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The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Lake Superior is the largest fresh water lake in the world. It is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. The shipwrecks in the Great Lakes number around 6,000. The SS Edmund Fitzerald numbers among them. The bulk ore carrier sank with her entire on board crew on November 10, 1975.
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was launched in 1958. During the launch it took three swings before the champagne bottle would break on the bow, the boat struck the dock and a spectator suffered a heart attack. This is said to have been the beginning of a string of bad luck for the vessel. Between the time of her launch and the time of her sinking, the boat had experienced a total of five collisions.
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was headed to Zug Island with a full load of ore the night that she sank. Gale force winds and high waves buffeted the freighter, though the Edmund Fitzgerald only reported minor damage and a slight listing over the radio. The last radio message from the Fitzgerald's captain stated "We are holding our own." Within minutes the ship could neither be detected by radar or reached by radio. She had suddenly and mysteriously sunk with no survivors to be found.
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
The freezing cold waters of Lake Superior cause corpses to sink and remain at the bottom. The initial search for the SS Edmund Fitzgerald and her crew only found debris and empty lifeboats. The wreck itself was located days later through use of sonar and was explored with unmanned submarines the following spring. The freighter was found to have split into two pieces, much like the RMS Titanic. It lies under roughly 530 feet of water. It lies at 46°59.9%u2032N, 85°06.6%u2032W.
The church bell chimed, 'til it rang 29 times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
There are a number of tributes and memorials to the SS Edmund Fitzgerald and her crew. The most famous of the tributes is the song The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (quoted in most of the headers in this entry) by Gordon Lightfoot. It also inspired a rock song (Lake Effect), a concerto (The Edmund Fitzgerald), a musical (The Gales of November) and a beer manufactured by the Great Lakes Brewing Company is named for the freighter.
The Mariner's Church of Detroit rang its bell 29 times on the day after the Edmund Fitzgerald sank. It rang once for each person lost to the wreck. This became an annual tradition and in 2006 evolved into a memorial service for all who have lost their lives to the Great Lakes. The Split Rock Lighthouse in Silver Bay, Minnesota also pays tribute every November 10th by emitting a special light in honor of the captain and crew of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum has the bell from the Edmund Fitzgerald's wreck on display and annually holds a service in which they ring the bell. |
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| Related Sites |
Detroit News: SS Edmund Fitzgerald
Detroit News flashback article on the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. |
Boat Nerd: Edmund Fitzgerald
Boat Nerd's page on the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. |
Wikipedia: SS Edmund Fitzgerald
Wikipedia entry about the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. |
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| Similar Destinations |
| Day the Music Died Crash Site |
| Sweeney Todd's Barber Shop Site |
| Mount Hope Cemetery, Rochester, NY |
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| See Also on TheCabinet.com |
| Blog: The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (11/09/08) |
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| Available from Amazon.com |
Gordon Lightfoot - Complete Greatest Hits |
Summertime Dream |
Mighty Fitz: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald |
Gales of November: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald |
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald |
Great Lakes Myth Society |
Great Lakes Myth Society |
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