The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
THUNDER BAY – November 10th marks the anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. 2018 marks the forty-third anniversary of the sinking of the ship. Remembered in song, by Gordon Lightfoot, the Edmond Fitzgerald was sunk during a storm on Lake Superior on a stormy November day.
Lake Superior is a massive water body, storms on the lake can generate ocean-sized waves. However unlike an ocean, when a massive storm hits Superior, there really isn’t anywhere for a ship to go in order to get out of the way of a major storm.
The website ‘Boatnerd’ states, “The Fitzgerald cleared Superior, Wisconsin, on her last trip on November 9, 1975, with a cargo of 26,116 tons of taconite pellets consigned to Detroit. Travelling down Lake Superior in company with ARTHUR M. ANDERSON of the United States Steel Corporation’s Great Lakes Fleet, she encountered heavy weather and in the early evening of November 10th, suddenly foundered approximately 17 miles from the entrance to Whitefish Bay (47º North Latitude, 85º 7′ West Longitude)
“Captain McSorley of the ‘FITZ’ had indicated he was having difficulty and was taking on water. She was listing to port and had two of three ballast pumps working. She had lost her radar and damage was noted to ballast tank vent pipes and he was overheard on the radio saying, ‘don’t allow nobody (sic) on deck’ “.
McSorley said it was the worst storm he had ever seen.
All 29 officers and crew, including a Great Lakes Maritime Academy cadet, went down with the ship, which lies broken in two sections in 530 feet of water”.
The November storm that resulted in the Edmund Fitzgerald sinking reported winds as fast as 45 knots and waves as high as thirty feet.
During a late-season inspection on the Fitz, it is reported that some of the water-tight hatches were not sealing properly, and that may have contributed to the sinking of the ship.
Twenty-nine brave men lost their lives on November 10, 1975. Their names, ages, occupations, and hometowns are listed below. Source: www.ssefo.com – a website dedicated to remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald, and the lost crew members.
| Name | Age | Occupation On Board | Hometown |
| 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 |
Sandy Smith shares, “I remember this day as if it was yesterday.To those that live in Superior Wi. the “Fitz.” will always be in our hearts.The Fitz loaded her cargo of iron ore at elevator #1 in Superior and set off on her fatefull journey.This song will always bring tears to my eyes in rememberance of the sailors lost on the 10th of Nov.1975. Today the winds are gusting and it is storming over the Lake, just like it started Nov 10, 1975, coincidence or the Lake’s way af saying she remembers too. Rest in Peace.”
