana out of Two Harbors, Minnesota, joined up with Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald, being the faster ship, took the lead while Anderson trailed not far behind.[8]
Crossing Lake Superior at about 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph), [9]the boats encountered a massive winter storm, reporting winds in excess of 50 knots (93 km/h; 58 mph) with gusts up to 86.9 knots (160.9 km/h; 100.0 mph) and waves as high as 35 feet (11 m).[9][10][11] Because of the storm, the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie were closed. The freighters altered their courses northward, seeking shelter along the Canadian coast. Later, they would cross to Whitefish Bay 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 (139 km/h; 86 mph) hurricane-force gust. At 3:30 pm Fitzgerald radioed Anderson to report a minor list developing and top-side damage including the loss of radar.[12] Visibility was poor due to heavy snow, and the Coast Guard warned all ships to find safe harbor.[13] Two of the Fitzgerald's six bilge pumps were running continuously to discharge shipped water. The lighthouse and navigational radio beacon 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 (16 km) range so she could receive radar guidance from the other ship.[12] The Anderson was soon after notified by the Coast Guard that the Soo Locks were closed due to the storm and all ships were advised to find safe anchorage.
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 its radars, and had seas washing over its decks. McSorley described the situation as, "One of the worst seas I've ever been in."[12]
The last communication from the doomed ship came at approximately 7:10 pm, when Anderson notified Fitzgerald of an upbound ship and asked how it was doing. McSorley reported, "We are holding our own." A few minutes later, it apparently sank; no distress signal was received. Ten minutes later Anderson could neither raise Fitzgerald by radio, nor detect it on radar. 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 Coast 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.
[edit] 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 Ford. The efforts of a third freighter, the Canadian vessel Hilda Marjanne, were foiled by the weather. The U.S. Coast Guard launched three aircraft, but could not mobilize any ships. A Coast Guard buoy tender, Woodrush, was able to launch within two and a half hours, but took a day to arrive. The search recovered debris, including lifeboats and rafts, but no survivors.
[edit] Discovery and underwater surveys
NTSB drawing of the relative positions of the wreck parts.The wreck was first located by a U.S. Navy aircraft with on-board magnetic anomaly detector 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 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 mm still and two black-and-white video cameras. 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 approximately 253 feet (77 m) stern 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.
[edit] Accident report and controversy
The large waves of the storm play a role in all of the published theories regarding her sinking; they differ on the other contributing causes. 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 yards from each other, it was concluded that Fitzgerald had instead separated 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.[14]
The Coast Guard report proved controversial. Their conclusions failed to address critical pieces of evidence, and the report 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. It also noted that the large troughs between the waves could cause the ship to hit certain of those shoals which it could have (just barely) cleared in calmer seas. As a result, Fitzgerald briefly ran aground or scraped a shoal near Caribou Island without the crew being aware of it. Consequently, it received bottom damage, which caused it to gradually take on water until it sank so suddenly in the deep water that none of its crew had time to react. The ship, sinking to 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, similar to the sinking of the RMS Lusitania.) This theory is supported by final radio communications between Anderson and Fitzgerald; Anderson had been struck by two large waves that were heading toward Fitzgerald. If the hull had indeed been breached, it would be difficult to prove. Fitzgerald has settled in mud up to its load marks, making it impossible to inspect for damage.[14]
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 speculated 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. Such a grouping of waves is often called "three sisters". As per the investigation, it was theorized that the Fitzgerald was badly battered by the first two waves, further damaging the hatch covers. It then theorized 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.[15]
Another published theory contends that an already weakened structure, and modification of the winter load line (allowing heavier loading, and travel 39" lower in the water) contributed to the large waves causing a stress fracture in the hull. It postulated this based on the "regular" huge waves of the storm, i.e. not necessarily involving rogue waves.[9]
[edit] Memorials
One of the Edmund Fitzgerald's lifeboats, on display at the Valley Camp Museum ship.The day after the wreck, Mariners' Church in Detroit rang its bell 29 times; once for each life lost.[16][17] The church continues to hold an annual memorial, reading the names of the crewmen and ringing the church bell. On November 12, 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 five 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.[18]
The ship's bell was recovered from the wreck on July 4, 1995. There was an uproar of controversy when Jeff Stevens, a maintenance worker of St. Ignace, refurbished the bell by stripping the protective coating applied by Michigan State University experts.[19] The controversy continued when the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum tried to use the bell as a touring exhibition resulting in family members of the crew halting the effort by objecting that the bell was being used as a “traveling trophy”.[20][21] The bell is on display in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Whitefish Point near Paradise, Michigan. An anchor from Fitzgerald lost on an earlier trip was recovered from the Detroit River and is on display at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum in Detroit, Michigan. Artifacts in the Steamship Valley Camp museum in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan include two lifeboats, photos, a movie of the Fitzgerald and commemorative models and paintings.
On every November 10 the Split Rock Lighthouse in Silver Bay, Minnesota emits a light in honor of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Coast Guard Cutter Woodrush was replaced by a brand new buoy tender in 2001, USCGC Maple. On its maiden voyage, the Maple visited the final resting place of the Fitzgerald and dropped the last Woodrush life ring down to the wreck.
The Ontario Heritage Act was amended in 2005 to provide special protection to the shipwrecks of the Fitzgerald, the USS Hamilton, and the USS Scourge because of their historical and cultural significance and because they contain human remains.[22][23]
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 August 20, 2007 confirms that the life ring was indeed a memorial, not an artifact.[24]
[edit] Musical tributes
In 1976, Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot wrote, composed, and recorded (for his album Summertime Dream) the song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", commemorating the events surrounding the sinking of the ship. The original lyrics take artistic license with the events of the actual sinking, and, in light of new evidence about the sinking, Lightfoot has modified one line for live performances.[25] Canadian rock band Rheostatics covered the song on their second album, Melville, and included it on their live album Double Live. Later, The Dandy Warhols would also cover the song on their second album, The Black Album. The band's lead singer, Courtney Taylor-Taylor, is the cousin of the ship's Third Mate Michael Armagost.
