SS Edmund Fitzgerald
The 'Mighty Fitz' — a record-setting workhorse lost in a Lake Superior storm.
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SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American Great Lakes freighter that sank in Lake Superior during a storm on November 10, 1975, with the loss of the entire crew of 29 men. When launched on June 7, 1958, she was the largest ship on North America's Great Lakes and remains the largest to have sunk there. Her wreck was located in deep water on November 14, 1975, by a U.S. Navy aircraft detecting magnetic anomalies, and soon afterwards found to be in two large pieces. The vessel was built for the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, which contracted the Great Lakes Engineering Works in 1957 to design and construct a ship that would be the maximum length allowed for the soon-to-be-completed Saint Lawrence Seaway.
Design and construction
At 729 feet in length, with a 75-foot beam and a 25-foot draft, she was the first laker built to that size, earning the title "Queen of the Lakes." Her three central cargo holds were accessed through 21 watertight hatches, and she originally burned coal before being converted to oil during the 1971–72 winter layup. A diesel-powered bow thruster was added in 1969 to improve maneuverability. The interior was notably luxurious for a freighter, featuring deep pile carpeting, tiled bathrooms, leather swivel chairs in the guest lounge, and air conditioning throughout the crew quarters. For 17 years, she carried taconite from Minnesota’s Iron Range to ports in Detroit, Toledo, and elsewhere, setting seasonal haul records six times.
Final voyage and wreck
Her captain, Peter Pulcer, became famous for piping music over the intercom and providing commentary to spectators at the Soo Locks. On her final voyage, under Captain Ernest M. McSorley, she departed Superior, Wisconsin, on November 9, 1975, with a full load of taconite. The next day, caught in a severe storm with near-hurricane-force winds and 35-foot waves, she reported difficulty.
McSorley’s last message, sent at 7:10 p.m., stated, "We are holding our own." Shortly after, she sank in 530 feet of water about 17 miles from Whitefish Bay. No bodies were recovered. The exact cause remains unknown, though theories include swamping, structural failure, or grounding. The disaster became widely known after Gordon Lightfoot’s 1976 ballad, and it prompted regulatory changes including mandatory survival suits, depth finders, and increased freeboard.
Lore & Background
For 17 years, Edmund Fitzgerald carried taconite from mines along the Minnesota Iron Range near Duluth, Minnesota, to iron works in Detroit, Michigan; Toledo, Ohio; and other Great Lakes ports. She set seasonal haul records six times.
Captain Peter Pulcer was known for piping music day or night over the ship's intercom while passing through the St. Clair and Detroit rivers, and entertaining spectators at the Soo Locks with a running commentary about the ship. Her size, record-breaking performance, and 'DJ captain' endeared Edmund Fitzgerald to boat watchers. The disaster is one of the best-known in Great Lakes shipping history, in part because Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot made it the subject of his 1976 popular ballad 'The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.' The sinking led to changes in Great Lakes shipping regulations and practices that included mandatory survival suits, depth finders, positioning systems, increased freeboard, and more frequent inspection of vessels.
Common Misconceptions (Editorial)
Some believe the sinking was caused by the ship being overloaded with cargo, but the facts show she carried 26,116 long tons of taconite, which was within her deadweight capacity of 26,000 long tons—a standard and legal load. Others incorrectly assume the wreck was found quickly due to search lights or divers, when in fact it was located on November 14, 1975, by a U.S. Navy aircraft detecting magnetic anomalies, and no bodies were ever recovered.
Why It Matters (Editorial)
The Edmund Fitzgerald endures in memory not only because of the tragic loss of all 29 crew members, but because its mysterious sinking became a symbol of the Great Lakes' unpredictable power. Gordon Lightfoot's haunting ballad transformed a shipping disaster into a cultural touchstone, ensuring that the ship and its crew are remembered far beyond the maritime community.
Reader's Guide
On the afternoon of November 9, 1975, she embarked on her final voyage from Superior, Wisconsin, near Duluth, carrying a full cargo of taconite ore pellets with Master Captain Ernest M. McSorley in command. En route to a steel mill near Detroit, she was caught the next day in a severe storm with near-hurricane-force winds and waves up to 35 ft high. Sometime after 5:30 p.m., Edmund Fitzgerald reported being in difficulty; at 7:10 p.m., Captain McSorley sent his last message, 'We are holding our own.' Shortly after 7:10 p.m., Edmund Fitzgerald suddenly sank in Canadian (Ontario) waters 530 ft deep, about 17 mi from Whitefish Bay near the twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and Sault Ste.
Marie, Ontario. Her crew of 29 perished, and no bodies were recovered. The exact cause of the sinking remains unknown, though many books, studies, and expeditions have examined it. Edmund Fitzgerald may have been swamped, suffered structural failure or topside damage, grounded on a shoal, or suffered from a combination of these.
Did You Know?
- She was the first laker built to the maximum St. Lawrence Seaway size, which was 730 ft long, 75 ft wide, and with a 25 ft draft.
- Her three central cargo holds were loaded through 21 watertight cargo hatches, each 11 by 48 ft of 5/16 in steel.
- More than 15,000 people attended her christening and launch ceremony on June 7, 1958.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where did the Edmund Fitzgerald sink?
The freighter went down on November 10, 1975, after being struck by a violent storm on Lake Superior. The ship was lost in a matter of minutes, and no one aboard survived.
How many crew members were lost in the Edmund Fitzgerald disaster?
All 29 people on board perished when the vessel went under. There were no survivors from the wreck.
What made the Edmund Fitzgerald the largest ship on the Great Lakes?
At her 1958 launch she surpassed every other vessel then operating on North America's Great Lakes. That record still stands, making her the biggest ship to have been lost in those waters.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: SS Edmund Fitzgerald (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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