Fifty years ago, the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald marked one of the most famous maritime disasters in the history of the Great Lakes. Let me set the scene for you.
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was a freighter that, throughout its 17-year career, transported ore across the Great Lakes, setting seasonal haul records six times. On a sunny yet chilly afternoon, Nov. 9, 1975, it set sail carrying 26,535 tons of taconite ore, heading across Lake Superior toward Detroit, Michigan. Early in its journey, the Fitzgerald was joined by the Arthur M. Anderson, and the two ships maintained radio contact until the Fitzgerald took the lead, creating a gap of about 15 miles between them.
In the distance, a major storm was brewing over Lake Superior—an event familiar to everyone on the lake, particularly common in Nov. at 7 p.m., the National Weather Service issued a gale warning for the entire lake. By 2 a.m. on Nov. 10, the warning was upgraded to storm warnings.
The ship faced winds gusting up to 50 knots and waves reaching heights of 10 feet. Heavy snow and sea spray soon obstructed the Fitzgerald’s view from the Anderson. Shortly after losing visibility, the Fitzgerald radioed the Anderson, informing them of damage to the ship, including the failure of both radar systems, and requested assistance navigating toward Whitefish Bay. The Fitzgerald slowed down to allow the Anderson to come within a ten-mile range at around 4:10 p.m. on Nov. 10.
As evening approached, winds increased to 58 knots, with reported waves as high as 25 feet. The Arthur M. Anderson, which remained in radio communication with the Fitzgerald, inquired about the freighter’s condition at around 7:10 p.m. Captain Ernest M. McSorley replied, “We are holding our own.” That turned out to be the last anyone heard from the Edmund Fitzgerald. No distress signal was ever received, and ten minutes later, the Anderson lost the ability to communicate with the Fitzgerald or detect it on radar.
Captain McSorley and his 28 crew members lost their lives that night. On Nov. 14, a U.S. Navy plane located the wreck 17 miles northwest of Whitefish Point. In May 1976, the U.S. Navy surveyed the site, taking 43,000 feet of videotape and 900 photographs. Lake wrecks are generally better preserved than those in the ocean due to the absence of salt in the water; thus, on May 20, the name “Edmund Fitzgerald” was visible on the stern, upside down, 535 feet below the surface.
No conclusive cause for the sinking was ever determined. Ontario singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot wrote, composed, and recorded the song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” in 1976, which helped ensure that the Fitzgerald became one of the best-known disasters in Great Lakes history.
The song recounts the ship’s history, wreck, and subsequent search, including the line, “Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?” and calling the ship “the pride of the American side.”
As Lightfoot mentions in his song, the Maritime Sailors’ Cathedral rings its church bell 29 times for each man lost aboard the Fitzgerald. On May 1, 2023, following Lightfoot’s death, the bell rang 29 times plus an additional time to honor him for memorializing those lost.
While the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald remains a mystery, it resulted in 15 changes in Great Lakes shipping practices and the implementation of eight new regulations. Since then, not a single major ship has gone down in the Great Lakes.
