SS Edmund Fitzgerald sinks in Lake Superior, Michigan

It has been 49 years since the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.

Why was Edmund Fitzgerald so important?

The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was considered the largest and fastest ship on the Great Lakes. It set several records for largest seasonal transports. Built by the Great Lakes Engineering Works in River Rouge, Michigan, the ship was launched in 1958.

It was the first ocean freighter built to the maximum St. Lawrence Seaway size. The Fitzgerald transported ore between mills in Minnesota and ironworks in Detroit, Toledo and Cleveland. It had a capacity of 26,000 tons.

Why was it called Edmund Fitzgerald?

The ship was named after the president and CEO of its owner, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. According to an obituary in the Los Angeles Times, Edmund Fitzgerald, who died in 1986, was a civic leader in his hometown of Milwaukee. He was credited with helping build the city's Performing Arts Center, port facility and Amtrak station. He was also the grandson of a Great Lakes boat captain.

Fitzgerald was initially opposed to having the freighter named in his honor, and the Northwestern Board approved the name when he left the room. However, his son-in-law told the LA Times that the honor was “the proudest moment of his life.”

What happened to the ship?

The Fitzgerald sank on Lake Superior on the evening of November 10, 1975, during a particularly violent storm. There are no survivors or witnesses to the shipwreck.

According to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, the Fitzgerald's captain, Ernest McSorely, reported problems in a radio message to the SS Arthur Anderson at approximately 3:30 p.m. that afternoon: “Anderson, this is the Fitzgerald. I have a fallen fence railing, two lost or damaged vents, and a list. I'll take a look. Will you stay with me until I get to Whitefish?”

Last contact with the Fitzgerald occurred at 7:10 p.m. The crew of the Fitzgerald reported that the ship “held its ground.” Just five minutes later, the Anderson's radar lost the Fitzgerald's signal. Another call to the Fitzgerald at 7:22 p.m. went unanswered. At about 10 p.m., the Anderson's crew discovered the Fitzgerald's lifeboats and other wreckage, but no sign of survivors.

When was the wreck found?

A Coast Guard submersible discovered the wreck of the Fitzgerald on May 20, 1976, about 535 feet below the surface of Lake Superior. Divers recovered the ship's bell in 1995. The wreck is considered a burial site by the crew's family members and is therefore declared a World Heritage Site by the Canadian government. This status prevents divers from visiting the wreck without permission.

Who were the men who died in the shipwreck?

The entire 29-person crew died in the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Captain Ernest M. McSorley Michael E. Armagost Fred J. Beetcher Thomas D. Bentsen Edward F. Bindon Thomas D. Borgeson Oliver J. Champeau Nolan S. Church Ransom E. Cundy Thomas E. Edwards Russell G. Haskell George J. Holl Bruce L. Hudson Allen G. Kalmon Gorden Maclellan Joseph Mazes John H. McCarthy Eugene O'Brien Karl A. Peckol John J. Poviach James A. Pratt Robert C. Rafferty Paul M. Rippa John D. Simmons William J. Spengler Mark A. Thomas Ralph G. Walton David E. Weiss Blaine H. Wilhelm

In Detroit, the Rev. Richard Ingalls, then pastor of the Mariners' Church on Jefferson Avenue, came to the church in the cold, dark morning hours of November 12 to solemnly commemorate the loss of life, the worst ever on the Great Lakes 29 times Ring the church's “fraternity bell,” an act immortalized in Gordon Lightfoot's ballad “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”

What impact did this tragedy have on shipping on the Great Lakes?

A Coast Guard investigation of the wreck made several recommendations to improve safety for Great Lakes vessels.

See also: The storm that sank the Edmund Fitzgerald