The Edmund Fitzgerald
By Zac Jerominski
What Was the Edmund Fitzgerald?
The Edmund Fitzgerald was built by the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (it was based in Milwaukee) , in 1957. The company was invested in iron mines in Minnesota, with this they built the Edmund Fitzgerald to ship the Iron ore pellets from Minnesota to other ports in Michigan. The construction of the ship was the first ever by an Insurance company. The Fitzgerald was the largest ship ever constructed and put to use on Lake Superior, it was 730 ft long and was dubbed "The Queen of the Lakes". With her size the Fitzgerald set 6 records for carrying weight and was a sight for boat watchers. She was used for 17 years before it sank.
The Final Journey
The last voyage of the Edmund Fitzgerald began on November 9, 1975. The vessel left from Superior, Wisconsin headed to Detroit, Michigan with 29,250 tons of taconite ore pellets. The Fitzgerald was soon joined by the Anderson which was destined for Gary, Indiana. The weather forecast for the next day was nothing new for a winter storm on Lake Superior. In the early morning of November 10, 1975, the conditions of the storm got worse with winds of 50 mph and 10 foot waves. In the afternoon of November 10, the Fitzgerald Radioed the Anderson saying that they were taking in water, lost 2 vent covers and a fence railing, the ship had also developed a list or tilt. Although the boat had been taking in water it had both pumps working to discharge the water. The Fitzgerald also lost it navigation equipment so the slowed down to close the gap between the Fitzgerald and Anderson so that the Anderson could help guide the Fitzgerald. By late afternoon on November 10, the Anderson was logging winds as strong as 67 mph and waves 25 feet tall. The Anderson was also hit with a 35 foot rogue wave and 86 mile per hour gusts. The last communication from the Fitzgerald came at 7:10 pm. The Anderson asked the Fitzgerald how they were doing, and the last words that were said were "We are holding our own." The ship sank moments later with no distress signal. The Anderson then lost communication and the Fitzgerald on their radar. The vessels sank nearly and hour from their destination. The boat and all 29 crew members were lost that day.
Why it Sank
For a long time it has been a mystery as to why the Edmund Fitzgerald sank here a some theories:
- Going back and surveying the area where the Fitzgerald sank, NOAA did simulations on the conditions, they found that the Fitz, was experience hurricane force winds of 70 mph and waves 25 feet tall. This could have caused the boat to rock back and forth, then sinking
- Rogue waves is another theory, where 3 sister waves hit the Fitzgerald one after another, these waves are bigger than the other waves on the water causing massive damage. "Three Sisters" is a phenomenon where 3 rogue waves form at once.
- Lastly many historians and researchers believe that the Fitzgerald sank due to the damage that it sustained to the topside of the boat. This then would have caused the Fitz to take in water to the cargo hold. With the flooded cargo hold and horrible conditions it would have been a K.O punch for the Fitzgerald.
Route
This was the Route that the Edmund Fitzgerald took before it stank.
Ernest M. McSorley
Ernest M. McSorley was the Captain of the Edmund Fitzgerald until is sunk. The faithful journey was supposed to be his last trip before he retired.
Edmund Fitzgerald
The Edmund Fitzgerald sunk in Lake Superior in 1975 due to a horrible storm.
My Reaction
I love reading about the history of Wisconsin. It is always fun to learn about the kind of things that make Wisconsin a great place to live. I've know about the Edmund Fitzgerald for a while, but I have never really looked into. It was crazy thinking that a ship that big used to sail on Lake Superior. In fact during one of my vacations I went up to Bayview which is a small town on the northernmost part of Wisconsin. During my trip I went on a boat tour that showed us all of the shipwrecks in the area. It was also crazy learning that Lake Superior is one of the most dangerous Great Lakes there are. With over 6,000 ships that have sunk in its water.
Works Cited
- DeMarche, Edmund. "Edmund Fitzgerald Sinking Remains a Great Lakes Mystery 40 Years Later | Fox News." Fox News. FOX News Network, 10 Nov. 2015. Web. 22 May 2016.
- "Edmund Fitzgerald History, The Fateful Journey." Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, n.d. Web. 22 May 2016.
- McCall, Tim. "Ship Profile." S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald Online. N.p., 22 May 2016. Web. 22 May 2016.
- "SS Edmund Fitzgerald." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 14 May 2016. Web. 22 May 2016.