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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Edmund_Fitzgerald
"Design and constructionNorthwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin ordered the construction of the Edmund Fitzgerald as an investment. Northwestern was a heavy investor in iron and mineral industries and was the first insurance company in American history to invest in an ore freighter.[7] In 1957, Northwestern contracted Great Lakes Engineering Works (GLEW), of River Rouge, Michigan, to design and construct the ship "within a foot of the maximum length allowed for passage through the soon-to-be completed Saint Lawrence Seaway."[8][9] The Fitzgerald was the first laker built to the maximum St Lawrence Seaway size[10] which was 730 feet (222.5 m) long, 75 feet (22.9 m) wide, and 25 feet (7.6 m) deep.[11] GLEW laid the first keel plate on August 7 of that year.[12]
The completed vessel had a capacity of 26,000 long tons (29,120 ST; 26,417 t).[5][8] Its length of 729 feet (222 m) made it the longest ship on the Great Lakes and earned it the title of Queen of the Lakes[10] until September 17, 1959 when the 730 feet (220 m) SS Murray Bay was launched.[13] The Fitzgerald's three cargo holds[14] were in the center of the vessel[15] and loaded through 21 watertight hatches, each 11 by 48 feet (3.4 by 15 m) of 5⁄16 inches (7.9 mm) thick steel.[16] The boat's boilers were originally coal-fired, but would be converted to burn oil during the 1971–72 winter layup.[17] In 1969, the Fitzgerald's maneuverability was improved by the installation of a diesel-powered bow thruster.[18]
The interior of the Fitzgerald was luxurious by ore freighter standards.[19] The furnishings designed by the S.L. Hudson Company included deep pile carpeting, tiled bathrooms, d****s over the portholes, and leather swivel chairs in the guest lounge. There were two guest state rooms for passengers.[19] The air conditioning extended to the crew quarters that were accommodated with more amenities than usual. A large galley and fully stocked pantry supplied meals for two dining rooms.[19][20] The Fitzgerald pilot house was outfitted with "state-of-the-art nautical equipment and a beautiful map room."[19]
Northwestern decided to name the boat for its President and Chairman of the Board, Edmund Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald's grandfather had been a lake captain and his father owned Milwaukee Drydock Company which built and repaired ships.[21][22] More than 15,000 people attended the Fitzgerald's christening and launch ceremony on June 7, 1958. The event was troublesome. When Elizabeth Fitzgerald, wife of Edmund Fitzgerald, christened the boat by smashing a champagne bottle over the bow, it took her three swings to break the bottle.[23] The launch was delayed 36 minutes while the shipyard crew struggled to release the keel blocks. Upon launching sideways into the water, the boat crashed violently into a pier.[24][25] Sea trials for the Fitzgerald began on September 13, 1958, and were completed nine days later.[26]
CareerNorthwestern entered a 25-year contract with Oglebay Norton Corporation to operate the Fitzgerald. It was Northwestern's practice to purchase ships for operation by other companies. [27] Oglebay Norton immediately designated the Fitzgerald the flagship of its Columbia Transportation fleet.[14][28]
The Fitzgerald was a record-setting "workhorse", often breaking its own records.[5] For a single trip, its record load was 27,402 long tons (30,690 ST; 27,842 t) in 1969.[5][29] For 17 years the Fitzgerald carried taconite from Minnesota's Iron Range mines near Duluth, Minnesota, to iron works in Detroit, Toledo, and other ports. The Fitzgerald set seasonal haul records six different times.[6] It became nicknamed "Fitz", "Pride of the American Flag",[30] "Mighty Fitz", "Toledo Express",[31] "Big Fitz",[32] or the "Titanic of the Great Lakes".[33] It required an average of four and a half hours to load the Fitzgerald with taconite pellets and 14 hours to unload.[34] It usually took the Fitzgerald five days to make a round trip between Superior, Wisconsin and Detroit, Michigan and it averaged 47 similar trips per season.[34] The Fitzgerald's usual route was between Superior, Wisconsin and Toledo, Ohio, although its port of destination could vary.[31] By November 1975, the Fitzgerald logged an estimated 748 round trips on the Great Lakes covering more than a million miles, "a distance roughly equivalent to 44 trips around the world."[35]
