THE SINKING OF THE EDMUND FITZGERALD

[Colliemom]

Today marks the 35th anniversary of the sinking of the ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. She was the last of the modern day ore carriers to do down on the big lake and why she actually sank remains a mystery to this day. It was during a storm with hurricane force winds and waves as high as 35 feet. Down with all hands aboard. Here are some links you might be inerested in if you would like. Those of us who live in the Great Lakes states probably remember this more than those who live elsewhere. One of the links is to pictures that have never before been seen of the sunken ship.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gall ... s=Itemnr=1

Lake Superior is actually a vast inland sea and it is VERY capable of getting riled up. I've seen it as calm as glass and times when 10-15 ft. waves have come crashing into shore. It's a beautiful lake. Rugged and wild. My favorite. It's also very cold and deep and there is a saying about it, that when a ship goes down, Lake Superior never gives up her dead. And it doesn't. When the Fitz went down, the people who live along Whitefish Point, spent days walking the beaches watching for signs of survivors and all they found was a little wreckage here and there and not even much of that either.

Tonight on the local news they did a feature on the Fitz and also did an interview with the Captain of the Arthur M. Anderson who was following behind the Fitz when it went down. He told about that wild night, the 86 mile an hour winds, the onversations betwen him and the Captain of the Fitz and how she just disappeared. You could see it in his eyes and on his face, the disbelief still there today.

http://www.twincities.com/minneapolis/c ... ck_check=1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Superior

[VickieP]

Thanks for those links, Sue. That sinking has always fascinated me, I guess because of the song. It give me goosebumps every time I hear it.

[Colliemom]

They held the memorial service for the crew members at the Mariners Church in Detroit just not and it was broadcast on TV. Very sad and solemn affair. After a talk by the minister who runs the church, names of each crew member are read, and a member of the family or somebody comes up and tolls the ships bell one time. It gives me goosebumps listening to that bell toil and it's also very sad. 29 men took a voyage to enternity. Some of them were young men too. So I'm sure that some of the people at the church are brothers, sisters, wives and children of those men. And a Balladeer sang the song too.