In 1986, writer Steven Dietz 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,[26] which opened on the 30th anniversary of the sinking at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota.
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.[27]
[edit] Television
"Mountie on the Bounty," a two-part episode of the Canadian police comedy-drama television series Due South, aired on March 15, 1998 (part 1) and March 22, 1998 (part 2). The story featured the Robert Mackenzie, a fictional Canadian lake freighter slightly larger than the Edmund Fitzgerald (850 feet long by 80 feet wide), which suffered a nearly identical fate, right down to loss of radar and breaking in two.
Executive producer and star Paul Gross obtained permission to use Gordon Lightfoot's song for the episode—but on the condition the families of the sailors agree. Reluctant to cause the families additional grief, Gross and series composer Jay Semko instead wrote and composed "Thirty-Two Down on the Robert Mackenzie".
[edit] One of many wrecks
Although it is among the most well known and the largest vessel lost, the Fitzgerald is not alone on the bottom of the Great Lakes. In the time period between 1816 when the Invincible was lost to the sinking of the Fitzgerald in 1975, the Whitefish Point area has claimed at least 240 ships. The Great Lakes have had a long history of nautical disaster with nearly 6,000 shipwrecks occurring between 1878 and 1897. Nearly one quarter of these shipwrecks were listed as total losses and a total of 1,166 lives were lost in this 20 year time period. The total number of casualties over more than 300 years of Great Lakes shipping is likely more than 25,000.[10]Some ships and crews simply vanished in storms as the SS Carl D. Bradley did in November 1958. The Bradley, nicknamed the "Queen of the Lakes", was at one time the largest freighter on the lakes until the Wilfred Sykes was launched. Thirty-three crew members perished in the sinking of the Bradley with two crewmembers surviving.[28] A loss of even greater magnitude, measured by the number of ships involved and lives lost, occurred during the Great Lakes Storm of 1913 which has been referred to as a 'freshwater snow-filled hurricane'.
A number of diveable marine preserves, including 11 in the Michigan Underwater Preserves, have been established that contain multiple sunken ships. 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 Representatives ended the practice of annual Congressional recognition days.
[edit] Crew members
Edmund Fitzgerald's crew of 29 on its final voyage included:[29]
Last Name First Position Age Hometown
Armagost Michael E. Third Mate 37 Iron River, Wisconsin
Beetcher Fred J. Porter 56 Superior, Wisconsin
Bentsen Thomas D. Oiler 23 St. Joseph, Michigan
Bindon Edward F. First Assistant Engineer 47 Fairport Harbor, Ohio
Borgeson Thomas D. Maintenance Man 41 Duluth, Minnesota
Champeau Oliver J. Third Assistant Engineer 41 Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Church Nolan S. Porter 55 Silver Bay, Minnesota
Cundy Ransom E. Watchman 53 Superior, Wisconsin
Edwards Thomas E. Second Assistant Engineer 50 Oregon, Ohio
Haskell Russell G. Second Assistant Engineer 40 Millbury, Ohio
Holl George J. Chief Engineer 60 Cabot, Pennsylvania
Hudson Bruce L. Deck Hand 22 North Olmsted, Ohio
Kalmon Allen G. Second Cook 43 Washburn, Wisconsin
MacLellan Gordon F. Wiper 30 Clearwater, Florida
Mazes Joseph W. Special Maintenance Man 59 Ashland, Wisconsin
McCarthy John H. First Mate 62 Bay Village, Ohio
McSorley Ernest M. Captain 63 Toledo, Ohio
O'Brien Eugene W. Wheelsman 50 Toledo, Ohio
Peckol Karl A. Watchman 20 Ashtabula, Ohio
Poviach John J. Wheelsman 59 Bradenton, Florida
Pratt James A. Second Mate 44 Lakewood, Ohio
Rafferty Robert C. Steward 62 Toledo, Ohio
Riippa Paul M. Deck Hand 22 Ashtabula, Ohio
Simmons John D. Wheelsman 62 Ashland, Wisconsin
Spengler William J. Watchman 59 Toledo, Ohio
Thomas Mark A. Deck Hand 21 Richmond Heights, Ohio
Walton Ralph G. Oiler 58 Fremont, Ohio
Weiss David E. Cadet 22 Agoura, California
Wilhelm Blaine H. Oiler 52 Moquah, Wisconsin
[edit] See also
Great Lakes Storm of 1913
List of maritime disasters
List of shipwrecks
SS Eastland
PS General Slocum
MV Paul R. Tregurtha largest boat presently operating on the Great Lakes
[edit] References
1.^ Largest from 1958 until 1971.
2.^ Gauper, Beth. "Lake Superior's Circle Tour provides everything a tourist's heart could desire – TwinCities.com". www.twincities.com. http://www.twincities.com/ci_8880885?source=most_emailed. Retrieved 2008-04-21. "The most famous wreck is the Edmund Fitzgerald, whose bell occupies an exalted spot in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum."
3.^ Graeme Zielinski, "Shipwreck overshadowed Fitzgerald's legacy," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 2005-11-10.
4.^ a b McCall, Timothy. "Timeline of Events for the Edmund Fitzgerald". S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald Online. n.d. Retrieved 2006-10-07.
5.^ http://www.boatnerd.com/pictures/fleet/comeaud.htm
6.^ Andra-Warner, Elle (2006). The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald: The Legendary Great Lakes Disaster. Altitude Publishing Canada Limited. ISBN 1554390079.
7.^ The Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald (on the website of the National Weather Service Forecasting Office for Marquette, MI).