Passengers traveled as company guests as recently as a few weeks before its loss. The guests were given VIP treatment by the stewards, and the cuisine was reported to be excellent. The captain hosted a candlelight dinner for the guests once each trip, "complete with mess-jacketed stewards and special 'clamdigger' punch."[36]
The Ftizgerald became a favorite of boatwatchers throughout its career because of its size, appearance, string of records, and "dee jay captain".[5] Captain Peter Pulcer was in command of the Fitzgerald when many of the cargo records were set but he is best remembered for piping music day or night over the ship's intercom system while passing through the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers. He would often come out of the pilot house when passing through the Soo Locks and use a bullhorn to entertain tourists with a commentary on details about the Fitzgerald.[5][37]
In 1969, the Fitzgerald received a safety award for operating eight years without a time-off worker injury.[5] It ran aground in 1969 and collided with the SS Hochelaga in 1970. The Fitzgerald struck the wall of a lock later that same year, and again in 1973. During 1974, it again struck a lock's wall and lost its original bow anchor in the Detroit River.[2][38] None of the Fitzgerald's mishaps were considered serious or unusual.[39][40] Industry standards that built freshwater vessels to last more than a half-century made the Fitzgerald a young ship when it sank.[7]
Final voyage and wreck
National Transportation Safety Board map of probable course of Edmund Fitzgerald and Arthur M. Anderson (Click to enlarge)The Fitzgerald left Superior, Wisconsin at 2:15 p.m. on the afternoon of November 9, 1975,[41][42] under the command of Captain Ernest M. McSorley. Soon traveling at full speed, or 16.3 miles per hour (14.2 kn; 26.2 km/h),[43] it was en route to the steel mill on Zug Island, near Detroit, Michigan,[44][45] with a cargo of 26,116 long tons (29,250 ST; 26,535 t) of taconite ore pellets.[42][46] Around 5:00 p.m., the Fitzgerald joined a second freighter under the command of Captain Jesse B. "Bernie" Cooper, the Arthur M. Anderson, destined for Gary, Indiana, out of Two Harbors, Minnesota.[47] The weather forecast was not unusual for November and the National Weather Service (NWS) predicted that a storm would pass just south of Lake Superior by 7:00 a.m. on November 10.[48]
The SS Wilfred Sykes loaded opposite the Fitzgerald at the Burlington Northern Dock #1 and departed at 4:15 p.m. about 2 hours behind the Fitzgerald. In contrast to the NWS forecast, Captain Dudley J. Paquette of the Sykes predicted that a major storm would cross directly over Lake Superior. From the outset, Paquette chose a route that avoided the worst effects of the storm by using the protection of Lake Superior's north shore. The crew of the Sykes followed the radio conversations between the Fitzgerald and the Anderson during the first part of their trip and overheard their captains decide to take the regular Lake Carriers' Association downbound route.[49] The NWS altered its forecast at 7:00 p.m., issuing gale warnings for all of Lake Superior.[50] The Anderson and the Fitzgerald altered their courses northward, seeking shelter along the Canadian coast.[47] The two boats encountered a massive winter storm: at 1:00 a.m. on November 10, the Fitzgerald reported winds of 52 knots (96 km/h; 60 mph) and waves 10 feet (3.0 m) high.[51] Captain Paquette of the Sykes reported that after 1:00 a.m., he overheard McSorley say that he had reduced the ship's speed due to the rough conditions. Paquette said he was stunned to later hear McSorley, who was not known for turning aside or slowing down, state, "we're going to try for some lee from Isle Royale. You're walking away from us anyway ... I can't stay with you."[49]
