The NWS changed its forecast, issuing gale warnings for all of Lake Superior. Paquette of the SS Wilfred Sykes was following the radio conversations between the Fitzgerald and Anderson, and he overheard that they planned to take the usual downbound route. Cooper, nicknamed Bernie, the freighter was en route from Two Harbors, Minnesota, to Gary, Indiana.Īt the time, the National Weather Service (NWS) had predicted a storm would pass south of Lake Superior by 7 a.m. Anderson joined the Edmund Fitzgerald, taking the lead. The folowing is a timeline of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald: The freighter was transporting 26,116 long tons of taconite ore pellets and quickly reached 16.3 mph, which was its top speed. en route to Zug Island, which is near Detroit, Michigan. McSorley, the ship departed Superior, Wisconsin, at 2:15 p.m. 9, 1975, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald started on its final voyage. Timeline of the Edmund Fitzgerald’s Final Voyage & Shipwreck Frederick Beetcher - Porter born in 1919.Thomas Borgeson - Maintenance man born in 1934.Joseph Mazes - Special maintenance man born in 1916.Allen Kalmon - Second steward born in 1932.Robert Rafferty - Steward born in 1913.Oliver Champeau - Third assistant engineer born in 1934.Russell Haskell - Second assistant engineer born in 1935.Thomas Edwards - Second assistant engineer born in 1925.Edward Bindon - First assistant engineer born in 1928.George Holl - Chief engineer born in 1915.Eugene O’Brien - Wheelman born in 1925.John Simmons - Senior wheelman born in 1913.William Spengler - Watchman born in 1916.Michael Armagost - Third mate born in 1938.James Pratt - Second mate born in 1931.John McCarthy - First mate born in 1913.Ernest McSorley - Captain born in 1912.Here’s a complete list of the crew and their roles at the time of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald: The majority of them were from Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Many of the other 28 crew members were husbands too, while others were also brothers, fathers, and sons. He was survived by Nellie Pollock, his wife. Like a few other men on the ship, Captain McSorley planned to retire at the end of the shipping season at the age of 63. He was considered an excellent heavy-weather captain, and his last words on record were, “We are holding our own.” He had more than 40 years of experience navigating oceans and the Great Lakes, assuming command of nine other ships before the Fitzgerald in 1972.Īlthough quiet, he was highly regarded by associates as skillful, and he treated his crew like professionals. The Captain & Crew of the Edmund FitzgeraldĬommanding the SS Edmund Fitzgerald when it sank was Captain Ernest M. It’s approximately 17 miles northwest of Whitefish Point off the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald lies at the bottom of the southeastern portion of Lake Superior in 530 feet of water. 24, 1958, the ship set six records by carrying heavier and heavier loads. From the time of its first voyage on Sept. The Fitzgerald was built to transport taconite iron ore pellets between the mines near Duluth, Minnesota, and the iron works at ports around the Great Lakes. The second milestone was its size - 729 feet long, just 1 foot short of the maximum limit to pass through the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The first milestone was the owner of the ship - Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee, the first American life insurer to own a freighter. A Quick Review of the SS Edmund FitzgeraldĪt the time of its launch, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald was a milestone freighter. We’ve put as much information about the vessel, wreck, and other interesting facts into this guide. Among them is the famed wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank to the bottom of Lake Superior near Whitefish Point on Nov. With the lake weather being so unpredictable and dangerous, though, an estimated 1,500 vessels have been lost in Michigan waters. Michiganders have used the Great Lakes for travel and to transport goods for hundreds of years.
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