8.^ National Transportation Safety Board, "Marine Accident Report SS EDMUND FITZGERALD Sinking in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975", 1978-05-04.
9.^ a b c Hugh, Bishop (2000). "The Night the Fitz Went Down", p. 17, 77. Lake Superior Port Cities Inc. , Duluth, Minnesota, USA. ISBN 0-942235-37-1
10.^ a b Thompson, Mark L. (2000). Graveyard of the Lakes. Google Books; Original Wayne State University Press, Detroit.. http://books.google.com/books?id=Tog_ll_MYrkC&dq=Graveyard+of+the+Lakes+by+Mark+L.+Thompson&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=x_MOSs_NEY-CmQernajHBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4#PPA17,M1. Retrieved 2009-04-16. , 17, 18, 22, 323.
11.^ Wolff, Julius F. (1979). "The Shipwrecks of Lake Superior", p218. Lake Superior Marine Museum Association, Inc., Duluth, Minnesota, USA. ISBN 0932212-18-8.
12.^ a b c "NWS Marquette, MI". www.crh.noaa.gov. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mqt/fitzgerald/fitzb.php. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
13.^ Nolan, Jenny. "detnews.com". info.detnews.com. http://info.detnews.com/redesign/history/story/historytemplate.cfm?id=114&CFID=10831280&CFTOKEN=23768997. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
14.^ a b "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by Frederick Stonehouse. ISBN 0-932212-05-0 Copyright 1977 Published by Avery Color Studios
15.^ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/the-edmund-fitzgeralds-legend-lives-on-but-with-a-major-change/article1511191/ Globe and Mail article on rogue wave theory
16.^ McInnis, Joseph (1998). "Fitzgerald's Storm: The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", p. 62, Thunder Bay Press. ISBN 1-882376-53-6.
17.^ Schumacher, Michael (2005). "Mighty Fitz", p. 94, Bloomsbury Publishing, New York & London. ISBN 1-58234-547-x.
18.^ CNN. Bell tolls for Edmund Fitzgerald. 2006-11-13.
19.^ Poulson, David. "Restored bell gets controversial shine", Kalamazoo Gazette, 1996-3-17. Whitefish Point Watch Retrieved 2010-06-12.
20.^ Soyring, Mary. "Fitzgerald bell should not be turned into a traveling trophy", Sault Evening News, 1992-2-02. Whitefish Point Watch Retrieved 2010-08-28.
21.^ Schumacher, Michael (2005). "Mighty Fitz", pp. 171–173, Bloomsbury Publishing, New York & London. ISBN 1-58234-547-x.
22.^ Cyber Diver Digital Media Network "Canada protects three shipwecks". http://www.cdnn.info/news/industry/i060131.html Cyber Diver Digital Media Network. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
23.^ "Ontario Heritage Act". http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90o18_e.htm. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
24.^ "ABC News: Life Ring Not From Edmund Fitzgerald". abcnews.go.com. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=3503760. Retrieved 2008-04-02 (No longer available as of 9/09).
25.^ "Lightfoot changes 'Edmund' lyrics". http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2010/03/25/13358031.html. Retrieved 2010-3-28.
26.^ "Minnesota Public Radio Presents". Minnesota Public Radio. November 26, 2005. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/programs/mpr_presents/archive/2005/. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
27.^ "Edmund Fitzgerald" Piano Concerto to Commemorate 30th Anniversary of Famous Shipwreck". Sault Symphony Orchestra via eMediaWire. September 15, 2005. http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2005/9/emw284809.htm. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
28.^ Carl D. Bradley home page.
29.^ Jenny Nolan. The Detroit News. The fateful voyage of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
[edit] Further reading
Ratigan, Bill. Great Lakes Shipwrecks and Survivals. Grand Rapids: WB Eerdmans, 1977. ISBN 0-8028-7010-4.
Shumacher, Michael. Might Fitz: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Bloomsbury, 2005. ISBN 1-59691-167-0.
Bishop, Hugh E. The Night the Fitz Went Down. Lake Superior Port Cities, Inc., 2000. ISBN 0-942235-37-1
Hemming, Robert. "Gales of November, The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald" 1981 & 2000
National Geographic Magazine, January 1996 – Underwater pictures of the Fitz.
Stonehouse, Frederick. "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" Avery Color Studios 1977, updated 1982 ISBN 0-932212-05-0
[edit] External links
SS Edmund Fitzgerald Online
U.S. National Transportation Safety Board ReportPDF (104 KB)
Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald from the Detroit News
The sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald – November 10, 1975
Yesterday's News - November 11, 1975: Edmund Fitzgerald reported missing
NOAA Scientists Re-Analyze Weather Conditions During Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Edmund Fitzgerald keyhole, including link to maps and Google Earth.
Images of the Edmund Fitzgerald from the Minnesota Historical Society
Showing posts with label SS Edmund Fitzgerald. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SS Edmund Fitzgerald. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Edmund Fitzgerald
Welcome to S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald Online, the most complete and thorough source of information on the internet regarding the ship. S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald Online is dedicated to informing others about the sinking, which took the lives of twenty-nine men 34 years ago, affecting dozens of families and a countless number of friends and comrades of the shipping industry. The Edmund Fitzgerald is lost, but not forgotten. This website is approved of by many families of the deceased crew, and written and maintained by twenty-four year old Timothy McCall. Please take your time to browse through this very extensive site, and learn about the Fitzgerald and its twenty-nine men who were lost November 10, 1975.
Edmund Fitzgerald
The legend of the Edmund Fitzgerald remains the most mysterious and controversial of all shipwreck tales heard around the Great Lakes. Her story is surpassed in books, film and media only by that of the Titanic. Canadian folksinger Gordon Lightfoot inspired popular interest in this vessel with his 1976 ballad, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."
