The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Quiz by Sharon Michiko Yoneda

The Great Lakes of Canada and the United States

"The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down of the big lake they call 'Gitche Gumee' (Lake Superior)"

"With a load of iron ore, twenty six thousand tons more than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty."

"The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound.  When the wave broke over the railin'. And every man knew, as the captain did too. 'Twas the witch of November come stealin;"

"And farther below, Lake Ontario. Takes in what Lake Erie can send her. And the iron boats go as the mariners all know. With the gales of November remembered." 

"In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral. The church bell chimed 'til it rang 29 times for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald."

See Gordon Lightfoot on the right of the photo of mourners.

Twenty-nine crew members and Captain lost their lives on the Edmund Fitzgerald.  

artist:  Gordon Lightfoot

songwriter:  Gordon Lightfoot

date released:  1976 by Gordon Lightfoot to memorialize the sinking of the bulk carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975.


The Edmund Fitzgerald was a large cargo ship, also called a freighter, that carried iron ore across the Great Lakes. She was one of the biggest ships on the lakes, measuring 729 feet long. Launched in 1958, she transported iron ore from mines in Minnesota to steel mills in other parts of the U.S.


On November 10, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald set sail from Superior, Wisconsin, heading to Detroit, Michigan. The ship had 29 crew members on board, including the captain, officers, engineers, and deckhands. That evening, a powerful storm hit Lake Superior, bringing hurricane-force winds of over 60 mph and waves as high as 25 feet.


Throughout the day, the ship reported damage, including lost railings and water leaks. Captain Ernest McSorley, an experienced sailor, told another ship that they were “holding their own.” But just after 7:00 p.m., the Edmund Fitzgerald suddenly disappeared from radar. No distress signal was sent. The ship sank to the bottom of Lake Superior, 530 feet below the surface. Sadly, all 29 crew members were lost. Their bodies were never recovered.


The sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald remains one of the greatest mysteries of the Great Lakes. Some believe the ship was overwhelmed by giant waves, while others think she may have hit a shoal and taken on water.


The tragedy was honored by Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot, who wrote the song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” in 1976. The song tells the story of the ship and its crew, helping to keep their memory alive. Today, the Edmund Fitzgerald’s bell is displayed at a museum in Michigan as a tribute to the sailors who lost their lives that fateful night.


See the documentary of the sinking of the freighter:

https://youtu.be/QQO5-TSKEdA?si=2cTnUYX4pgMeOe0B


See the interview of Gordon Lightfoot discussing his tribute to the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.  

https://youtu.be/F_oWCgV2MJo?si=KaowXm-qTQ3GDGa0