Last Trip

[Gary K]

LAST TRIP

November 9, 1975 the Great Lakes steamship EDMUND FITZGERALD was loaded with 26,116 long tons of taconite pellets at the Burlington Northern Railroad Dock No. 1 at Superior, Wisconsin. The FITZGERALD was also fueled for the voyage at about 2:15 p.m. for her routine trip to Zug Island, near Detroit, Michigan.



United States Steel Corporation's steamship ARTHUR M. ANDERSON seen the EDMUND FITZGERALD pass the vicinity of Two Harbors, Minnesota at about 4:15 p.m., as she departed Two Harbors for Gary, Indiana.

By 7 p.m. on November 9th, the National Weather Service issued gale warnings for all of Lake Superior. This was later changed to storm warnings at 2 a.m. on November 10th.

Captain Jesse B. Cooper of the ANDERSON radioed Ernest McSorley of the FITZGERALD and discussed the threatening weather, and both agreed to take the longer, safer northern route.

Captain Ernest McSorley, 63, was a 44 year merchant marine veteran, and in 1950, he was the youngest Master on the Lakes.

As the day progressed, so did the threatening weather, as the winds were from the northeast at 42 knots at 3 a.m. Before noon when the ANDERSON changed course again, the weather improved slightly, as the winds dropped to 30 knots, and the waves running 10 to 12 feet high.

Later in the day the winds picked up to 42 knots from the northwest, and heavy snow began to fall. At that time, the pilothouse watch lost visual sight of the FITZGERALD. From the ANDERSON's radar, they watched the FITZGERALD pass north and east of Caribou Island. Captain Cooper said, the Fitzgerald was closer to Six Fathom Shoal than he wanted his ship to be.

The ANDERSON changed course to clear Six Fathom Shoal area north of Caribou Island, and noted the FITZGERALD was about 16 miles ahead.

The ANDERSON recorded winds at 43 knots, with waves up to 16 feet high at 3:20 p.m. About 10 minutes later they received a call from Captain McSorley on the FITZGERALD, stating a fence railing down, two 8" ballast vents missing, and a starboard list toward the front of the ship. Captain Cooper asked Captain McSorley if he had the ballast pumps on, and he said, yes . . . both of them! (Each electric pump had a capacity of 7,000 gallons per minute.) Capt. McSorley also stated; the FITZGERALD was slowing down so the ANDERSON could catch up!

Later, the ANDERSON received an emergency broadcast from the Coast Guard, stating: All ships on Lake Superior were told to find safe anchorage, also, the locks at Sault Ste. Marie were closed. The Lock Master stated later, his anemometer showed gusts over 90 mph.

Between 4:00 and 4:30 p.m., Captain Cedric Woodard, pilot of the Swedish freighter AVAFORS, answered McSorley, as he had many times while they had been sailing the Great Lakes. Capt. McSorley said he wasn't receiving a signal from Whitefish point? Capt. Woodard told McSorley they weren't receiving the radio beacon either and they couldn't see the light at Whitefish Point.

Then, Capt. McSorley told Woodard he was taking on water, and had developed a list. Woodard said, it didn't sound like him . . . he sounded worried!

Woodard asked McSorley about weather conditions, because a ship on the other side of the Soo Locks had reported winds of 70 knots . . . gusting up to 82. (Thats 96 mph).

McSorley said, the winds had reached 60 to 70 mph, and there were 30 foot waves. His final comment was: It's a big sea . . . I've never seen anything like it in my life!

Sometime after 4:00 p.m., Capt. McSorley radioed the ANDERSON, and said, both of their radars weren't working, and asked for navigational assistance. The ANDERSON's 1st Mate agreed to help.

The ANDERSON contacted the FITZGERALD at approximately 7:00 p.m., and reported they (the FITZGERALD) was about 10 miles ahead, and 15 miles from Crisp Point. As the ANDERSON's 1st Mate started to sign off, he asked, by the way, how are you making out with your problem? The FITZGERALD replied; We're holding our own!

At 7:10 p.m., on Monday November 10th, about 15 miles northwest of Copper Mine Point, Ontario, and 65 miles from the Soo, the EDMUND FITZGERALD vanished from the ARTHUR M. ANDERSON's radar scope.

Capt. Cooper and his 1st Mate attempted to contact the FITZGERALD by radio, after they found three targets on the radar screen . . . the NANFRI, BENFRI, and AVAFORS . . . but no FITZGERALD!

Capt. Cooper radioed the NANFRI and asked if they had the FITZGERALD on their radar . . . they didn't. Capt. Cooper called the Coast Guard at Sault Ste. Marie, but the Coast Guard wasn't impressed when he said, the FITZGERALD disappeared off of his radar screen. They told Capt. Cooper to keep an eye out for a missing 16 foot boat in that area.

