SS Edmund Fitzgerald

SS Edmund Fitzgerald in 1971
Location of Edmund Fitzgerald wreck
History
United States
NameSS Edmund Fitzgerald
NamesakeNamed for Edmund Fitzgerald, chairman of Northwestern Mutual
OwnerNorthwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company
OperatorColumbia Transportation Division, Oglebay Norton Company of Cleveland, Ohio
Port of registryMilwaukee,  United States
OrderedFebruary 1, 1957
BuilderGreat Lakes Engineering Works of River Rouge, Michigan
Yard number301
Laid downAugust 7, 1957
LaunchedJune 7, 1958
Maiden voyageSeptember 24, 1958
In serviceSeptember 24, 1958
Out of serviceNovember 10, 1975
IdentificationRegistry number US 277437
Nickname(s)Fitz, Mighty Fitz, Big Fitz, Pride of the American Side, Toledo Express, Titanic of the Great Lakes
FateLost with all hands (29 crew) in a storm, November 10, 1975
StatusWreck
NotesLocation of wreck: 46°59′54″N 85°06′36″W / 46.9983°N 85.11°W / 46.9983; -85.11
General characteristics
TypeLake freighter
Tonnage
  • 13,632 GRT
  • 8,713 NRT (from 1969: 8,686 NRT)
  • 25,500 DWT
Length
Beam75 ft (23 m)
Draft25 ft (7.6 m) typical
Depth39 ft (12 m) (moulded)
Depth of hold33 ft 4 in (10.16 m)
Installed power
  • As built:
  • Coal fired Westinghouse Electric Corporation steam turbine at 7,500 shp (5,600 kW)
  • After refit:
  • Conversion to oil fuel and the fitting of automated boiler controls over the winter of 1971–72.
  • Carried 72,000 U.S. gal (270,000 L; 60,000 imp gal) fuel oil
PropulsionSingle fixed pitch 19.5 ft (5.9 m) propeller
Speed14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Crew29

SS Edmund Fitzgerald was a freighter which sank during a storm on Lake Superior. The ship sank on November 10, 1975, at around 7:30 p.m.

The ship weighed around 13,600 tons and was known for being the biggest of its time. It was one of the largest "iron boats" working the Great Lakes.

Nobody knows how the boat sank. However, it is very possible that the dangerously high weight of its cargo and the violent winds and waves caused the ship to sink.

All 29 men aboard the boat died, and to this day, no bodies have been recovered.

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

To remember the men on the S.S. Fitzgerald, Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot wrote a song titled The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The song describes the ship itself and mentions some theories on how it may have sunk.

The original song contained the following passage:

When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya. At seven P.M. a main hatchway caved in. He said Fellas, it's been good to know ya

This passage was proven false when a dive team sent in to recover the bodies found the main hatch to be in perfect condition. When informed of this, Gordon Lightfoot rewrote the verse to:

When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya. At 7 p.m., it grew dark, it was then he said, Fellas it's been good to know ya.

References

  1. ↑ National Transportation Safety Board (May 4, 1978). "Marine Accident Report: SS Edmund Fitzgerald Sinking in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  2. 1 2 Bowling Green State University (2010). "Historical Collections of the Great Lakes: Great Lakes Vessels Online Index". Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State University. Archived from the original on March 11, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Edmund Fitzgerald (5097216)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 United States Coast Guard (July 26, 1977). Marine Board Casualty Report: SS Edmund Fitzgerald; Sinking in Lake Superior on 10 November 1975 With Loss of Life (Report). United States Coast Guard. p. 2. hdl:2027/mdp.39015071191467. USCG 16732/64216.
  5. 1 2 Devendorf, John F. (1996). Great Lakes Bulk Carriers 1869–1985. Thunder Bay Press. p. 151. ISBN 1-889043-03-6. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2011 – via Google Books.
  6. ↑ Thompson, Mark L. (1994). Queen of the Lakes. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. p. 164. ISBN 0-8143-2393-6. Retrieved February 20, 2011 – via Google Books.

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