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. Whitefish Point is the site of the Whitefish Point Light Station and Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) has conducted three underwater expeditions to the wreck, 1989, 1994, and 1995.
At the request of family members surviving her crew, Fitzgerald's 200 lb. bronze bell was recovered by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society on July 4, 1995. This expedition was conducted jointly with the National Geographic Society, Canadian Navy, Sony Corporation, and Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. The bell is now on display in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum as a memorial to her lost crew.
Please click here for information about the 2010 Fitzgerald Memorial Service at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
The Lost Fitzgerald Search Tapes
Rare radio chatter between the Arthur M. Anderson and the Coast Guard November 10th, 1975. The last time anyone ever heard from the Edmund Fitzgerald.
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. Whitefish Point is the site of the Whitefish Point Light Station and Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) has conducted three underwater expeditions to the wreck, 1989, 1994, and 1995.
At the request of family members surviving her crew, Fitzgerald's 200 lb. bronze bell was recovered by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society on July 4, 1995. This expedition was conducted jointly with the National Geographic Society, Canadian Navy, Sony Corporation, and Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. The bell is now on display in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum as a memorial to her lost crew.
Please click here for information about the 2010 Fitzgerald Memorial Service at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
The Lost Fitzgerald Search Tapes
Rare radio chatter between the Arthur M. Anderson and the Coast Guard November 10th, 1975. The last time anyone ever heard from the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
This photo was taken in May 1975 along the Saint Mary's River.
by: Bob Campbell
At the time it was launched in 1958, the 729-foot long, 75-foot wide freighter S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald was the largest ship to ply the Great Lakes. On November 10, 1975 the Fitzgerald left Superior, Wisconsin carrying 26,000 tons of iron ore pellets, bound for Detroit. Though the day was bright, in her path lay a terrible storm with 60 MPH winds and waves in excess of 15 feet. As the storm built, her experienced Captain Ernest McSorley bore north across Lake Superior, seeking the relative shelter of the Canadian shore and Whitefish Bay.
Luck was not with the ship or the crew. The radar system and its backup failed. The storm took out the power to Whitefish Point's light and radio beacon. Though the light was brought back on line, the radio beacon was not. The Arthur M. Anderson, another ship within 10 miles of the Fitzgerald, received reports that the ship was listing to the starboard and of other structural damages to the vessel. At 7:10 PM, Captain McSorley delivered what was to be his final message:
"We're holding our own."
The Arthur M. Anderson lost the Fitzgerald's image on its radar screensat 7:25 PM. The ship and crew of 29 men, sank to the bottom of Lake Superior.
Several expeditions have been mounted to the wreck and have been the subject of some controversy. On July 4th, 1995 the ship's bell and stanchion were recovered from where they lay beneath 550 feet of Lake Superior. A replica of the bell, graven with the names of the crew, was left in its place. The bell was presented to the relatives of the crew and rung thirty times -- once for each member of the crew and a final time in honor of all those who have lost their lives at sea. The bell was given to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point to serve as a memorial to the ship and crew. (text taken from http://www.nauticalworks.com/fitz)
The tragic story of the Edmund Fitzgerald is remembered through Gordon Lightfoot's ballad "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald", which appears on the album "Summertime Dream" and numerous other compilations.
Read the song's lyrics: Lyrics to the song Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
Listen to midi-versions of the song:
The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald 1 9 KB 1:31
The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald 2 48 KB 6:40
The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald 3 58 KB 6:40
The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald 4 43 KB 4:43
The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald 5 118 KB 6:52
Links to other websites about the Edmund Fitzgerald:
The Gordon Lightfoot - Tribute page:
A line-by-line explanation of the song, "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald"
posted by SirFlyalot
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
A very nice website that includes lots of information on the ship and the recovery of the bell. Also features an online-shop where you can buy books and videos about the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The Sinking Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
A very nice website that offers a few unique features:
You can hear the captain of the Arthur M. Anderson reporting the suspected loss to the Coast Guard that night
Significant Events in the History of the Edmund Fitzgerald
A wonderful website listing all important events starting from 1957 up to present. Compiled by Tony Wesley, don't miss this one.
Restoration of the Edmund Fitzgerald's bell
After twenty years at the bottom of Lake Superior, the bell of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald was brought to Michigan State University for restoration. At this website you can read about how the restoration of the bell was done, including a photo chronology of the restoration.
Nautical Works
Nautical Works offers a wide range of artwork of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, videos and books.
The Edmund Fitzgerald Interactive Explorer
This CD-ROM contains underwater footage of the shipwreck, interviews with investigators and former crew, and the actual radio communications between the U.S. Coast Guard and the last ship to see the Edmund Fitzgerald. See the different theories animated, to show you what might of happened, along with video of her construction and launch. It is all there, plus so much more!
Last Photo taken at Great Lakes Steel
She is shown here unloading at Great Lakes Steel on Zug Island - in a photograph which has been documented as the last photograph ever taken of "The Fitz" before her untimely loss on Lake Superior, Detroit River October 26, 1975
From the 1993 Calendar featuring photographs by Paul C. LaMarre, Jr.
Marine Publishing Co., Inc.
Great selection of books about famous shipwrecks, including some titles about the Edmund Fitzgerald
Marine Historical Society of Detroit's Ahoy & Farewell II
A preview of the book giving facts about the history of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Picture Gallery Of the Edmund Fitzgerald
a couple of pictures
Jim Clary Originals and Collector Prints
Jim Clary has realized his boyhood dream of bringing "ghost" ships to life through art. He is a man who made himself, who thrives on art, and who thrives on the notion that others will enjoy and learn from his work for years to come.
