Sinking of the Fitzgerald The sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald - November 10, 1975 The SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior 20 years ago. Gordon Lightfoot's song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" (1976, Moose Music, Ltd.) is a tribute to this ship wreck and the men who lost their lives. Some of the lyrics of the song are given below along with descriptions of related events. "..The lake it is said never gives up her dead when the skies of November turn gloomy With a load of iron ore 26,000 tons more than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty...." On November 10, 1975 the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior. All 29 crew members died. At the time, it was the worst shipping disaster on the Great Lakes in 11 years. Other shipping disasters on the Great Lakes, in which weather played a role include: Nov. 11, 1913: eighteen ships were lost killing 254 people. Nov. 11-13, 1940: 57 men died when three freighters sank in Lake Michigan. Nov.

18 1958: 33 men died on Lake Michigan with the sinking of the Carl D. Bradley. Nov. 29, 1966: Daniel J. Morrell sank in Lake Huron killing the 28 crew members. "The ship was the pride of the American side comin' back from some mill in Wisconsin As the big freighters go it was bigger than most..." The Fitzgerald weighted 13,632 tons and was 729 feet long. In 1958, when it was first launched, it was the largest carrier on the Great Lakes, and remained so until 1971. The Fitzgerald was labeled "The Pride of the American Flag". In 1964 it became the first ship on the Great Lakes to carry more than a million tons of ore through the Soo Locks. On November 9, 1975 she departed from Superior, WI with approximately 26,000 tons of ore bound for Detroit MI. Shortly after leaving, the Fitzgerald made contact with the Arthur M. Anderson bound, on a similar route, for Gary IN.

On November 8 a storm was brewing in the plains and proceeded northward towards the Great Lakes. It appeared to be a "typical November storm". "...and late that night when the ship' bell rang could it be the north wind they'd bin feelin'." On November 9 at 7 p.m. the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a gale warning for Lake Superior. In a gale, the wind speeds range from 34-40 knots. The NWS predicted east to northeasterly winds during the night, shifting to NW to N by the afternoon of November 10. At approximately 10:40 p.m. the NWS revised its forecast for eastern Lake Superior to easterly winds becoming southeasterly the morning of the 10th. At about 2:00 am November 10 the NWS upgraded the gale warning to a storm warning (winds 48-55 knots) with a prediction of "northeast winds 35 to 50 knots becoming northwesterly 28 to 38 knots on Monday, waves 8 to 15 feet". Around 2 a.m.

the Captains of the Anderson and Fitzgerald discussed the threatening weather and decided to change their route. This safer route would take them northward, toward the coast of Canada. The northern route would protect them from the waves that the storm generated. Winds generate waves; the size of the wave depends on: The wind speed: The stronger the winds, the larger the force and thus the bigger the wave. The wind must also be steady - a constant wind speed. The duration of the winds: The longer the wind blows over the open water, the larger the waves.. The fetch: This is the distance of open water over which the wind blows. The larger the fetch the larger the waves. At 3 am the winds were reported as coming from the northeast at 42 knots. The Fitzgerald and Anderson proceeded together, the Fitzgerald ahead of the Anderson. They had radio contact and the Anderson's radar located the position of the Fitzgerald. At 7 am. the storm passed over Marquette MI and started across Lake Superior. "The wind in the wires made a tattle tale sound and a wave broke over the railing...." On the afternoon of November 10 a wind shift was evident. At 2:45 p.m.

the winds had backed to NW and were 42 knots. Steady winds at 43 knots and waves of up to 12 and 16 feet were reported by the Anderson. At around this time the Fitzgerald contacted the Anderson and reported "a fence rail down, two vents lost or damaged and a list". A list is when a ship leans to one side. Also around this time, the storm's fury had closed the Sault Ste. Marie locks. A shift of winds to the NW is very important, as this increased the fetch, allowing large waves to build. The Fitzgerald and Anderson were no longer protected by land. Late on the afternoon of the 10th, the captain of the Fitzgerald made radio contact with another ship, the Avafor, and reported that they "had a bad list, had lost both radars, and was taking heavy seas over the deck in one of the worst seas he had ever been in." Captain McSorely was a seasoned sailor of the Great Lakes with 44 years of experience. "...At seven p.m.

a main hatchway caved in he said 'fellas it's bin good to know ya' The captain wired in he had water comin' in and the good ship and crew was in peril and later that night when 'is lights went out of sight came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" At 7 p.m. the Anderson made radio contact with the Fitzgerald and had her on their radar. When asked how the Fitzgerald was making out they replied "We are holding our own". This was around 7:10 p.m.. Shortly afterwards the Fitzgerald disappeared from the Anderson's radar screen. This phrase of the song, while romantic, makes it sound as if the crew knew they were doomed. In reality the sinking of the Fitzgerald was very rapid and it is likely they did not know the seriousness of their condition. Indeed, after the wreck a severely damaged life boat was found, and only part of the second. The conditions of these lifeboats suggests that no attempts were made to leave the ship. No distress signals were ever issued. "...They might have split up or they might have capsized they may have broke deep and took water...." What caused the ship to sink?

