35 years ago tonight, Nov. 10, 1975
- Thread starter Hemi426
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There seems to be yearly mention of it on BITOG.
When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin'
Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya
At seven P.M. a main hatchway caved in, he said
Fellas, it's been good t'know ya
Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya
At seven P.M. a main hatchway caved in, he said
Fellas, it's been good t'know ya
As a person who has had to endure the relatively placid seas of the Gulf of Mexico, I can only imagine the terror of a storm so bad it could sink a huge boat like that. Even more difficult to imagine the bravery of men that sailed before the days of radar and radio communications.
Good luck and God speed to anyone who makes their living on the water.
Good luck and God speed to anyone who makes their living on the water.
Thanks for the reminder, Hemi426. I was in college in the far northwest Upper Peninsula that night and have very clear memories of the blizzard conditions that evening and the announcement over the TV.
The bell was restored at my workplace in 1996 and it was a somber feeling to see it.
The bell was restored at my workplace in 1996 and it was a somber feeling to see it.
I lived in Toledo, Ohio the night the SS Edmund Ftizgerald went down. The captain, Ernest McSorley and 3 crew members (Eugene O'Brien, Robert Rafferty, William Spengler) were from Toledo and 3 more crew members were from surrounding communities. The night of November 10th, 1975 is sadly remembered in Toledo.
Some interesting pics of her on the floor of the great Gichigami....
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/galle...Params=Itemnr=1
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/galle...Params=Itemnr=1
Gordon Lightfoot's song is (can't find the exact right word) good to listen to. It makes me wish we had more ballad type songs in popular music, to keep history alive...
Wow! You were practically on top of the situation that night in the U.P. of Michigan. You were in the same storm that the ship experienced although I'm sure they had it much worse(90 mph winds and 30 ft. waves). Thanks so much for sharing your story. I don't remember the incident as I was only getting ready to turn 5 at the time. I do remember the first time I heard Gordon Lightfoot's tribute song though. We had a very nasty winter here in PA in 76-77. My dad and I had to drive out to a farm to help a guy with something. This was on a cold January night and it was snowing so bad that my dad wouldn't let me get out of the truck. He left the engine running with the heater on and the radio playing and I heard the song. Years later, I heard the song again and it brought back all those memories of that night and I thought to myself, "So that's what that great song was about".
Was living in Wis when She went down. I have grown up around the great lakes in my childhood, my Grandparents having a cottage near Ludington Mich, and residing in Toledo. Many times we would go over to the port to watch the big ships come in. Living in Iowa as I have, I sorely miss standing on the shores and watching the rollers break, feeling the wind in my face. I was taught a great great respect for those Lakes at an early age by my Father and Grandfather.
I had read somewhere in one of the past great November storms of the late 60's I believe that stress monitors in the hull of one of the big ore carriers had measured forces of 23,000lbs per sq inch on the hull plating....hard to imagine....
All of those who sail on those Great Lakes are to me, some of the bravest men I can think of.
I had read somewhere in one of the past great November storms of the late 60's I believe that stress monitors in the hull of one of the big ore carriers had measured forces of 23,000lbs per sq inch on the hull plating....hard to imagine....
All of those who sail on those Great Lakes are to me, some of the bravest men I can think of.
Thanks for sharing that. Mother nature is beautiful but you had better respect her power. The eery thing about the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald is that they were trying to squeeze one last trip in before winter and look what happened. Makes you realize how precious life is.
Yes, it does make you realise how precious life is when all of us, as did They think of the things that "had" to get done...providing for their families. If you have never seen one of those ships up close, the Ore Carriers, or the old Car Ferrys, they are actually as large or larger than many ocean going ships. Any of those Great Lakes can be as timid as a pond on many days, however if you have never seen one when they are even "slighty-angry", you simply have no idea....
I saw an interview with the Captain of The Arthur M Anderson..the ship that made it thru the storm traveling with the Fitzgerald. When He reached the safety of Whitefish Bay, the Coast Guard radioed and asked if He would take the Anderson back out and search for survivors..they, the Coast Guard simply did not have any vessels capable enough to survive the condidions that night. Mind you, the Captain of the Anderson was a seasoned, experienced "Grizzled" if you will veteran of those Lakes. As He related that story, He looked at the camera, and said "I was scared to death to go back out" The Anderson did go back out and search though, yet sadly we know they found nothing.
I saw an interview with the Captain of The Arthur M Anderson..the ship that made it thru the storm traveling with the Fitzgerald. When He reached the safety of Whitefish Bay, the Coast Guard radioed and asked if He would take the Anderson back out and search for survivors..they, the Coast Guard simply did not have any vessels capable enough to survive the condidions that night. Mind you, the Captain of the Anderson was a seasoned, experienced "Grizzled" if you will veteran of those Lakes. As He related that story, He looked at the camera, and said "I was scared to death to go back out" The Anderson did go back out and search though, yet sadly we know they found nothing.
Yes. heard that also..to see the look on that Captain's face as He related that story..sobering. He said. and I am para-phrasing here... "The Anderson is a smaller ship than the Fitz..and the Fitz didn't make it, but somehow we did....to have to go back out into that again in a smaller ship.....but Captain Cooper did...
photo 11 of 14 -
Exclusive: These two burning objects, about the size of golf balls, were encountered by Frederick J. Shannon in the Delta submarine while hovering at the starboard (right) side of the Fitzgerald bow. The water temperature was 43 degrees and the depth was 530 feet. Pressure was 251 pounds per square inch. No debris was in the water and nothing was dropped from the surface. There is no logical explanation for their sudden appearance. The objects floated toward and disappeared into the hull of the ship. (Copyright 1994 Frederick J.
Exclusive: These two burning objects, about the size of golf balls, were encountered by Frederick J. Shannon in the Delta submarine while hovering at the starboard (right) side of the Fitzgerald bow. The water temperature was 43 degrees and the depth was 530 feet. Pressure was 251 pounds per square inch. No debris was in the water and nothing was dropped from the surface. There is no logical explanation for their sudden appearance. The objects floated toward and disappeared into the hull of the ship. (Copyright 1994 Frederick J.
A huge iron ship carrying a load or iron ore! Lotta weight!
The History channel has a great description of how and why she went down.
The History channel has a great description of how and why she went down.
Some neat pics of her hull being layed up...and a video of her launch.
http://www.glmi.org/fitz/
A list of the hulls built by the Great Lakes Engineering Works and their current status...
http://shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/2large/inactive/greatlakes.htm
A Google Earth aerial view of the GLEW today...you can see the canal where she was launched.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1&ll=42.257936,-83.123245&spn=0.014198,0.026436&z=15
If you scroll just a little bit to the NE you can see Zug Island, her offload destination on that fateful trip. I always found it very ironic that she was just trying to get back home basically, she was built and launched less than a few miles from her intended final destination.
http://www.glmi.org/fitz/
A list of the hulls built by the Great Lakes Engineering Works and their current status...
http://shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/2large/inactive/greatlakes.htm
A Google Earth aerial view of the GLEW today...you can see the canal where she was launched.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1&ll=42.257936,-83.123245&spn=0.014198,0.026436&z=15
If you scroll just a little bit to the NE you can see Zug Island, her offload destination on that fateful trip. I always found it very ironic that she was just trying to get back home basically, she was built and launched less than a few miles from her intended final destination.
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