The Edmund Fitzgerald
Mary Wilhelm, daughter of Blaine Wilhelm, Oiler on the Fitzgerald
Great Lakes Maritime Institute
The Great Lakes Maritime Institute, Inc. promotes interest in the Great Lakes and preserves items related to their history. Their publication "Telescope" also deals with the Edmund Fitzgerald
Edmund Fitzgerald History
From the Marine Historical Society of Detroit's Great Lakes Ships
We Remember volume I
The sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald - November 10, 1975
A very interesting page that shows weather tables and explains how the lyrics match the actual facts.
November Winds, a poem by Joe Haas
Joe Haas has done a poem about the November Winds and the Edmund Fitzgerald
The Edmund Fitzgerald
A website that lists technical details about the Edmund Fitzgerald
Press Articles:
November 11, 1999
by Brian Albrecht, Plain Dealer Reporter
Lectures to discuss Edmund Fitzgerald
read article
July 19, 1999
Duluthnews.com
Families, mariners bid farewell to S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald crew
read article
July 17, 1999
Detroit Free Press
Families of Edmund Fitzgerald crewmen will travel to site of disaster, by Ira Porter
read article
November 19th, 1995
The Detroit News by John Flesher
Memorial at the Great Lakes Maritime Academy
read article
November 10th, 1995
The Detroit News
Business Wire Features, Video documentary details sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald read article
by: Bob Campbell
At the time it was launched in 1958, the 729-foot long, 75-foot wide freighter S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald was the largest ship to ply the Great Lakes. On November 10, 1975 the Fitzgerald left Superior, Wisconsin carrying 26,000 tons of iron ore pellets, bound for Detroit. Though the day was bright, in her path lay a terrible storm with 60 MPH winds and waves in excess of 15 feet. As the storm built, her experienced Captain Ernest McSorley bore north across Lake Superior, seeking the relative shelter of the Canadian shore and Whitefish Bay.
Luck was not with the ship or the crew. The radar system and its backup failed. The storm took out the power to Whitefish Point's light and radio beacon. Though the light was brought back on line, the radio beacon was not. The Arthur M. Anderson, another ship within 10 miles of the Fitzgerald, received reports that the ship was listing to the starboard and of other structural damages to the vessel. At 7:10 PM, Captain McSorley delivered what was to be his final message:
"We're holding our own."
The Arthur M. Anderson lost the Fitzgerald's image on its radar screensat 7:25 PM. The ship and crew of 29 men, sank to the bottom of Lake Superior.
Several expeditions have been mounted to the wreck and have been the subject of some controversy. On July 4th, 1995 the ship's bell and stanchion were recovered from where they lay beneath 550 feet of Lake Superior. A replica of the bell, graven with the names of the crew, was left in its place. The bell was presented to the relatives of the crew and rung thirty times -- once for each member of the crew and a final time in honor of all those who have lost their lives at sea. The bell was given to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point to serve as a memorial to the ship and crew. (text taken from http://www.nauticalworks.com/fitz)
The tragic story of the Edmund Fitzgerald is remembered through Gordon Lightfoot's ballad "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald", which appears on the album "Summertime Dream" and numerous other compilations.
Read the song's lyrics: Lyrics to the song Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
Listen to midi-versions of the song:
The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald 1 9 KB 1:31
The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald 2 48 KB 6:40
The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald 3 58 KB 6:40
The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald 4 43 KB 4:43
The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald 5 118 KB 6:52
Links to other websites about the Edmund Fitzgerald:
The Gordon Lightfoot - Tribute page:
A line-by-line explanation of the song, "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald"
posted by SirFlyalot
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
A very nice website that includes lots of information on the ship and the recovery of the bell. Also features an online-shop where you can buy books and videos about the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The Sinking Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
A very nice website that offers a few unique features:
You can hear the captain of the Arthur M. Anderson reporting the suspected loss to the Coast Guard that night
Significant Events in the History of the Edmund Fitzgerald
A wonderful website listing all important events starting from 1957 up to present. Compiled by Tony Wesley, don't miss this one.
Restoration of the Edmund Fitzgerald's bell
After twenty years at the bottom of Lake Superior, the bell of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald was brought to Michigan State University for restoration. At this website you can read about how the restoration of the bell was done, including a photo chronology of the restoration.
Nautical Works
Nautical Works offers a wide range of artwork of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, videos and books.
The Edmund Fitzgerald Interactive Explorer
This CD-ROM contains underwater footage of the shipwreck, interviews with investigators and former crew, and the actual radio communications between the U.S. Coast Guard and the last ship to see the Edmund Fitzgerald. See the different theories animated, to show you what might of happened, along with video of her construction and launch. It is all there, plus so much more!
Last Photo taken at Great Lakes Steel
She is shown here unloading at Great Lakes Steel on Zug Island - in a photograph which has been documented as the last photograph ever taken of "The Fitz" before her untimely loss on Lake Superior, Detroit River October 26, 1975
From the 1993 Calendar featuring photographs by Paul C. LaMarre, Jr.
Marine Publishing Co., Inc.
Great selection of books about famous shipwrecks, including some titles about the Edmund Fitzgerald
Marine Historical Society of Detroit's Ahoy & Farewell II
A preview of the book giving facts about the history of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Picture Gallery Of the Edmund Fitzgerald
a couple of pictures
Jim Clary Originals and Collector Prints
Jim Clary has realized his boyhood dream of bringing "ghost" ships to life through art. He is a man who made himself, who thrives on art, and who thrives on the notion that others will enjoy and learn from his work for years to come.
The Edmund Fitzgerald
Mary Wilhelm, daughter of Blaine Wilhelm, Oiler on the Fitzgerald
Great Lakes Maritime Institute
The Great Lakes Maritime Institute, Inc. promotes interest in the Great Lakes and preserves items related to their history. Their publication "Telescope" also deals with the Edmund Fitzgerald
Edmund Fitzgerald History
From the Marine Historical Society of Detroit's Great Lakes Ships
We Remember volume I
The sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald - November 10, 1975
A very interesting page that shows weather tables and explains how the lyrics match the actual facts.