There are a couple of theories cited in the "Marine Casualty Report" by the US. Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation Report. Since there were no survivors nor witnesses, their report is based on testimonies and an underwater survey of the wreck. This report suggests that the Fitzgerald was taking on water due to earlier damage from the storm and that around 7:15 p.m. it plunged headfirst into a large wave and sank abruptly. Factors contributing to the sinking: Raising the wintertime load line. When a ship is filled with cargo, there is a level at which the ship rests in the water. This level is referred to as the load line. The height load line is set as a function of season and determines the weight of the cargo the ship can transport. Between the time of her launch and its sinking, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald load line was raised 3 feet 3 1/4 inches, making her sit lower in the water. This increased the frequency and quantity of water that could flood the deck during a rough storm. Leaking Hatchways The ore was loaded through hatchways located top side.

On October 31 routine damage was noted during an inspection and were scheduled for repair after the 1975 shipping season. The hatch covers were not sealed properly and were therefore not water tight, thus allowing water to enter the cargo areas. Once water entered it could migrate throughout the hold. There was no way to determine if flooding was occurring in the cargo bay until the ore was saturated, much like a sponge. Throughout the storm the ship was probably taking on water in the cargo hold though the hatches. Increased water loading, and the lower load line, made the ship sit lower in the water, allowing more water to board the ship. Eventually the "bow pitched down and dove into a wall of water and the vessel was unable to recover. Within a matter of seconds, the cargo rushed forward, the bow plowed into the bottom of the lake, and the midship's structure disintegrated, allowing the submerged stern section, now emptied of cargo, to roll over and override the other structure, finally coming to rest upside-down atop the disintegrated middle portion of the ship" (Marine Accident Report SS Edmund Fitzgerald Sinking in Lake Superior).

This sequence of events would lead to a rapid sinking, with no time to make a distress call or attempt life-saving operations. The conditions of the recovered lifeboats support this in that they appear to have been torn from their storage racks. "Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours? " For more information on the SS Edmund Fitzgerald see: The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald; Lyrics by Gordon Lightfoot, Moose Music Ltd. Holden, T., 1991: Lake Superior's wicked November storms. Mariners Weather Log, 4-7. Knox, J. A. and S. A. Ackerman, 1996: Teaching the extratropical cyclone with the Edmund Fitzgerald storm. 5th AMS Symposium on Education. Ludington (Mich.) Daily News, November 11, 1975. Marine Casualty Report, SS EDMUND FITZGERALD; Sinking in Lake Superior on 10 November 1975 with Loss of Life. US. Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation Report and Commandant's Action. Report No.

USCG 16732/64216, Department of Transportation, Coast Guard. Marine Accident Report SS Edmund Fitzgerald Sinking in Lake Superior, November 10, 1975. May 1978 National Transportation Safety Board, Washington DC. Report Number: NTSB-MAR-78-3 Stonehouse, F., The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. ISBN 0-932212-05-0, Avery Color Studios, Au Train, MI 49806, 1977, 208 pp. Please refer questions to Dr. Steve Ackerman/stevea@ssec.wisc.edu or John Knox/jknox@meteor.wisc.edu Did Rogue Waves Sink Edmund Fitzgerald? - Lake Scientist Did Rogue Waves Sink Edmund Fitzgerald? by Daniel Kelly — November 17, 2015 There are many theories on the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, the freighter that went down in Lake Superior in November of 1975. Some of these include that faulty hatch covers slowly flooded the craft; that the ship had structural issues; or that it ran aground on a shoal that weakened its hull.

Another theory relates to the wave action on Lake Superior the day that the Edmund Fitzgerald sank. It deals with what have been called “rogue waves,” or even “killer waves” by some. These waves are said to be twice as tall as surrounding wave heights and highly unpredictable. The SS Edmund Fitzgerald in 1971. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons User Greenmars via Creative Commons 3.0) The theory has been relatively disregarded in the past because confirming the existence of the rogue waves had been difficult. But researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying near the Apostle Islands , have found that the out-of-nowhere waves are possible on the lake. The researchers have been using a sensor mounted on the bottom of Lake Superior, likely an acoustic doppler current profiler or similar device, to gauge waves in the area. Their efforts have revealed that rogue waves do form, though the ones scientists have found — as high as 17.7 feet when others at the time averaged 8.9 feet — aren’t nearly as tall as those thought to have occurred when the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank (56 feet). Model showing the storm that sunk the SS Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975.

(Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) During certain wave conditions, the scientists have found that the waves can group together. For example, there could be three or four of the rogue waves in one hour and then they’d just go away for the rest of the day. That adds a little credence, though no certain proof, to the “rogue waves” theory. Originally put forth in 2000, the theory has long held that it wasn’t just one wave that downed the ship, but three. How do you think the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank? Will we ever truly know what brought down the famous freighter? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts. Share Edmund Fitzgerald History, The Fateful Journey Home Edmund Fitzgerald The Fateful Journey The Fateful Journey by Sean Ley, Development Officer The final voyage of the Edmund Fitzgerald began November 9, 1975 at the Burlington Northern Railroad Dock No.1, Superior, Wisconsin. 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.

Departing Superior about 2:30 pm, she was soon joined by the Arthur M. Anderson, which had departed Two Harbors, Minnesota under Captain Bernie Cooper. The two ships were in radio contact. The Fitzgerald being the faster took the lead, with the distance between the vessels ranging from 10 to 15 miles. Aware of a building November storm entering the Great Lakes from the great plains, Captain McSorley and Captain Cooper agreed to take the northerly course across Lake Superior, where they would be protected by highlands on the Canadian shore. This took them between Isle Royale and the Keweenaw Peninsula. They would later make a turn to the southeast to eventually reach the shelter of Whitefish Point. Weather conditions continued to deteriorate. Gale warnings had been issued at 7 pm on November 9, upgraded to storm warnings early in the morning of November 10. While conditions were bad, with winds gusting to 50 knots and seas 12 to 16 feet, both Captains had often piloted their vessels in similar conditions. In the early afternoon of November 10, the Fitzgerald had passed Michipicoten Island and was approaching Caribou Island.

The Anderson was just approaching Michipicoten, about three miles off the West End Light. Captain Cooper maintained that he watched the Edmund Fitzgerald pass far too close to Six Fathom Shoal to the north of Caribou Island. He could clearly see the ship and the beacon on Caribou on his radar set and could measure the distance between them. He and his officers watched the Fitzgerald pass right over the dangerous area of shallow water. By this time, snow and rising spray had obscured the Fitzgerald from sight, visible 17 miles ahead on radar. At 3:30 pm that afternoon, Captain McSorley radioed Captain Cooper and said: “Anderson, this is the Fitzgerald. I have a fence rail down, two vents lost or damaged, and a list. I’m checking down. Will you stay by me till I get to Whitefish?” McSorley was checking down his speed to allow the Anderson to close the distance for safety. Captain Cooper asked McSorley if he had his pumps going, and McSorley said, “Yes, both of them.” “The Wreck Site II” by David Conklin: Available online in the Shipwreck Coast Museum Store.

As the afternoon wore on, radio communications with the Fitzgerald concerned navigational information but no extraordinarily alarming reports were offered by Captain McSorley. At about 5:20 pm the crest of a wave smashed the Anderson’s starboard lifeboat, making it unusable. Captain Cooper reported winds from the NW x W (305 ) at a steady 58 knots with gusts to 70 knots, and seas of 18 to 25 feet. According to Captain Cooper, about 6:55 pm, he and the men in the Anderson’s pilothouse felt a “bump”, felt the ship lurch, and then turned to see a monstrous wave engulfing their entire vessel from astern. The wave worked its way along the deck, crashing on the back of the pilothouse, driving the bow of the Anderson down into the sea. “Then the Anderson just raised up and shook herself off of all that water – barrooff – just like a big dog. Another wave just like the first one or bigger hit us again.

I watched those two waves head down the lake towards the Fitzgerald, and I think those were the two that sent him under.” Keeping Watch Morgan Clark, first mate of the Anderson, kept watching the Fitzgerald on the radar set to calculate her distance from some other vessels near Whitefish Point. He kept losing sight of the Fitzgerald on the radar from sea return, meaning that seas were so high they interfered with the radar reflection. First mate Clark spoke to the Fitzgerald one last time, about 7:10 pm: “Fitzgerald, this is the Anderson. Have you checked down?” “Yes, we have.” “Fitzgerald, we are about 10 miles behind you, and gaining about 1 1/2 miles per hour. Fitzgerald, there is a target 19 miles ahead of us. So the target would be 9 miles on ahead of you.” “Well,” answered Captain McSorley, “Am I going to clear?” “Yes, he is going to pass to the west of you.” “Well, fine.” “Do you realize what the conditions are out there?” No reply from the Coast Guard. Captain Cooper tries again. “Affirmative.

From what your reports are I can appreciate the conditions. Again, though, I have to leave that decision up to you as to whether it would be hazarding your vessel or not. If you think you can safely go back up to the area, I would request that you do so. But I have to leave the decision up to you.” “I’ll give it a try, but that’s all I can do.” The Anderson turned out to be the primary vessel in the search, taking the lead. With the ship pounding and rolling badly, the crew of the Anderson discovered the Fitzgerald’s two lifeboats and other debris but no sign of survivors. Only one other vessel, the William Clay Ford, was able to leave the safety of Whitefish Bay to join in the search at the time. The Coast Guard launched a fixed-wing HU-16 aircraft at 10 pm and dispatched two cutters, the Naugatuck and the Woodrush. The Naugatuck arrived at 12:45 pm on November 11, and the Woodrush arrived on November 14, having journeyed all the way from Duluth, Minnesota. The Coast Guard conducted an extensive and thorough search.

