I was 12 years old when the Fitzgerald went down. I remember seeing it on the evening news and all I could think about was how horrible it must have been to have been dragged down to the bottom of that dark and cold lake..I don't know why, but even after all these years I am still fascinated by the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. RIP Captain McSorley and crew.
Ok folks I'm going to tell you what happened so bare with me as I explain this. The mighty Fitz sank because of GREED. She was over worked and over stressed for years. The money hungry Insurance company that owned her hired the capt because he was known as a rough weather capt that wouldn't say no. He hauled more iron ore through the soo locks during bad weather than any other capt. Over the years she had been patched many times due to a broken keel but never repaired properly which is why she kept breaking. The capt even said that she had a " wiggle " that scared him but he continued to haul the ore. She was inspected prior to her last voyage and deemed not to be sea worthy. More plates for patching were ordered but the capt unwilling to say no to the boss for whatever reason decided their was enough time left in the season for one more trip. That proverbial One More Time. After loading he knew of the pending weather that was coming but thought the mighty Fitz was invincible and could weather the storm. All pun intended. His first mistake was convincing himself that she could handle any storm thrown at her because she had so many times in the past. His second mistake was altering his course thereby running her across 6 fathoms shoals. With only 9 feet of clearance on a calm day that distance was negated by the troughs created by the winds. She bottomed out in the center on a shoal causing her to hog or push upward in the center splitting her hull and snapping the railing. When the railing snapped the forced slung the cables into the 2 vent covers knocking them off. As she started taking in water she started to list to starboard or to the right as he reported. He reported that he had both pumps working but was not making any headway. Meaning he was taking on more water than the pumps could handle and the list worsened to eventually 12 degrees. His third mistake was to continue his route even though the ship was in peril with the weather getting worse. That hard headed SOB killed 28 men including himself because he either couldn't bring himself to say no to the boss or simply didn't want to. That proverbial Just One More Time has been the downfall to many people that wouldn't say That's Enough. Those two fifty foot rogue waves that nearly did in the Author Anderson sunk the mighty Fitz due to her being overloaded and listing at 12 degrees starboard. It was just more than she could withstand and it broke her back. Think about this, she was 729 feet long and sunk in 530 feet of water. If she stood on her nose touching the bottom 200 feet of her stern would be sticking out of the water. With 30 foot waves and 90 mph tailwind gusts she was constantly up and down with a terrible starboard list. I cant imagine the terror those guys must have felt. Then those 2 rogue waves caught up to them from behind, remember they where traveling south and the wind was out of the north so it was coming up behind them. The first of the two lifted her stern high in the air driving her bow down then the second one finished her off. As she went down bow first her cargo and water she had taken in rushed to the front driving her down into the lake bed. The stern sticking out of the water could not support the weight and snapped her back. 200 feet of midship disintegrated. Divers inspected the bottom of the stern because it lays upside down and shows no sign of breaching. That's because the center of the ship is what hit the shoals but since it disintegrated their is nothing to see. And do you know the owners of that ship didn't give the family's of the men who lost their lives one dime in compensation. I've done a lot of research on this as as I said in the beginning GREED killed those men. That Capt is ultimately responsible and the buck stops with him. So sad this tragedy could have been avoided. The ship wasn't sea worthy do to the badly needed repairs, and all ships except those two were docked due to the impending weather. The Author Anderson got lucky and survived, sadly the mighty Fitz did not. To bad that capt cant be resurrected and hung in the town square. I know his kind, I've worked for them before. GREED and the inability to say NO is a SOB.
Well done . VERY well done . It's clear that you've done your research and you know what you're talking about. This tragedy and that of the Deepwater Horizon are BOTH -as you say -the result of greed. People at the top putting pressure on people at the bottom . THANK you VERY much for putting the hard facts out here. GOD Bless YOU. Stay well. With all respect.