After Capt. Cooper's second radio call to the Coast Guard, they immediately attempted to contact the missing ore carrier, with no response! The Coast Guard asked for help in the search. The HILDA MARJANNE, and WILLIAM CLAY FORD weighed anchor, and headed out into Superior around Whitefish Point. When the MARJANNE encountered the heavy seas, she turned around and headed back to Whitefish Point.

However, Capt. D. E. Erickson, master of the 647-foot FORD, headed out into Superior, joining the ANDERSON in their search of the FITZGERALD. Heading in to help from the west, were the ROGER BLOUGH, the WILFRED SYKES and the FT. WILLIAM.

The Coast Guard cutter NAUGATUCK could not join the search, because its engine was being repaired. Meanwhile, back in Duluth, Commander Hobaugh was ordered to get a crew ready and put out to sea. Within an hour, Commander Hobaugh had his crew and 180-foot WOODRUSH ready, and they departed for Whitefish Point in bad weather.

We found no survivors, says Commander Hobaugh, but we did find a life ring, identified as the EDMUND FITZGERALD's, and we also found oil bubbles on the surface.

The WOODRUSH searched for 72 hours, a Coast Guard regulation for search for missing vessels and crews, and found nothing more.

Canadian and U. S. Coast Guard fixed wing aircraft and helicopters joined the search. Of the 29 men aboard the FITZGERALD, not one single survivor or body was found. A 16-foot section of No. 1 lifeboat, and the badly mangled & buckled No. 2 lifeboat were eventually found. An inflatable life raft was discovered by Coppermine Point, and another recovered by the ROGER BLOUGH. Some of the floatsam recovered were; cork life preservers, lifeboat oars, sounding board, 2 propane cylinders, stool, stepladder, boatcover, and a searchlight.

The wreck was first located by a U.S. Navy aircraft with on-board magnetic anomaly detector equipment, normally used to detect submarines.

The wreck was further surveyed using side scan sonar on November 14 to November 16 by the Coast Guard. The sonar revealed two large objects lying close together on the lake floor. A second survey took place from November 22 through November 25 by a private contractor, Seaward, Inc. Two major pieces, a bow section about 276 feet long in the upright position, and stern section about 253 feet long, that is upside down in 530 feet of water. These sections are approximately 170 feet apart. There is torn metal pieces and taconite pellets littered between these sections.

In 1976, from May 20 to May 28, an unmanned U.S. Navy submersible photographed the wreck. This submersible, CURV III, consisted of an underwater vehicle connected via umbilical control to a surface support ship.

When the FITZGERALD first vanished, it was widely believed the ship had snapped in half on the lake surface owing to storm action. Similar surface breakups in the past suggested bow and stern sections would be found miles apart on the lake floor. When underwater surveys revealed these sections were just 170 feet from each other, it was concluded that FITZGERALD broke upon hitting the lake floor!

The U. S. Coast Guard said, the most probable cause of the sinking, was loss of buoyancy and stability from massive flooding of the cargo hold through ineffective hatch closures. They also concluded that topside damage could have been caused by the vessel striking a floating object.

This is contrary to the Lake Carriers Association's contention that her foundering was caused by flooding through bottom and ballast tank damage resulting from bottoming on the Six Fathom Shoal between Caribou and Michipicoten Islands.

It is theorized the EDMUND FITZGERALD submerged like a submarine, due to her list, unstability, and wave action, which drove the front end of the ship to the lakes bottom. With the ship in this position, it snapped in two, and the stern sank 170 feet away.

Prior to the events of November 10, 1975, she suffered one collision, three allisions, and one grounding. On September 6, 1969 the EDMUND FITZGERALD ran aground near the Soo Locks, resulting in considerable internal and external damage. She collided with the S.S. Hochelaga in 1970 and then struck the wall of a lock later in the same year, hit a lock's wall again in 1973, and then again the following year. She also lost her original bow anchor in the Detroit River in 1974.

It's interesting to note, that many locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin had record high temperatures during the period of November 4th through the 6th, 1975. Superior, Wisconsin had 74 deg. F., temperatures on November 6th!

[Sky]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgI8bta-7aw

[KidDynamo]

Thanks for the reminder. Outstanding add, Sky !!

One of my personal favorite songs. The music carries the rhythm of the rolling ship, the lyrics capture the essence of a "good ship and crew" in growing peril and the mystery of death and the "ice water mansion" so well that somebody had to have had marine experience.

Nothing like it in the world. Its a terrible way to go but we can hope the families are proud they've been remembered and their beautiful song will remain for a long, long time.

[Chris J]

I must say that the song by Gordon Lightfoot about The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is indeed a very good tribute song!

[Dirk Jr]

Here's some reading material.

www.ssefo.com