On November 14, a U.S. Navy plane equipped with a magnetic anomaly detector located a strong contact 17 miles north-northwest of Whitefish Point. During the following three days, the Coast Guard cutter Woodrush, using a sidescan sonar, located two large pieces of wreckage in the same area. Another sonar survey was conducted November 22-25. Finding the Fitzgerald Restored Fitzgerald bell – Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum The following May, 1976, Woodrush was again on the scene to conduct a third sidescan sonar survey. Contacts were strong enough to bring in the U.S. Navy’s CURV III controlled underwater recovery vehicle, operating from Woodrush. The CURV III unit took 43,000 feet of video tape and 900 photographs of the wreck. On May 20, 1976, the words “Edmund Fitzgerald” were clearly seen on the stern, upside down, 535 feet below the surface of the lake. On April 15, 1977 the U.S. Coast Guard released its official report of “Subject: S.S.

Edmund Fitzgerald, official number 277437, sinking in Lake Superior on 10 November 1975 with loss of life.” While the Coast Guard said the cause of the sinking could not be conclusively determined, it maintained that “the most probable cause of the sinking of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald was the loss of buoyancy and stability resulting from massive flooding of the cargo hold. The flooding of the cargo hold took place through ineffective hatch closures as boarding seas rolled along the spar deck.” However, the Lake Carrier’s Association vigorously disagreed with the Coast Guard’s suggestion that the lack of attention to properly closing the hatch covers by the crew was responsible for the disaster. They issued a letter to the National Transportation Safety Board in September, 1977. The Lake Carrier’s Association was inclined to accept that Fitzgerald passed over the Six Fathom Shoal Area as reported by Captain Cooper. Later, in a videotaped conversation with GLSHS, Captain Cooper said that he always believed McSorley knew something serious had happened to Fitzgerald as the ship passed over Caribou Shoal. Cooper believes that from that point on, McSorley knew he was sinking.

Conflicting theories about the cause of the tragedy remain active today. GLSHS’ three expeditions to the wreck revealed that it is likely she “submarined” bow first into an enormous sea, as damage forward is indicative of a powerful, quick force to the superstructure. But what caused the ship to take on water, enough to lose buoyancy and dive to the bottom so quickly, without a single cry for help, cannot be determined. Twenty-nine men were lost when the Fitzgerald went down. There is absolutely no conclusive evidence to determine the cause of the sinking. The bell of the ship is now on display in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum as a memorial to her lost crew. For books, videos, and memorabilia about the Fitzgerald, her loss, and her legacy, visit the Shipwreck Coast Museum Store online now. The Storm that Sunk the Edmund Fitzgerald | Teaching Great Lakes Science Teaching Great Lakes Science The Storm that Sunk the Edmund Fitzgerald Search The Storm that Sunk the Edmund Fitzgerald Summary: This data set contains one worksheet of data, detailing the weather conditions before and after the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975.

The data contains the time collected, location of the weather stations from which the conditions were reported (the abbreviations are from ships that reported in as weather stations), the wind speed and direction, the wave height, and the precipitation and visibility. View the Data: edmund fitzgerald.xlsx Background About the Fitzgerald The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald (sometimes called the Mighty Fitz or Big Fitz) was a Great Lakes bulk cargo vessel that was christened into service on June 8, 1958. It was 730 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 39 feet high. It was designed to carry taconite pellets (a type of iron ore) from mines near Duluth to iron works in Detroit and Toledo. It was the largest ore carrier on the Great Lakes when it entered service. Its first voyage took place September 24, 1958. The Fitzgerald met its fate while traveling on Lake Superior during a storm on November 10, 1975. It suddenly sank around 17 miles from Whitefish Bay. Although the captain of the Fitzgerald reported having difficulties during the storm, no distress signals were sent. The entire crew of 29 people died when the vessel sank.

No bodies were ever recovered from the wreckage. Later when the wreck was found, it was discovered that the ship had broken in two. It still sits on the bottom of Lake Superior at 530 feet deep. Conditions on the Great Lakes can be extremely treacherous and can produce high waves. Steep, short-period waves can be particularly hazardous to large ships such as the Fitzgerald, especially when they exceed 5 meters (16 feet) in height. The height of waves generated on the lakes is primarily a function of wind speed and the fetch, or distance, over which they are generated. Of secondary yet substantial importance is the degree of surface-layer stability present over the lake. Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes in surface area and volume. It has the capacity to contain the water volume of the four other lakes plus three additional Lake Eries. Given its immense size, it is capable of sustaining waves in excess of 10 meters (33 feet), about the height of a four-story home. The Sinking During the early morning of November 9, 1975, a low-pressure system began to take shape in the southern plains.