November Winds, a poem by Joe Haas
Joe Haas has done a poem about the November Winds and the Edmund Fitzgerald
The Edmund Fitzgerald
A website that lists technical details about the Edmund Fitzgerald
Press Articles:
November 11, 1999
by Brian Albrecht, Plain Dealer Reporter
Lectures to discuss Edmund Fitzgerald
read article
July 19, 1999
Duluthnews.com
Families, mariners bid farewell to S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald crew
read article
July 17, 1999
Detroit Free Press
Families of Edmund Fitzgerald crewmen will travel to site of disaster, by Ira Porter
read article
November 19th, 1995
The Detroit News by John Flesher
Memorial at the Great Lakes Maritime Academy
read article
November 10th, 1995
The Detroit News
Business Wire Features, Video documentary details sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald read article
SS Edmund Fitzgerald
The Edmund Fitzerald Controversy: A low-pressure system moved towards the Great Lakes in the early morning hours of November 9th, 1975. By the time this system reached Lake Superior it would be called a Cyclone by the American Meteorological Society. Twenty-nine men stood in the path of this storm, the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald, with the greatest collection of Edmund Fitzgerald experts and historians investigating all the possible theories behind the famous modern iron ore carrier’s fate, stunning underwater footage, rare photographs and beautiful artwork.
Hold on and keep your mind and eyes open as you join Captain McSorley and his crew on their ill-fated journey that November morning as they guide the Mighty Fitzgerald out onto Lake Superior . You decide, after she lays broken and in pieces on the bottom what put her there. This one hour program may be the definitive documentary on the cause of one of the great modern mysteries.
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald: On November 10, 1975, in the most famous shipwreck in Great Lakes history, the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in a treacherous storm on Lake Superior . The Fitzgerald came to rest in two pieces in deep frigid water, and authorities cannot even agree on whether the ship broke on the surface or whether it slammed into the floor of Lake Superior , not to mention the different and often conflicting theories.
The one-hour documentary features a wealth of rare photographs and paintings, historical footage of the launching of the Fitz, archival news clippings, computer graphics illustrating the sinking, and stunning underwater footage of the Fitzgerald, resting on the bottom of Lake Superior. Also included is a haunting radio transmission between the captain of the Arthur Anderson (a ship following the Fitzgerald and tracking its movements during the Fitz's final hours), and the Coast Guard Station. This captivating program is bound to please both shipwreck novices and longtime maritime enthusiasts.
Includes the following two 1-hour DVDs:
The Edmund Fitzgerald Controversy
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
($59.95 + FREE S&H) Add to cart
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Edmund Fitzgerald Anthology
When the Edmund Fitzgerald, a 729 foot modern ore carrier sank, it seemed unbelievable, not even a distress signal
The Edmund Fitzgerald Anthology is four separate one hour DVDs on the Fitzgerald. From her launch, until that fateful November 10th day in 1975, when the mighty Fitzgerald succumbed to the more than thirty foot waves, to her final resting place in 530 feet below the surface of Lake Superior.
Low-pressure system moved towards the Great Lakes in the early morning hours of November 9th, 1975. By the time this system reached Lake Superior it would be called a Cyclone by the American Meteorological Society. Twenty-nine souls stood in the path of this storm, the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is arguably the most famous shipwreck story told around the Great Lakes. Yet the question remains in the middle of all who hear her tale. What really happened to the Mighty Fitz that cold November night? Some say Lake Superior split her in two and sent her to the bottom, others say she hit a rocky outcropping or shoal that punched a hole clean through her belly. Still others say it was the crew or faulty equipment or an unidentified object. This movie explores all of the possibilities and takes a serious look into the Edmund Fitzgerald controversy.
These programs are enhanced with underwater footage, rare photographs, beautiful artwork, computer animation and interviews with maritime experts, they explain the complete story on when happened to the doomed Fitz on that fateful November night.
A must have for every maritime enthusiast!
The Edmund Fitzgerald Anthology includes the following four 1-hour DVDs:
The Mystery of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Edmund Fitzgerald: Past and Present
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
The Edmund Fitzgerald Controversy
Running time: Four hours / DVD / Color
($99.95 Free S&H) Add to cart
Library/School Pricing Click Here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edmund Fitzgerald Anthology w/Book & 2 Posters
Includes the following four 1-hour DVDs:
The Mystery of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Edmund Fitzgerald: Past and Present
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
The Edmund Fitzgerald Controversy
AND the following three products:
Book: The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
Underwater Poster
Stormy Night Poster
RECAP: The Edmund Fitzgerald Anthology comes with the following four 1-hour DVDs:
The Mystery of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Edmund Fitzgerald: Past and Present
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
The Edmund Fitzgerald Controversy
AND the following three products:
Book: The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
Underwater Poster
Stormy Night Poster
Hold on and keep your mind and eyes open as you join Captain McSorley and his crew on their ill-fated journey that November morning as they guide the Mighty Fitzgerald out onto Lake Superior . You decide, after she lays broken and in pieces on the bottom what put her there. This one hour program may be the definitive documentary on the cause of one of the great modern mysteries.
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald: On November 10, 1975, in the most famous shipwreck in Great Lakes history, the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in a treacherous storm on Lake Superior . The Fitzgerald came to rest in two pieces in deep frigid water, and authorities cannot even agree on whether the ship broke on the surface or whether it slammed into the floor of Lake Superior , not to mention the different and often conflicting theories.
