Edmund Fitzgerald:30 Years since...

EDMUND FITZGERALD
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30 Years since


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In the cold murky depths of lake Superior lies a broken hulk separated in 2 pieces, it lie undisturbed for some 30 years from that fateful November night. With her, lie the bodies and souls of 29 men, men who fought until the bitter cold end. A captain, first mate and 27 sailors. 30 years ago today, November 10, the world learned of the death of the Edmund Fitzgerald. No distress call, no attempt at survival, within a matter of seconds, all was gone. For ever immortalized by that fateful song. The Edmund Fitzgerald would make history as the last disaster on the great lakes.

It began with a dream, in the prosperous 50’s where the steel economy boomed. The need for a vessel capable of carrying great quantities of taconite pellets arose. Under the guidance of the Great West Mutual Insurance company and their subsidiary Columbia line began the construction of hull 301. Christened the Edmund Fitzgerald after the chairmen of the board, the Fitzgerald is launched to a crowd of nearly 10, 000. Sliding into the water at a precarious angle the Fitzgerald met the water with astonishing force, slamming against the peer walls, one man suffered a heart attack and later died.

From that day on, people said she was cursed. At 729 feet in length, the size of several football fields, the Edmund Fitzgerald graciously accepted the nick name of the Big Fitz. For seventeen seasons the Fitzgerald sailed the great lakes, under the command of Bert Lambert, Caption Larson, Peter P. Pulcer

and finally Ernst M. McSorley, the Edmund Fitzgerald would break records for heaviest load carried through the SOO locks. Though the Fitz’s record was not spotless. Several times she collided with the SOO lock walls, ran aground and suffered other significant damage prior to the 1975 shipping season.

1975 showed great promise for the shipping season, and great prosperity for the Edmund Fitzgerald and her owners, Oglebay-Norton. It was to be her last voyage of the season. Squeezing out another run was not uncommon for these freighters, as Fitzgerald sat at Burlington Northern Dock no1. For this final voyage of the season, the Fitz is scheduled to depart Burlington Northern for Zug Island Detroit with a full load of taconite pellets. 11 days prior to this, a coast guard inspection deemed the Fitzgerald needed repairs to the hull and hatch covers after the winter lay-up.

At 3 in the afternoon on November 9 1975, 3 tugs maundered the lumbering giant towards open water. Slowly, she made her way from the dock, fully laden for what was to be a routine voyage. The coast guard had issued at gale storm warning for all those on the great lakes, winds of 70mph and seas of 15 feet were to be expected. The Arthur M Anderson, captioned by Jesse Cooper, would follow the Edmund Fitzgerald on this fateful voyage in which he would be the last to see the Fitzgerald ever again.

As the night progressed, the weather worsened. The Fitzgerald leading, with the Anderson lagging 10 to 15 miles behind. By the morning of the 10, visibility declined to a matter of feet as a heavy snow set in. Winds of nearly a hundred miles per hour were reported. The Fitzgerald featured dual radar systems, though neither were effective, and both were disabled by the storm early on. Communications between the two ships continued for the entire voyage, with McSorley relying information on his ship, and Cooper with co-ordinates. In the mid afternoon of the 10th, the Anderson watches from the radar as the Fitzgerald passes dangerously close to six fathom shoal, an area known for its shallow rocks which could tear a ships hull like a sardine can. By supper time, the Fitzgerald had taken on a severe list, both ballast pumps were functioning, though the water came in as fast as they could pump it out, several hatch covers were damaged, a fence rail down, and ballast vent hatches missing.

At 7:10pm in the evening the Anderson radioed the Fitzgerald to warn about a target some 9 miles ahead of the Fitzgerald, they were to pass to the west of it. And in one last quick minded decision, the Anderson asked of the Fitzgerald’s problems, the Fitzgerald replied, “We’re holding our ownâ€, those were the last word from the Fitzgerald.

Sometime between then and 7:30, mysteriously the Edmund Fitzgerald slipped beneath the waves. No mayday, no distress call, no attempt at escape. Repeated attempts by the Anderson to contact the Fitzgerald failed. And after some 2 hours after, finally convinced the coast guard that indeed a ship had been lost. And in what was an amazing piece of bravery on the Andersons part, turned the ship around back into the storm to search for the lost Fitzgerald.

The next morning the news broke, the 729 foot Edmund Fitzgerald had succumbed to the forces of superior, all hands on board were lost. 29 families were left without fathers, brothers, and sons, 29 families with no closure, no final goodbye.

In the spring of 1976, the U.S coast guard recorded a massive hulk on the bottom of lake superior, and in may, a R.O.V is sent down to identify the wreck, indeed it is the grave of 29 men, the Edmund Fitzgerald. In that same year, stirred by the tale, song writer, Gordon Lightfoot, writes and records a ballad of the fabled tale, entitled “The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgeraldâ€. forever immortalizing the ship and her crew in history. Several more expeditions would be carried out on the Fitzgerald including one by Jacques Cousteau son, and the calypso submarine. In one expedition remnants of a body were found outside of the Fitzgerald off the bow, there was no attempt to disturb or identify the body. Theories for why she sank included failed hatch covers, giant seas that engulfed her, and running aground and splitting her hull open. Expeditions have come up inconclusive as to why she sank, and we may never really know why. After the pleads of the families of the victims, one last dive would be made to the Fitz in the summer of 1995. The expedition in a joint venture with the U.S and Canadian coast guard would set out to retrieve the bell from the Fitzgerald replacing it with one engraved with the names of the ones lost. It was the only form of closure that the families would ever get.