This storm would move northeast and intensify considerably over the next 36 hours as it moved into the Great Lakes region. During that time, the Edmund Fitzgerald and another vessel, the Arthur M. Anderson, departed ports on western Lake Superior to begin their voyages east to the Sault Ste. Marie locks and eventually the lower Great Lakes. Details of what took place during the storm on November 10, 1975, including the communication between the captains of the Anderson and Fitzgerald, can be found in a Marine Accident Report submitted by the National Transportation Safety Bureau Accident Investigation. The full report is available here . The two ships, the Anderson and the Fitzgerald, departed Two Harbors, Minnesota with similar cargo. Soon after, a gale warning was issued for Lake Superior. Captain McSorley of the Fitzgerald acknowledged receiving the warning while in communication with Captain Cooper of the Anderson. The captains decided to take a more northerly track across Lake Superior because of the storm warning, a general practice during bad weather. See: Additional Illustrations (PDF) Late in the afternoon, 50-knot winds were blowing across Lake Superior. The Anderson reported receiving hurricane-force winds of 75 knots.

At around 3:30 p.m., the captain of the Fitzgerald radioed out to the Anderson and another ship, stating the Fitzgerald had a “bad list,” had lost both radars, and was taking heavy seas over the deck in one of the worst seas he had ever encountered. Soon after, he asked the captain of the Anderson to assist him with radar plots until he could make it to Whitefish point. The last radio communication took place at 7:10 pm. Captain Cooper asked how the ship was weathering the storm and Captain McSorley reported, “We are holding our own.” It is believed that the Fitzgerald sank suddenly soon after without sending out any distress signals. Calculations Provided: The unit of wind speed in the data is in knots. 1 knot equals 1.15 miles per hour. To interpret the wind directions, refer to the compass rose for assistance . Location Map: Location of the Fitzgerald at 4 time periods . Purpose of Research: Meteorologists must have a thorough understanding of the science of meteorology and atmospheric motions in order to accurately predict the weather.

One area of meteorological study important to residents of the Great Lakes area is the interaction that takes place between the air, the land, and these huge bodies of water. Accurate forecasts of winds and waves on the lakes are critical to both the crews of the large freighters making their livings on the lakes and to the recreational boater or fisherman relaxing and enjoying time on the water. Another area of important research is rapidly deepening low-pressure systems such as the one associated with the Fitzgerald storm. NOAA and NASA researchers extensively studied flow around low-pressure systems during the late 1970s and early 1980s, identifying different flow patterns not clearly understood. As a result of this research, forecasters gained a better understanding of the effects of jet stream winds on the development of deepening low pressure storms. This advanced knowledge allows today’s meteorologist to provide more accurate and detailed forecasts. To learn more about the advancements in marine communications and forecasting, visit the National Weather Service website . Research Methods: The information in this data set was taken from the transcripts of hearings following the sinking of the Fitzgerald.

40 years ago, the 'Witch of November' sank the Edmund Fitzgerald 40 years ago, the 'Witch of November' sank the Edmund Fitzgerald On Nov. 10, 1975, the freighter sank during a ferocious storm on Lake Superior. Post to Facebook 40 years ago, the 'Witch of November' sank the Edmund Fitzgerald On Nov. 10, 1975, the freighter sank during a ferocious storm on Lake Superior. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 104 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs 40 years ago, the 'Witch of November' sank the Edmund Fitzgerald Doyle Rice , USA TODAY Published 3:32 p.m. ET Nov. 9, 2015 | Updated 11:19 a.m. ET Nov. 10, 2015 A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Edmund Fitzgerald Mrs. Edmund Fitzgerald, wife of the Chairman of the Board of the Northwest Mutual Life Insurance Co.

during the launch of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald on June 7, 1958. Associated Press The SS Edmund Fitzgerald is launched in River Rouge on June 7, 1958. Ray Glonka, Free Press A life boat from the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald that sunk on November 10, 1975 sits on display in the retired Steamship Valley Camp lake freighter in Sault Ste. Marie, MI on Sunday August 9, 2015. Ryan Garza, Detroit Free Press A life boat from the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald that sunk on November 10, 1975 sits on display in the retired Steamship Valley Camp lake freighter in Sault Ste. Marie, MI on Sunday August 9, 2015. Ryan Garza. Detroit Free Press The Delta submarine that was used to see the freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald. Copyright 1994 Frederick J. Shannon This underwater photo of the sunken SS Edmund Fitzgerald was taken by an unmanned submersible robot, as a research team investigates the wreck site 17 miles northwest of Whitefish Point, Mich., on August 24, 1989.