The one-hour documentary features a wealth of rare photographs and paintings, historical footage of the launching of the Fitz, archival news clippings, computer graphics illustrating the sinking, and stunning underwater footage of the Fitzgerald, resting on the bottom of Lake Superior. Also included is a haunting radio transmission between the captain of the Arthur Anderson (a ship following the Fitzgerald and tracking its movements during the Fitz's final hours), and the Coast Guard Station. This captivating program is bound to please both shipwreck novices and longtime maritime enthusiasts.
Includes the following two 1-hour DVDs:
The Edmund Fitzgerald Controversy
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
($59.95 + FREE S&H) Add to cart
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Edmund Fitzgerald Anthology
When the Edmund Fitzgerald, a 729 foot modern ore carrier sank, it seemed unbelievable, not even a distress signal
The Edmund Fitzgerald Anthology is four separate one hour DVDs on the Fitzgerald. From her launch, until that fateful November 10th day in 1975, when the mighty Fitzgerald succumbed to the more than thirty foot waves, to her final resting place in 530 feet below the surface of Lake Superior.
Low-pressure system moved towards the Great Lakes in the early morning hours of November 9th, 1975. By the time this system reached Lake Superior it would be called a Cyclone by the American Meteorological Society. Twenty-nine souls stood in the path of this storm, the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is arguably the most famous shipwreck story told around the Great Lakes. Yet the question remains in the middle of all who hear her tale. What really happened to the Mighty Fitz that cold November night? Some say Lake Superior split her in two and sent her to the bottom, others say she hit a rocky outcropping or shoal that punched a hole clean through her belly. Still others say it was the crew or faulty equipment or an unidentified object. This movie explores all of the possibilities and takes a serious look into the Edmund Fitzgerald controversy.
These programs are enhanced with underwater footage, rare photographs, beautiful artwork, computer animation and interviews with maritime experts, they explain the complete story on when happened to the doomed Fitz on that fateful November night.
A must have for every maritime enthusiast!
The Edmund Fitzgerald Anthology includes the following four 1-hour DVDs:
The Mystery of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Edmund Fitzgerald: Past and Present
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
The Edmund Fitzgerald Controversy
Running time: Four hours / DVD / Color
($99.95 Free S&H) Add to cart
Library/School Pricing Click Here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edmund Fitzgerald Anthology w/Book & 2 Posters
Includes the following four 1-hour DVDs:
The Mystery of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Edmund Fitzgerald: Past and Present
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
The Edmund Fitzgerald Controversy
AND the following three products:
Book: The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
Underwater Poster
Stormy Night Poster
RECAP: The Edmund Fitzgerald Anthology comes with the following four 1-hour DVDs:
The Mystery of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Edmund Fitzgerald: Past and Present
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
The Edmund Fitzgerald Controversy
AND the following three products:
Book: The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
Underwater Poster
Stormy Night Poster
SS Edmund Fitzgerald
The Edmund Fitzerald Controversy: A low-pressure system moved towards the Great Lakes in the early morning hours of November 9th, 1975. By the time this system reached Lake Superior it would be called a Cyclone by the American Meteorological Society. Twenty-nine men stood in the path of this storm, the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald, with the greatest collection of Edmund Fitzgerald experts and historians investigating all the possible theories behind the famous modern iron ore carrier’s fate, stunning underwater footage, rare photographs and beautiful artwork.
Hold on and keep your mind and eyes open as you join Captain McSorley and his crew on their ill-fated journey that November morning as they guide the Mighty Fitzgerald out onto Lake Superior . You decide, after she lays broken and in pieces on the bottom what put her there. This one hour program may be the definitive documentary on the cause of one of the great modern mysteries.
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald: On November 10, 1975, in the most famous shipwreck in Great Lakes history, the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in a treacherous storm on Lake Superior . The Fitzgerald came to rest in two pieces in deep frigid water, and authorities cannot even agree on whether the ship broke on the surface or whether it slammed into the floor of Lake Superior , not to mention the different and often conflicting theories.
The one-hour documentary features a wealth of rare photographs and paintings, historical footage of the launching of the Fitz, archival news clippings, computer graphics illustrating the sinking, and stunning underwater footage of the Fitzgerald, resting on the bottom of Lake Superior. Also included is a haunting radio transmission between the captain of the Arthur Anderson (a ship following the Fitzgerald and tracking its movements during the Fitz's final hours), and the Coast Guard Station. This captivating program is bound to please both shipwreck novices and longtime maritime enthusiasts.
November 10, 1975 the bulk freighter Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior with all hands. This page is dedicated to the memory of the 29 men lost that night and the families they left behind.
The Fitzgerald cleared Superior, Wisconsin, on her last trip on November 9, 1975, with a cargo of 26,116 tons of taconite pellets consigned to Detroit. Traveling down Lake Superior in company with ARTHUR M. ANDERSON of the United States Steel Corporation's Great Lakes Fleet, she encountered heavy weather and in the early evening of November 10th, suddenly foundered approximately 17 miles from the entrance to Whitefish Bay (47؛ North Latitude, 85؛ 7' West Longitude)
Captain McSorley of the "FITZ" had indicated he was having difficulty and was taking on water. She was listing to port and had two of three ballast pumps working. She had lost her radar and damage was noted to ballast tank vent pipes and he was overheard on the radio saying, "don't allow nobody (sic) on deck." McSorley said it was the worst storm he had ever seen. All 29 officers and crew, including a Great Lakes Maritime Academy cadet, went down with the ship, which lies broken in two sections in 530 feet of water.
Click here to hear the captain of the Arthur M. Anderson reporting the suspected loss to the Coast Guard that night.
You will need the Real Audio player to listen
please click here to down load the player.
Surveyed by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1976 using the U.S. Navy CURV III system, the wreckage consisted of an upright bow section, approximately 275 feet long and an inverted stern section, about 253 feet long, and a debris field comprised of the rest of the hull in between. Both sections lie within 170 feet of each other.