Sir, I believe you are exactly right. The proof is in the pudding. Narracisum has killed many people not just the guy or captain of his ship. It was his decision and his decision alone that took that ship to it's watery grave! R.I.P. crew of the Fitzgerald. Didn't have to happen. SHAWN
While I might disagree with some of the pronouncements in your comment, it is actually the most comprehensive (probable) explanation that curious people could read. I, for one, didn't realize that they were at a 12 degree list. I've sailed and that is an unpleasant amount if coupled with rough seas. For the people who think the Fitz broke in half on the surface due to structural failure, they must compare the damage to the midsection with the damage which might have occured in their theory. The stern sticking upwards dozens of yards out of the water, coupled with that tremendous impact explain well the complete disentigration of approximately 200 feet of the hull. In my humble opinion, a ship which broke in two on the surface, even in heavy seas, would not experience that kind of damage
I live in Indiana. I was 15. When the Fitzgerald sank! It has haunted me for years. Been to the museum at Whitefish bay. I touched the bell from the ship. I have a signed picture of the Edmund by Gordon Lightfoot.Seen Gordon sing the song. Been to lake Superior and stayed at a Bed and Breakfast on the shore of Superior and swam in her waters. Been to the Locks watched freighter's go threw the locks. Its been a journey because of the ship wreck. Don't know why it means so much to me. Maybe the sudden loss of life. Even had a dream of the ship and its crew and how they felt during the sinking. "Now thats haunting" Shawn
I lived in Port Dalhousie right on Lake Ontario when it happened, I was 9 years old and remember it very well, my teacher at school had us do the story for current events. I remember thinking how horrible and now I can't hear that Gordon Lightfoot song without crying.
Maybe part of why it means so much to you is, like many others, we might have had dreams of being out there both before the wreck as well as afterwards. For many, it was a lifetime dream to sail on a freighter. Also, it’s not everyday that a freighter goes down on the Great Lakes. Not one that I am aware since November 1975 (please correct me if I’m wrong about that).
Learning about this sounds frightening. I was only 5 years old in 1975 when this ship went down, killing all 29 men. Gordon Lightfoot made the song a classic.
I was eleven and it was a bad year for our family, too when we lost our father suddenly. Rest in peace all those who lose their lives just doing their jobs. And God bless their families and friends.
There is one theory that the Edmund Fitzgerald suffered a stress fracture and took water and when the rogue waves hit her, it dove her bow down and since the waters where the wreck is only 523 ft deep, her stern was still above water and then she broke apart. That explains why she sank so quickly and why no one survived and why the Fitzgerald is in two pieces.
The men in the Pilot House and forward end were fortunate. It was over before they even knew what happened. I feel horrible for the men in the aft end, especially the engine room. Once they rolled and were upside down, it must have felt like an eternity for the compartments to flood and bring a merciful end.
Depending on your theory of how it sank, all the men may have gone quickly, or even instantly. If the Fitz nosed into the mud at the bottom of the lake when one of those larger than normal waves picked it up from aft, then that collision was app. 35mph. It would have contributed to the ship's breaking in two as the stern section stuck out of the water a hundred feet, or so, and then been pushed by the next wave until it broke the ship in the middle. A sudden 35mph to 0mph stop would likely have stunned or knocked unconcious, everybody on board. I've visited the engine room on a ship that I worked on and I can tell you that there aren't very many surfaces that would be soft enough for an uninjured landing if a man was thrown violently across it.
The Anderson is finally out there again after a 2-year layup. And if she ever comes to the point where she's just no longer seaworthy, the only thing to do with a heroic vessel is turn her into a museum ship. We got the Boyer/Schoonmaker, we can make room for the Anderson ...
I'm surprised no one has tried to bring the Edmund Fitzgerald back up to the service. I know that's probably not possible but you'd think someone would at least try to resurrect the Fitz to try and figure out what happened.
Captains last words.....Whats this holding us down. ... Reply-well there's so much water inside the ship, and riding so low the storm wave has piledrove the hatch cover and filled it in. Now we can't get back up and the next wave will drill the next hatch cover and we will all blub blub drib*******.
I was 12 years old when the Fitzgerald went down. I remember seeing it on the evening news and all I could think about was how horrible it must have been to have been dragged down to the bottom of that dark and cold lake..I don't know why, but even after all these years I am still fascinated by the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. RIP Captain McSorley and crew.