Steven Wayne Rotsch, Associated Press Exclusive: A 12-foot separation of the main deck from the pilothouse structure on the forward section of Fitzgerald. It was caused by striking bottom during sinking. Copyright 1994 Frederick J. Shannon The rear of the pilothouse of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Of the seventeen large glass windows in this structure, two panes of glass remain intact. Copyright 1994 Frederick J. Shannon Exclusive: The Edmund Fitzgerald pilothouse. Copyright 1994 Frederick J. Shannon Fullscreen Tom Fischer of Evansville, Ind.,looks over the Edmund Fitzgerald bell on display at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Whitefish Point, Mich., June 29, 2005. Thirty years ago, on Nov. 10, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald, a massive 729-foot ore carrier, sank in the eastern end of Lake Superior during a fierce storm that beat the ship with 30-foot waves.

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) CARLOS OSORIO, AP Fullscreen A life ring and life vest hang in an exhibit along with a painting of the Edmund Fitzgerald in rough Lake Superior waters in a display at the Lake Superior Maritime Museum Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2005, in Duluth, Minn. The Fitzgerald, an ore carrier, sank with its crew of 29 Nov. 10, 1975. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) JIM MONE, AP Exclusive: The propeller "shoe" or support at the inverted stern of the Fitzgerald. Expedition '94 located a knotted line or rope draped over the shoe and leading into the hub of the 19-foot (diameter) four blade propeller. Copyright 1994 Frederick J. Shannon Exclusive: A porthole window with glass intact was one of several located by Expedition '94. This one is located on the starboard right side of the bow. Copyright 1994 Frederick J. Shannon Fullscreen Exclusive: Pieces of the Fitzgerald are scattered on the bottom of Lake Superior in an area extending nearly two acres from the immediate wreck site.

In the background is a damaged and dislodged section of railing from the forward section. The lake bottom at the wreck site is dotted with depressions where various parts of the vessel sunk into the clay. Copyright 1994 Frederick J. Shannon Exclusive: One of several dozen two-ton steel hatch covers blown off the main deck of the Fitzgerald by the pressures generated by the sinking. Copyright 1994 Frederick J. Shannon Fullscreen Part of the Edmund Fitzgerald's last cargo- 26,116 tons of taconite iron ore pellets loaded at Burlington-Northern Ore Docks in Superior, Wisconsin on November 9, 1975 and bound for Zug Island in the Detroit River. These pellets are on the forward section's main deck. Copyright 1994 Frederick J. Shannon Exclusive: One of the deck vents on the forward upright section. Captain McSorley reported on marine radio that he had lost several of these ballast tank vents from storm force winds. Copyright 1994 Frederick J. Shannon Fullscreen Exclusive: All that remains of the broken radar antenna high atop the Fitzgerald pilothouse.

Captain Ernest McSorley, master of the ship reported on marine radio that he had lost both of his radar sets during the storm of November 10, 1975. Copyright 1994 Frederick J. Shannon Fullscreen Underwater pictures of where the Edmund Fitzgerald lies in Lake Superior. 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. Shannon Fullscreen The original bell from the ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald which sank with 29 crew members in November, 1975. Divers retrieved the bell on July 4, 1995, replacing it with a replica on which the names of the crew were inscribed. The original bell is now at the Whitefish Point Shipwreck Museum.

Gerry Volgenau / Detroit Free P, Gerry Volgenau / Detroit Free P Fullscreen Frederick Shannon of Mt. Morris, the diver who led an expedition to explore the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, stands beside a 2-man submarine much like the one used in his 1994 expedition. Shannon said of the expedition, "The tragedy still permeates the area. It can grip you to the point where you really have to focus or you'll get lost in the legend." Kathleen Galligan, Detroit Free Press Fullscreen A lantern lit for Ernest M. McSorley, a Master on the Edmund Fitzgerald when it sunk 30 years ago on November 10, 1975, sits near the Fitzgerald's anchor on Thursday, November 10, 2005. Twenty nine sailors lost their lives that night during the terrible storm. People gathered at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle to remember the sailors.

ERIC SEALS, Detroit Free Press Fullscreen Sterling Berry, 80, of Grosse Pointe, Mich., and John Polacsek, 55, of Detroit, light lanterns for those attending a memorial in memory of the 29 sailors that died on the Edmund Fitzgerald when it sunk 30 years ago on November 10, 1975 at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum located on Belle Isle in Detroit Thursday, Nov. 10, 2005. ERIC SEALS, Detroit Free Press Fred Shannon holds taconite iron ore pellets, like those of the final 26,000 ton cargo of the Fitzgerald. Kathleen Galligan, Detroit Free Press The Edmund Fitzgerald is shown on the Detroit River. Bert Emmanuele, Associated Press Like this topic?

You may also like these photo galleries: Replay Cargo ship suddenly sinks in Lake Superior - Nov 10, 1975 - HISTORY.com Cargo ship suddenly sinks in Lake Superior Share this: Cargo ship suddenly sinks in Lake Superior Author Cargo ship suddenly sinks in Lake Superior URL Publisher A+E Networks On this day in 1975, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sinks in Lake Superior, killing all 29 crew members on board. It was the worst single accident in Lake Superior’s history. The ship weighed more than 13,000 tons and was 730 feet long. It was launched in 1958 as the biggest carrier in the Great Lakes and became the first ship to carry more than a million tons of iron ore through the Soo Locks. On November 9, the Fitzgerald left Superior, Wisconsin, with 26,000 tons of ore heading for Detroit, Michigan.