The EDMUND FITZGERALD was removed from documentation January, 1976.
The National Transportation Safety Board unanimously voted on March 23, 1978 to reject the U. S. Coast Guard's official report supporting the theory of faulty hatches. Later the N.T.S.B. revised its verdict and reached a majority vote to agree that the sinking was caused by taking on water through one or more hatch covers damaged by the impact of heavy seas over her deck.
This is contrary to the Lake Carriers Association's contention that her foundering was caused by flooding through bottom and ballast tank damage resulting from bottoming on the Six Fathom Shoal between Caribou and Michipicoten Islands.
The U.S. Coast Guard, report on August 2, 1977 cited faulty hatch covers, lack of water tight cargo hold bulkheads and damage caused from an undetermined source.
Data from: Ahoy & Farewell II by the Marine Historical Society of Detroit
Click here to read the full U.S. Coast Guard report
The brave men who were lost that night:
Captain Ernest M. McSorley Michael E. Armagost Fred J. Beetcher Thomas D. Bentsen
Edward F. Bindon Thomas D. Borgeson Oliver J. Champeau Nolan S. Church
Ransom E. Cundy Thomas E. Edwards Russell G. Haskell George J. Holl
Bruce L. Hudson Allen G. Kalmon Gorden Maclellan Joseph Mazes
John H. McCarthy Eugene O'Brien Karl A. Peckol John J. Poviach
James A. Pratt Robert C. Rafferty Paul M. Rippa John D. Simmons
William J. Spengler Mark A. Thomas Ralph G. Walton David E. Weiss
Blaine H. Wilhelm
Hold on and keep your mind and eyes open as you join Captain McSorley and his crew on their ill-fated journey that November morning as they guide the Mighty Fitzgerald out onto Lake Superior . You decide, after she lays broken and in pieces on the bottom what put her there. This one hour program may be the definitive documentary on the cause of one of the great modern mysteries.
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald: On November 10, 1975, in the most famous shipwreck in Great Lakes history, the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in a treacherous storm on Lake Superior . The Fitzgerald came to rest in two pieces in deep frigid water, and authorities cannot even agree on whether the ship broke on the surface or whether it slammed into the floor of Lake Superior , not to mention the different and often conflicting theories.
The one-hour documentary features a wealth of rare photographs and paintings, historical footage of the launching of the Fitz, archival news clippings, computer graphics illustrating the sinking, and stunning underwater footage of the Fitzgerald, resting on the bottom of Lake Superior. Also included is a haunting radio transmission between the captain of the Arthur Anderson (a ship following the Fitzgerald and tracking its movements during the Fitz's final hours), and the Coast Guard Station. This captivating program is bound to please both shipwreck novices and longtime maritime enthusiasts.
November 10, 1975 the bulk freighter Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior with all hands. This page is dedicated to the memory of the 29 men lost that night and the families they left behind.
The Fitzgerald cleared Superior, Wisconsin, on her last trip on November 9, 1975, with a cargo of 26,116 tons of taconite pellets consigned to Detroit. Traveling down Lake Superior in company with ARTHUR M. ANDERSON of the United States Steel Corporation's Great Lakes Fleet, she encountered heavy weather and in the early evening of November 10th, suddenly foundered approximately 17 miles from the entrance to Whitefish Bay (47؛ North Latitude, 85؛ 7' West Longitude)
Captain McSorley of the "FITZ" had indicated he was having difficulty and was taking on water. She was listing to port and had two of three ballast pumps working. She had lost her radar and damage was noted to ballast tank vent pipes and he was overheard on the radio saying, "don't allow nobody (sic) on deck." McSorley said it was the worst storm he had ever seen. All 29 officers and crew, including a Great Lakes Maritime Academy cadet, went down with the ship, which lies broken in two sections in 530 feet of water.
Click here to hear the captain of the Arthur M. Anderson reporting the suspected loss to the Coast Guard that night.
You will need the Real Audio player to listen
please click here to down load the player.
Surveyed by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1976 using the U.S. Navy CURV III system, the wreckage consisted of an upright bow section, approximately 275 feet long and an inverted stern section, about 253 feet long, and a debris field comprised of the rest of the hull in between. Both sections lie within 170 feet of each other.
The EDMUND FITZGERALD was removed from documentation January, 1976.
The National Transportation Safety Board unanimously voted on March 23, 1978 to reject the U. S. Coast Guard's official report supporting the theory of faulty hatches. Later the N.T.S.B. revised its verdict and reached a majority vote to agree that the sinking was caused by taking on water through one or more hatch covers damaged by the impact of heavy seas over her deck.
This is contrary to the Lake Carriers Association's contention that her foundering was caused by flooding through bottom and ballast tank damage resulting from bottoming on the Six Fathom Shoal between Caribou and Michipicoten Islands.
The U.S. Coast Guard, report on August 2, 1977 cited faulty hatch covers, lack of water tight cargo hold bulkheads and damage caused from an undetermined source.
Data from: Ahoy & Farewell II by the Marine Historical Society of Detroit
Click here to read the full U.S. Coast Guard report
The brave men who were lost that night:
Captain Ernest M. McSorley Michael E. Armagost Fred J. Beetcher Thomas D. Bentsen
Edward F. Bindon Thomas D. Borgeson Oliver J. Champeau Nolan S. Church
Ransom E. Cundy Thomas E. Edwards Russell G. Haskell George J. Holl
Bruce L. Hudson Allen G. Kalmon Gorden Maclellan Joseph Mazes
John H. McCarthy Eugene O'Brien Karl A. Peckol John J. Poviach
James A. Pratt Robert C. Rafferty Paul M. Rippa John D. Simmons
William J. Spengler Mark A. Thomas Ralph G. Walton David E. Weiss
Blaine H. Wilhelm
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