Ok folks I'm going to tell you what happened so bare with me as I explain this. The mighty Fitz sank because of GREED. She was over worked and over stressed for years. The money hungry Insurance company that owned her hired the capt because he was known as a rough weather capt that wouldn't say no. He hauled more iron ore through the soo locks during bad weather than any other capt. Over the years she had been patched many times due to a broken keel but never repaired properly which is why she kept breaking. The capt even said that she had a " wiggle " that scared him but he continued to haul the ore. She was inspected prior to her last voyage and deemed not to be sea worthy. More plates for patching were ordered but the capt unwilling to say no to the boss for whatever reason decided their was enough time left in the season for one more trip. That proverbial One More Time. After loading he knew of the pending weather that was coming but thought the mighty Fitz was invincible and could weather the storm. All pun intended. His first mistake was convincing himself that she could handle any storm thrown at her because she had so many times in the past. His second mistake was altering his course thereby running her across 6 fathoms shoals. With only 9 feet of clearance on a calm day that distance was negated by the troughs created by the winds. She bottomed out in the center on a shoal causing her to hog or push upward in the center splitting her hull and snapping the railing. When the railing snapped the forced slung the cables into the 2 vent covers knocking them off. As she started taking in water she started to list to starboard or to the right as he reported. He reported that he had both pumps working but was not making any headway. Meaning he was taking on more water than the pumps could handle and the list worsened to eventually 12 degrees. His third mistake was to continue his route even though the ship was in peril with the weather getting worse. That hard headed SOB killed 28 men including himself because he either couldn't bring himself to say no to the boss or simply didn't want to. That proverbial Just One More Time has been the downfall to many people that wouldn't say That's Enough. Those two fifty foot rogue waves that nearly did in the Author Anderson sunk the mighty Fitz due to her being overloaded and listing at 12 degrees starboard. It was just more than she could withstand and it broke her back. Think about this, she was 729 feet long and sunk in 530 feet of water. If she stood on her nose touching the bottom 200 feet of her stern would be sticking out of the water. With 30 foot waves and 90 mph tailwind gusts she was constantly up and down with a terrible starboard list.
I cant imagine the terror those guys must have felt. Then those 2 rogue waves caught up to them from behind, remember they where traveling south and the wind was out of the north so it was coming up behind them. The first of the two lifted her stern high in the air driving her bow down then the second one finished her off. As she went down bow first her cargo and water she had taken in rushed to the front driving her down into the lake bed. The stern sticking out of the water could not support the weight and snapped her back. 200 feet of midship disintegrated. Divers inspected the bottom of the stern because it lays upside down and shows no sign of breaching. That's because the center of the ship is what hit the shoals but since it disintegrated their is nothing to see. And do you know the owners of that ship didn't give the family's of the men who lost their lives one dime in compensation. I've done a lot of research on this as as I said in the beginning GREED killed those men. That Capt is ultimately responsible and the buck stops with him. So sad this tragedy could have been avoided. The ship wasn't sea worthy do to the badly needed repairs, and all ships except those two were docked due to the impending weather. The Author Anderson got lucky and survived, sadly the mighty Fitz did not. To bad that capt cant be resurrected and hung in the town square. I know his kind, I've worked for them before. GREED and the inability to say NO is a SOB.
Well done . VERY well done . It's clear that you've done your research and you know what you're talking about. This tragedy and that of the Deepwater Horizon are BOTH -as you say -the result of greed. People at the top putting pressure on people at the bottom . THANK you VERY much for putting the hard facts out here. GOD Bless YOU. Stay well. With all respect.
Sir, I believe you are exactly right. The proof is in the pudding. Narracisum has killed many people not just the guy or captain of his ship. It was his decision and his decision alone that took that ship to it's watery grave! R.I.P. crew of the Fitzgerald. Didn't have to happen. SHAWN
While I might disagree with some of the pronouncements in your comment, it is actually the most comprehensive (probable) explanation that curious people could read. I, for one, didn't realize that they were at a 12 degree list. I've sailed and that is an unpleasant amount if coupled with rough seas. For the people who think the Fitz broke in half on the surface due to structural failure, they must compare the damage to the midsection with the damage which might have occured in their theory. The stern sticking upwards dozens of yards out of the water, coupled with that tremendous impact explain well the complete disentigration of approximately 200 feet of the hull. In my humble opinion, a ship which broke in two on the surface, even in heavy seas, would not experience that kind of damage
This happened so fast the Captain never seen it coming . she swolled them whole .
R.I.P Steamer Edmund Fitzgerld and her 29 crew.
the wreck is off limits it is considered a burial site it is against the law to dive on the wreck. for respect to the crew and the families...
I live in Indiana. I was 15. When the Fitzgerald sank! It has haunted me for years. Been to the museum at Whitefish bay. I touched the bell from the ship. I have a signed picture of the Edmund by Gordon Lightfoot.Seen Gordon sing the song. Been to lake Superior and stayed at a Bed and Breakfast on the shore of Superior and swam in her waters. Been to the Locks watched freighter's go threw the locks. Its been a journey because of the ship wreck. Don't know why it means so much to me. Maybe the sudden loss of life. Even had a dream of the ship and its crew and how they felt during the sinking. "Now thats haunting" Shawn
I lived in Port Dalhousie right on Lake Ontario when it happened, I was 9 years old and remember it very well, my teacher at school had us do the story for current events. I remember thinking how horrible and now I can't hear that Gordon Lightfoot song without crying.
