On the 9th of November, 1975, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald left Wisconsin and set off across
Lake Superior, laden with a cargo of iron ore pellets. It was a journey the cargo
freighter had made many times before, but this particular sailing would be different:
the Edmund Fitzgerald would never make it to its planned destination of Zug Island near Detroit,
and neither would any of the 29 crew members on board. Construction of the Edmund Fitzgerald began
in 1957, and was completed the following year. The freighter was, at that time, larger than
any other on the Great Lakes, measuring as it did 222 meters (or 729 feet) from bow to stern.
This gargantuan vessel was owned by the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company,
and was therefore given the name of the company's then-president:
Edmund Fitzgerald. Clearly Mr Fitzgerald was proud of the ship his company had commissioned...
and he wasn't alone. The crew and captains of the vessel demonstrated a similar pride. She was known
in her early years for frequently hauling record-breaking amounts of cargo in a season,
and for doing so with an impeccable safety record. The Edmund Fitzgerald was a popular sight
with tourists and ship spotters too, especially when under the command of Captain Peter Pulcer.
This particular captain was known for piping music through the ship's tannoy system to
inspire the crew, and for heading out on deck with a bullhorn as the ship passed through locks
in order to bellow commentary and fun facts to watching tourists.
The haulage of cargo across the Great Lakes of America might seem like a fairly mundane task.
Indeed, the Edmund Fitzgerald was often referred to as a "workhorse" of a ship. It's safe to say,
though, that among those in close contact with her she was a much-loved workhorse. In her early years
she was cared for well, and thus by 1975 was nowhere near the end of her expected lifespan.
All being well it was thought that she stood a good chance of lasting well into the 2000s.
However, this was not to be. On the 9th of November, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald set
out on a routine voyage from Wisconsin to Zug Island loaded with a cargo of iron ore pellets.
She departed around 2:15pm, at which time the weather forecast was fair. A storm was due in the
early hours of the next morning, but the National Weather Service predicted that it would pass by to
the south of Lake Superior, and would thus be of no concern to the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Just five hours later, however, the National Weather Service updated their predictions - far
from passing by to the south, the storm would bring gale force winds to the whole
of Lake Superior. The captain at the helm of the Edmund Fitzgerald for this journey
was 63-year-old Captain Ernest M McSorley. When McSorley received this worrying forecast
he ordered a change of direction, steering the freighter towards the Canadian shore of the lake,
where it might be able to find some shelter from waves and wind. By 1:00am on the 10th of November,
the Edmund Fitzgerald was battling its way through a powerful storm. Winds blew at more
than 50 knots, and waves more than 3 meters (or 10 feet) high smashed against the sides of the ship.
Doggedly the Edmund Fitzgerald crawled onwards through the onslaught. Morning came and the storm
continued. At around 2:45pm that day, snow was added to the already challenging conditions,
reducing visibility and forcing the Edmund Fitzgerald to slow to a crawl. At 3:30pm
Captain McSorley radioed another nearby ship - the SS Arthur M Anderson - which was following
the same course as the Edmund Fitzgerald, but about 16 kilometers (or 10 miles) behind.
"I have a fence rail down, two vents lost or damaged, and a list," reported Captain McSorley.
Tn this context "list" meant that the ship was tilting to one side.
Captain McSorley asked the Arthur M Anderson to stay close in case of an emergency. Later,
around 7:10pm the First Mate on board the Arthur M Anderson checked in on Captain McSorley.
After providing some navigational guidance, he asked, "By the way, Fitzgerald, how are you
making out with your problems?" Stoically, Captain McSorley replied, "We are holding
our own." That would be the last communication of any kind from the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The crew of the Arthur M Anderson tried to radio again and again, but could not get
through and couldn't spot the ship on radar. They contacted the Coastguard, first to express concern
and then to outright report that the Edmund Fitzgerald was missing. By 9:00pm
the Arthur M Anderson had reached a safe harbor in Whitefish Bay between Michigan and Ontario.
However, the Coastguard was soon in touch to ask the ship to turn around
and venture back out to look for the Edmund Fitzgerald. The captain's hesitancy in responding
gives some indication as to the conditions at the time. "Well," he replied to the Coastguard,
"I'll go back and take a look but, god, I'm afraid I'm going to take a hell of a beating out there.
I'll turn around and give 'er a whirl but, god, I don't know. I'll give it a try."
Despite the awful conditions, the Arthur M Anderson led the search. It was to be an
unsuccessful one. The only trace of the Edmund Fitzgerald that was found was a smashed lifeboat
and some other debris. After many ships had spent many hours searching the waters in
increasingly treacherous conditions there was only one conclusion that could be reached:
the Edmund Fitzgerald had sunk. There were many questions to be answered about this disaster.
First and foremost among them was what had actually caused the sinking. There had been no
distress signal and not one of the crew members on board had been able to escape in a lifeboat.
How were other ships in the area able to weather the storm when the Edmund Fitzgerald was not?
Was there anything particular about the design of the ship that led to its sinking? Even now,
after years of extensive investigation, there are no answers to these questions, only many theories.
The wreckage, discovered five days after the sinking, has been surveyed and visited
multiple times. The ship lies broken in two pieces, and some theorize that it fractured
under stress while still on the surface. Others believe strongly that this is not
possible and that the ship must have been swamped by a series of massive rogue waves.
Still others contend that the sinking must have been down to the cargo hold flooding
or to the ship scraping against a reef in the dark and confusion of the storm.
Perhaps, it was alleged, the ship had not been as well cared for under Captain McSorley as it
had in previous years. Some evidence was found that repairs had been deferred or
temporarily patched, and the captain had a reputation for pushing the ship hard and accepting
no delays, even in extreme weather conditions. Perhaps it was his actions and decisions that
caused the Edmund Fitzgerald to be lost. While the exact mechanism of the disaster remains unclear,
several contributing factors were identified in the years after the wreck...
and even though no single one could be blamed for the incident changes were made
to improve safety across the board. In the aftermath of the disaster depth detectors
were made mandatory on ships over a certain weight, as were survival suits for all crew.
Navigational and communication infrastructure on the Great Lakes was improved dramatically, as
were maps and charts of the area. Finally, the US Coastguard began a much more rigorous inspection
program of all ships sailing on the Great Lakes. These routes are not without danger, but thanks to
these changes and more there hasn't been another incident as deadly as the sinking of the Edmund
Fitzgerald in the area since. A memorial to the 29 crew members who lost their lives when the Edmund
Fitzgerald sank stands near the water at Whitefish Point in Michigan. The ship's bell and anchor have
also been retrieved, and are kept in museums to be preserved in honor of the memory of the deceased.
The sailors who perished were proud and competent individuals. Though we do not necessarily know
exactly why they were lost we can still appreciate the immense risk they took in order to carry out
their work. Shipping on the Great Lakes continues to this day - an everyday, necessary undertaking
which fuels industry and powers a nation. The journeys back and forth across Lake Superior
and the other inland bodies of water in the Great Lakes chain may seem unremarkable simply because
they happen every day: the cargo is mundane, the work steady. But, as the Edmund Fitzgerald shows,
the crew who undertake this relatively thankless work do so at great personal risk.