The Edmund Fitzgerald is, and will always be a grave for the 29 men who braved their lives, and to those who perished on the great lakes





Listed below is the names of the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Name​

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Age

Occupation Onboard

Hometown​

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Michael E. Armagost

37

Third Mate

Iron River, Wisconsin

Fred J. Beetcher

56

Porter

Superior, Wisconsin

Thomas D. Bentsen

23

Oiler

St. Joseph, Michigan

Edward F. Bindon

47

First Asst. Engineer

Fairport Harbor, Ohio

Thomas D. Borgeson

41

Maintenance Man

Duluth, Minnesota

Oliver J. Champeau

41

Third Asst. Engineer

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

Nolan S. Church

55

Porter

Silver Bay, Minnesota

Ransom E. Cundy

53

Watchman

Superior, Wisconsin

Thomas E. Edwards

50

Second Asst. Engineer

Oregon, Ohio

Russell G. Haskell

40

Second Asst. Engineer

Millbury, Ohio

George J. Holl

60

Chief Engineer

Cabot, Pennsylvania

Bruce L. Hudson

22

Deck Hand

North Olmsted, Ohio

Allen G. Kalmon

43

Second Cook

Washburn, Wisconsin

Gordon F. MacLellan

30

Wiper

Clearwater, Florida

Joseph W. Mazes

59

Special Maintenance Man

Ashland, Wisconsin

John H. McCarthy

62

First Mate

Bay Village, Ohio

Ernest M. McSorley

63

Captain

Toledo, Ohio

Eugene W. O'Brien

50

Wheelsman

Toledo, Ohio

Karl A. Peckol

20

Watchman

Ashtabula, Ohio

John J. Poviach

59

Wheelsman

Bradenton, Florida

James A. Pratt

44

Second Mate

Lakewood, Ohio

Robert C. Rafferty

62

Steward

Toledo, Ohio

Paul M. Riippa

22

Deck Hand

Ashtabula, Ohio

John D. Simmons

63

Wheelsman

Ashland, Wisconsin

William J. Spengler

59

Watchman

Toledo, Ohio

Mark A. Thomas

21

Deck Hand

Richmond Heights, Ohio

Ralph G. Walton

58

Oiler

Fremont, Ohio

David E. Weiss

22

Cadet

Agoura, California

Blaine H. Wilhelm

52

Oiler

Moquah, Wisconsin

List provided by ​

http://www.ssefo.com
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May we spare a moment of rembrence for the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Ryan Adams​

 

an update.....at this moment 7:10pm on november 10 2005 some 30 years ago, the Edmund Fitzgerlad slipped beneath the waves. its been 30 years to the minute

 

Evangelion, I think you should learn something from locked topics.

 

I find it funny, and you should too.

 

Unfortunately, some mods (as well as myself) dont find it funny.

 

Eva thats low.

 

better? yeah, i know, my mspaint skills arent that good.

 

This is an all time low, even for you eva. You're a pathetic fag, and I hope you get banned for this shit. Not only are you derailing this very serious thread, which Ryan seems to be very passionate about, but you are also doing it by making fun of the poor victims that were hit by the hurricanes. Why should we find the suffering of others to be funny? Seriously, you need to grow up. Your absurd, nonsensical "humor" is just stupid and no one appreciates it.

 

i find that responce hilarious, specially comming from you.

 

Dont take me wrong, dont think i am a heartless bastard, i know it was really bad down there, but a guy taking beer? come on, what if it was a redneck? everyone would be laughing at it.

 

Right, but I don't know where your coming from with this "specially (you can't even spell it right, dumbass) comming (again, learn how to spell) from you" shit, because I've never made fun of disaster victims.

I wouldn't be laughing, and I'm not laughing right now. It's not funny.

 

It's not that eva. Its just that they probably thought you were being disgraceful the whole event by posting a picture that said I don't know what you're talking about. If you read it then you would've learned about that tragedy. Its not because the guy in the picture is black.

 

Does it really matter if i cant spell? you're a fucking dumbass, and specially is spelled both ways idiot.

 

you heartless bastard..........all i ask is for a moment of respect for families of the edmund fitzgerald and you cant even do that?...TELL ME what is funny about 29 familes losing ones they loved!.....TELL ME what is funny about knowing that you will never see that person again.....TELL ME how funny it is to know that there will never be closure......IS THAT FUNNY?!

 

Its not the guy being black that is an issue. He is making fun of a tragedy (two techically) this one in the thread and the whole Hurricane tragedy in New Orleans. The guy probably lost his house (possibly even family and friends) and is stealing some beer that will alleviate all his pains and worrys for the time being, and then will make him more depressed later on. LOL, thats just too funny.

 

maybe we can get this back on topic...all i wanted was a thread where you could leave your respects, not this...this...this is nothing...this is pathetic....

 

I know what you mean ryan, but didnt this happen 30 years ago? so we should never make fun of dead people? and i wasnt making fun of them, i just had no idea what you were talking about.

 

I leave my respect to these people and their families. Death is never a funny matter.

 

i find in instances of not knowing what the topic is about is to either ask....or google it........posting a comment that defies the whole purpose of the thread stupid...was it too much to ask?.....or maybe read the whole post instead of posting such a comment like yours?

and i dont mean to sound mean...disasters arent funny...


edit*Thank you Mr. Casual, thats why this topic is here in the first place