 |
| The Edmund Fitzgerald |
Today, November 10, is the 38th anniversary of the disappearance of the SS. Edmund Fitzgerald -- affectionately known as " The Mighty Fitz."
The 729 foot carrier with a cargo of 26,116 tons of taconite iron ore left Superior, Wisconsin, and was headed to Detroit when it encountered a severe storm on northern Lake Superior. In the late afternoon the winds were gusting to 70 knots (81 mph) creating 25 foot waves. About 7 P.M. the Edmund Fitzgerald disappeared from radar.
All 29 men aboard apparently went down with their ship. Captain Ernest McSorley and a number of the crew lived in the Toledo area.
The sunken freighter has since been located on the bottom of the lake under 530 feet of water. The site has been explored and photographed and it appears the huge vessel broke in half as a result of the high waves generated by the storm. A smaller ship nearby, the Arthur M. Anderson, survived the storm and had hoped to rescue survivors. There were none.
The disaster is remembered every year in the Mariners Church in downtown Detroit and has been memorialized by Gordon Lightfoot's haunting ballad, "The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald."
No comments:
Post a Comment