The following afternoon, Ernest McSorely, the captain of the Fitzgerald and a 44-year veteran, contacted the Avafor, another ship traveling on Lake Superior and reported that his ship had encountered “one of the worst seas he had ever been in.” The Fitzgerald had lost its radar equipment and was listing badly to one side. A couple of hours later, another ship made contact and was told that the Fitzgerald was holding its own. However, minutes afterward, the Fitzgerald disappeared from radar screens. A subsequent investigation showed that the sinking of the Fitzgerald occurred very suddenly; no distress signal was sent and the condition of the lifeboats suggested that little or no attempt was made to abandon the ship. One possible reason for the wreck is that the Fitzgerald was carrying too much cargo. This made the ship sit low in the water and made it more vulnerable to being overwhelmed by a sudden large wave. The official report also cited the possibility that the hatches to the cargo area may have been faulty, leading to a sudden shift of the cargo that capsized the boat. The Fitzgerald was eventually found 530 feet below the surface, 17 miles from Whitefish Bay, at the northeastern tip of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

The ship had broken into two parts that were found approximately 150 feet apart. As there were no survivors among the 29 crewmembers, there will likely never be a definitive explanation of the Fitzgerald‘s sinking. The Fitzgerald‘s sinking was the worst wreck in the Great Lakes since November 29, 1966, when 28 people died in the sinking of the Daniel J. Morrell in Lake Huron. The disaster was immortalized in song the following year in Canadian folk singer Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” Related Videos New technology since SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank makes Great Lakes safer The Edmund Fitzgerald was on a trip from Wisconsin to Detroit when it sank. Undated photo Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society The Edmund Fitzgerald makes its maiden trip on the Detroit River. The ship was was launched June 8, 1958 at River Rouge. Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society The Edmund Fitzgerald docked in Toledo. Undated photo. Fran Gabor Fullscreen Watchman Ransom E. Cundy, one of the crew member who died in the wreckage, poses on the ship in an undated photo.

He served in the United States Marine Corp during World War II and fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima. Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society Fitzgerald porter Frederick J. Beetcher is shown in an undated photo. Beetcher, from Superior, Wisconsin, was born in 1914. He went down with the ship on its fateful journey. Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society The Fitzgerald , shown here in the 1960s, once was the largest ship on the Great Lakes and, though it lost that title, it still set records year after year for carrying more cargo than other freighters. The collection of Captain William A. Hoey III The Edmund Fitzgerald is shown deep laden in this undated photo. The ship was lugging 26,000 tons of iron ore pellets from Superior, Wisconsin to a steel mill on Zug Island. Roger LeLievre Fullscreen The last trip of The Edmund Fitzgerald trip came near the end of the shipping season, when the weather could turn dicey. The Fitzgerald hugged the northern coast but the storm moved north as well, according to a Coast Guard investigation. Conditions worsened until the following afternoon, Nov.

10, when the waves grew to 30 feet and gusts up to 90 mph before the ship disappeared into the storm. Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society The front page of The Detroit News after the Fitzgerald sank Nov. 10, 1975. The Detroit News. An obituary for members of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald from the American Maritime Officer in 1975. Ed Zurga, AP Fullscreen The families of the lost sailors requested that one artifact from the wreckage be recovered for a symbolic public memorial, and the bell was selected. Here Diver Bruce Fuoco makes the final cutting of the Fitzgerald's original bell stanchions on July 4, 1995. Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society The bell of the Edmund Fitzgerald is recovered in July 1995. Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society A visitor to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Whitefish Point views the Edmund Fitzgerald's bell in 2005. The bell is the centerpiece of the memorial to the 29 men who died in the shipwreck. Files Fullscreen Buy Photo The anchor of the Edmund Fitzgerald is at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle in Detroit.

David Coates, The Detroit News Fullscreen Ed Chaput, of Rockwood, looks at a photograph of the Edmund Fitzgerald when it was launched in 1958 during a commemoration June 7, 2008 at Lake Erie Metropark in Brownstown Township. Chaput was on the first crew of the ship and worked on it for four months in 1958. Bryan Mitchell, Special to Detroit News Oliver J. Champeau, third assistant engineer on the Edmund Fitzgerald, was from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The bodies of the 29 crew members were never recovered. Courtesy Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society Deb Felder-Gomez daughter of the late Oliver J. Chapeau, holds a portrait of her father at her home in Nashota, Wisconsin. Darren Hauck, AP A memorial Oliver J. Chapeau at the home of his daughter Deb Felder-Gomez. Darren Hauck, AP A letter from President Gerald Ford for Oliver J. Chapeau, third assistant engineer on the Edmund Fitzgerald, is displayed at his daughter's home.