Maybe part of why it means so much to you is, like many others, we might have had dreams of being out there both before the wreck as well as afterwards. For many, it was a lifetime dream to sail on a freighter. Also, it’s not everyday that a freighter goes down on the Great Lakes. Not one that I am aware since November 1975 (please correct me if I’m wrong about that).
Learning about this sounds frightening. I was only 5 years old in 1975 when this ship went down, killing all 29 men. Gordon Lightfoot made the song a classic.
I was 4 yrs old.
I was eleven and it was a bad year for our family, too when we lost our father suddenly. Rest in peace all those who lose their lives just doing their jobs. And God bless their families and friends.
For me it was like - "wait, I was *alive* when the subject of this song happened?"
Just a theory but I think the Fitzgerald was greatly overloaded that day. Too heavy to make it through
She WAS overloaded. And whatever caused her to start taking on water, the overloaded cargo just compounded it.
That's not a theory. That is a fact. She was indeed overloaded and in my opinion it absolutely contributed to her sinking.
And she was in not great structural shape either.
My Respect and honer to all the families and friends
So sad
R.I.P.!
I don't know but the retrieval of the bell is very moving.
There is one theory that the Edmund Fitzgerald suffered a stress fracture and took water and when the rogue waves hit her, it dove her bow down and since the waters where the wreck is only 523 ft deep, her stern was still above water and then she broke apart. That explains why she sank so quickly and why no one survived and why the Fitzgerald is in two pieces.
it was grossly overdue for repairs (it was actually taking on water when they left on that clear and calm morning) and the captain was over confident.
It's not the biggest. For example The Arthur Anderson was longer than the fitzgerald
yeah, by 38 feet. (I think)
@@awildjared1396 amazing freighter though
@@_chancey_c_ , yeah, nobody can deny that.
may they all rest in peace..
God bless to all those lost souls. We will see you again.
The men in the Pilot House and forward end were fortunate. It was over before they even knew what happened.
I feel horrible for the men in the aft end, especially the engine room. Once they rolled and were upside down, it must have felt like an eternity for the compartments to flood and bring a merciful end.
I don't think I'd consider drowning a merciful end but I get your point. Sad way to go regardless.
Depending on your theory of how it sank, all the men may have gone quickly, or even instantly. If the Fitz nosed into the mud at the bottom of the lake when one of those larger than normal waves picked it up from aft, then that collision was app. 35mph. It would have contributed to the ship's breaking in two as the stern section stuck out of the water a hundred feet, or so, and then been pushed by the next wave until it broke the ship in the middle. A sudden 35mph to 0mph stop would likely have stunned or knocked unconcious, everybody on board. I've visited the engine room on a ship that I worked on and I can tell you that there aren't very many surfaces that would be soft enough for an uninjured landing if a man was thrown violently across it.
Enjoyed. Thank you for chance to learn more.
The weight they carried combined with their length appears to allow these Lakers to be twisted and ripped to shreds in the right conditions
Excellent report!
Y’know as a memorial to the Fitzgerald the Anderson should be dressed up as the Fitzgerald for a few years
or be preserved once it's retired.
The Anderson is finally out there again after a 2-year layup. And if she ever comes to the point where she's just no longer seaworthy, the only thing to do with a heroic vessel is turn her into a museum ship. We got the Boyer/Schoonmaker, we can make room for the Anderson ...
shariys1 darn right! Don’t let the corporate greed and their habit of destroying history happen to this beaut.
I think it got caught between 2 big waves and the stress on the mid- section was too much, and that's when it split into and went down.
One thing McSorley did not report the Hatchcovers were off only the Rail had been broken, and he was taking in water. Other than that a fine report.
Vent covers, not hatch covers. They were referring to air vents used for ventilation of the ship.
I'm surprised no one has tried to bring the Edmund Fitzgerald back up to the service. I know that's probably not possible but you'd think someone would at least try to resurrect the Fitz to try and figure out what happened.
bigoldinosaur
It’s a grave site
I can't even imagine what kind of equipment would be needed to bring her up. And, as said above it is a grave.
The cook blamed McSorely. Due to a weather reputation that McSorely had.
RIP poor souls
Why did they call it Lake Gitcha Goomy ?
Chippewa name for Lake Superior.
Captains last words.....Whats this holding us down. ... Reply-well there's so much water inside the ship, and riding so low the storm wave has piledrove the hatch cover and filled it in. Now we can't get back up and the next wave will drill the next hatch cover and we will all blub blub drib*******.
Captains last words were We are holding are own.
You are really not funny.
You have no respect I see!