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Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs
The Edmund Fitzgerald in calm weather and sunny skies,

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Canadian singer and songwriter Gordon Lightfoot wrote his epic ballad about the cargo freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald in 1976, and memorialized the ship for eternity with his lyrics. His song tells of the Edmund Fitzgerald, as she fought against a November gale on Lake Superior. The ship was battered by 30 foot waves and 90 mile per hour winds, from the sudden and violent storm. The Fitzgerald lost both her radars, and the radio beacon and light at Whitefish Point were knocked out by the storm for a time.

The Arthur M. Anderson, another freighter, was in radio contact with the Fitzgerald until roughly 7:00 PM, on November 10, 1975, and its crew could see her on its radar. The last words heard from the Fitz’s captain, Ernest McSorley were, “We are holding our own.” We don’t know exactly how or why the Edmund Fitzgerald sank, but all 29 men aboard were lost, and the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald lies broken in two pieces on the bottom of Lake Superior.

The crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald:

Michael E. Armagost, 37, Third Mate, Iron River, Wisconsin
Frederick J. Beetcher, 56, Porter, Superior, Wisconsin
Thomas D. Bentsen, 23, Oiler, St. Joseph, Michigan
Edward F. Bindon, 47, First Assistant Engineer, Fairport Harbor, Ohio
Thomas D. Borgeson, 41, Maintenance Man, Duluth, Minnesota
Oliver J. Champeau, 41, Third Assistant Engineer, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Nolan S. Church, 55, Porter, Silver Bay, Minnesota
Ransom E. Cundy, 53, Watchman, Superior, Wisconsin
Thomas E. Edwards, 50, Second Assistant Engineer, Oregon, Ohio
Russell G. Haskell, 40, Second Assistant 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

Gallery

A profile view of the Edmund Fitzgerald showing her brick red hull.
The Edmund Fitzgerald in 1971, under captain Peter Pulcer.
The Mighty Fitz was a popular sight on the Detroit River.
The Edmund Fitzgerald in calm weather and sunny skies,
The Edmund Fitzgerald was the largest ship on the Great Lakes until 1971.
A blueprint of the ship showing its various compartments and cabins.
Configuration drawing of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
People getting a tour inside the ship, overlooking machinery underneath.
Spectators tour the interior of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1959.
Elizabeth Fitzgerald swings a bottle of champagne at the hull of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Elizabeth Fitzgerald, with her husband Edmund watching, christened the ship on June 7, 1958.
The Edmund Fitzgerald under construction.
Hull #301 at Great Lakes Engineering Works of Ecorse, Michigan.
A ship's captain in uniform and a crewman in t-shirt and slacks walking behind.
The Fitzgerald’s was first under the leadership of Captain Bert Lambert.
The ship's captain stands in front of the pilot house.
Known as “The DJ Captain,” Captain Peter Pulcer was known to play music from the ship and entertain spectators.
Portrait of Captain Ernest McSorley
Captain Ernest McSorley was a veteran Captain of the Great Lakes.
Portrait of a ship's captain in uniform.
Captain Bernie Cooper of the Arthur M. Anderson
A cargo freighter being loaded.
The Arthur M. Anderson was in radio contact with the Edmund Fitzgerald throughout the ordeal, until the Fitz went down.
A map showing the Fitzgerald's route was slightly north of the Arthur M. Anderson, and then slightly west as it headed south.
This shows the routes taken by the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Arthur M. Anderson on November 9th and 10th, 1975.
The pilot house of the Edmund Fitzgerald from the rear of the ship. The name "Edmund Fitzgerald" is visible.
Looking aft from the deck. Note the steel hatch covers and the clamps which seal them shut.
A damaged and broken lifeboat.
Lifeboat #2 was mangled and twisted.
A dented lifeboat.
Lifeboat #1 was dented and damaged.
A nautical chart showing the ship's route.
This lake chart shows the route and location where the Fitzgerald went down. Note the route’s proximity to Six Fathoms Shoal.
A tattered section of a life raft with words imprinted on it.
A portion of an inflatable life raft that was found during the search and rescue.
Rear Admiral Winford W. Barrow inspects lifejackets recovered from the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Rear Admiral Winford W. Barrow inspects lifejackets recovered from the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The large bow anchor of the Edmund Fitzgerald on display outdoors in Detroit.
The bow anchor of the Edmund Fitzgerald, at Dossin Great Lakes Museum in Detroit, Michigan. The Fitz lost in the Detroit River in 1974.
A side scan sonar image of the shipwreck.
This image taken with side scan sonar shows how the two sections of the Fitzgerald are situated on the lake bottom.
An ashtray, key, and spoons in a display case.
These items were recovered from the Edmund Fitzgerald. They are on display at the DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum in Fenwick Island, Delaware. Photo Credit: Joe Dobson.

Sources

Coast Guard Report 1978- Edmund Fitzgerald
The Day the Lake Took the Edmund Fitzgerald
Edmund Fitzgerald
The Storm that Sunk the Edmund Fitzgerald
Guide to the SS Edmund Fitzgerald Ship & Crew
The Edmund Fitzgerald
https://donmooreswartales.com/2016/02/10/duwayne-schoeneck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0Nk7Ou6YUg – coast guard recording

https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/green-sheet/2023/05/03/what-to-know-about-the-edmund-fitzgerald-whose-wreck-inspired-song/70174467007/

https://www.detroitnews.com/picture-gallery/media/photo/2022/11/10/remembering-edmund-fitzgerald/8293571001/

http://drdavidlturner.com/2022/11/the-edmund-fitzgerald-life-lessons-from-a-lost-anchor/#:~:text=The%20Fitzgerald%20lost%20her%20starboard,with%20flukes%20six%20feet%20wide.

https://www.biography.com/musicians/a43773377/gordon-lightfoot-the-wreck-of-the-edmund-fitzgerald

https://www.weather.gov/mqt/fitz_fitza

https://www.shipwreckpodcast.com/edmundfitzgeraldrecords

https://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/item/39170

https://ssedmundfitzgerald.org/fitz-timeline

https://www.brookesbell.com/news-and-knowledge/article/the-story-of-the-ss-edmund-fitzgerald-158411/

https://soundingsjohnbarker.wordpress.com/tag/six-fathom-shoal/

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