Darren Hauck, AP Fullscreen The children of Nolan Church, a porter on the final voyage of the Edmund Fitzgerald, stand behind photos of their father in Two Harbors, Minnesota. Church was 55 at the time of his death, didn’t become a sailor until his 40s. Watching freighters pass his home in he thought it might be a fun job, said his children. He loved his time on the water, they said. Ann Heisenfelt, AP The children of Nolan Church pose at the harbor on Lake Superior in Two Harbors, Minnesota. From left are Marilynn Peterson, Debbie Gage, Bonnie Kellerman and Rick Church. Ann Heisenfelt, AP Pam Johnson holds her father's union card as she poses for a photo at her apartment in Abilene, Kansas. Johnson is the daughter of Robert Rafferty, a cook on the Edmund Fitzgerald that sank in Lake Superior. Ed Zurga, AP A photograph of Robert Rafferty rest on his personal cook book. Rafferty, 62, was filling in as a replacement cook when the ship went down.

Ed Zurga, AP Pam Johnson looks through her collection of Edmund Fitzgerald memorabilia at her apartment in Abilene, Kansas. Ed Zurga, AP Johnson has reconciled with the series of circumstances that placed her dad on the ship. “I believe in a higher power,” she said. “God just needed my dad home more than I did.” Ed Zurga, AP Fullscreen From left, Oliver Campau's granddaughter Kathleen Gomez, and daughter Deborah Gomez, Robert Rafferty's daughter Pam Johnson light two lanterns in memory of their loved ones during a memorial service for the SS Edmund Fitzgerald at Belanger Park in River Rouge, Nov. 10, 2010. At right is Danny Hogan of Florida. Madalyn Ruggiero, Special to Detroit News Fullscreen From left, family members Pam Johnson , Robert Raffert's daughter, and Kathleen Gomez, and Deborah Gomez, Oliver Campeau's granddaughter and daughter, speak about their loved ones during a memorial service for the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald at Belanger Park in River Rouge, Nov. 10, 2010.

Madalyn Ruggiero, Special to Detroit News A view of 29 battery operated lanterns in memory of all the men that were placed along the waterfront during a memorial service for the SS Edmund Fitzgerald at Belanger Park in River Rouge, Nov. 10, 2010. Madalyn Ruggiero, Special to Detroit News Like this topic? You may also like these photo galleries: Replay The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - YouTube The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Apr 20, 2009 A tribute to the 29 men who died November 10, 1975, aboard the Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior. ---- Announcer ( 0:04 ): An air and sea search is continuing for possible survivors of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a 729 foot ore carrier, which apparently broke apart and sunk last night on Lake Superior.

The ship and its 29-man crew vanished in a storm with 80 mile-an-hour winds and wave heights up to 25 feet. All that has been found is an oil slick and some debris. -- song begins at 0:17 -- Radio Transmission ( 3:11 ): "We last had contact with 'em, the mate had talked to him ... at about 10 minutes after 7, 19:10 , and he said he was going along fine and no problem." -- Radio Transmission ( 3:21 ): "But it looks from the information that we have that it's, uh, fairly certain that the, uh, Fitzgerald went down." -- Radio Transmission ( 4:04 ): "Uh, no, I didn't have him, uh, visually, I had him on radar; he was, uh, exactly 10 miles ahead of us.

I asked him how he was making out with his problems and he said he was holding his own, but I, uh, lost contact after that." ---- The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down of the big lake they called "Gitche Gumee" The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead when the skies of November turn gloomy With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty, that big ship and true was a bone to be chewed when the Gales of November came early The ship was the pride of the American side coming back from some mill in Wisconsin As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most with a crew and good captain well seasoned, concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms when they left fully loaded for Cleveland And later that night when the ship's bell rang, could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'?

The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound and a wave broke over the railing And ev'ry man knew, as the captain did too 'twas the witch of November come stealin' The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait when the Gales of November came slashin' When afternoon came it was freezin' rain in the face of a hurricane west wind When suppertime came the old cook came on deck sayin' "Fellas, it's too rough t'feed ya" At seven P.M. a main hatchway caved in; he said, "Fellas, it's bin good t'know ya!" The captain wired in he had water comin' in and the good ship and crew was in peril And later that night when 'is lights went outta sight came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald Does any one know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?

The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay if they'd put fifteen more miles behind 'er They might have split up or they might have capsized; they may have broke deep and took water And all that remains is the faces and the names of the wives and the sons and the daughters Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings in the rooms of her ice-water mansion Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams; the islands and bays are for sportsmen And farther below Lake Ontario takes in what Lake Erie can send her, And the iron boats go as the mariners all know with the Gales of November remembered In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed, in the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down of the big lake they call "Gitche Gumee" "Superior," they said, "never gives up her dead when the gales of November come early" Category

Question: In what lake did the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sink?
Answer: Lake Superior