At 2:00 a.m. on November 10, the NWS upgraded from gale to storm warnings, predicting winds of 35–50 knots (65–93 km/h; 40–58 mph).[52] Until then, the Fitzgerald followed the Anderson, which was travelling at a constant 14.6 miles per hour (12.7 kn; 23.5 km/h),[47] but the faster Fitzgerald pulled ahead at about 3:00 a.m.[53] As the storm center passed over the ships, they experienced shifting winds, with wind speeds temporarily dropping as wind direction changed from northeast to south and then northwest.[51] After 1:50 p.m., when the Anderson logged winds of 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph),[54] wind speeds picked up rapidly again, and it began to snow at 2:45 p.m., reducing visibility.[54][55] The Anderson lost sight of the Fitzgerald, which was about 16 miles (26 km) ahead at the time.[56]
Shortly after 3:30 p.m., Captain McSorley radioed the Anderson to report that the Fitzgerald was taking on water and had lost two vent covers and a fence railing, and developed a list.[57] Two of the Fitzgerald's six bilge pumps were running continuously to discharge shipped water.[58] McSorley told that he will slow his ship down so that the Anderson could close the gap between them.[57] In a broadcast shortly after, the USCG told ships that the Soo Locks had been closed and that they should seek a safe anchorage.[59] Shortly after 4:10 p.m., McSorley called the Anderson again to report that his radar was not working and he asked the Anderson to keep track of them.[59] The Fitzgerald, effectively blind, slowed to let the Anderson come within a 10-mile (16 km) range so it could receive radar guidance from the other ship.[60]
For a time the Anderson directed the Fitzgerald toward the relative safety of Whitefish Bay. At 4:39 p.m., McSorley contacted the United States Coast Guard (USCG) station in Grand Marais, Michigan, to inquire if the Whitefish Point light and navigational radio beacon were operational, but USCG replied that their monitoring equipment indicates both instruments as inactive.[61] McSorley then hailed any ships in the Whitefish Point area to report the state of the navigational aids, receiving an answer from Captain Cedric Woodard of the Avafors between 5:00–5:30 p.m. that the Whitefish point light was on but not the radio beacon.[53] Woodward testified to the Marine Board that he overheard McSorley say, "don't allow nobody on deck"[62] and something else about a vent that Woodward could not understand.[63] Some time later, McSorley told Woodward that "I have a 'bad list', I have lost both radars, and am taking heavy seas over the deck in one of the worst seas I have ever been in".[64]
By late in the afternoon of November 10, sustained winds over 50 knots (93 km/h; 58 mph) were observed on ships and observation points across eastern Lake Superior.[65] The Anderson logged sustained winds as high as 58 knots (107 km/h; 67 mph) at 4:52 p.m.,[59] while waves increased to as high as 25 feet (7.6 m) by 6:00 p.m.[66] The Anderson was also struck by 70-to-75-knot (130 to 139 km/h; 81 to 86 mph) gusts[41][65] and rogue waves as high as 35 feet (11 m).[14][67][68]
The last communication from the doomed ship came at approximately 7:10 p.m., when the Anderson notified the Fitzgerald of an upbound ship and asked how it was doing. McSorley reported, "we are holding our own." It sank minutes later. No distress signal was received. Ten minutes later the Anderson could neither raise the Fitzgerald by radio, nor detect it on radar.[62][69]
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Learn about what you are buying...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Edmund_Fitzgerald
"Design and constructionNorthwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin ordered the construction of the Edmund Fitzgerald as an investment. Northwestern was a heavy investor in iron and mineral industries and was the first insurance company in American history to invest in an ore freighter.[7] In 1957, Northwestern contracted Great Lakes Engineering Works (GLEW), of River Rouge, Michigan, to design and construct the ship "within a foot of the maximum length allowed for passage through the soon-to-be completed Saint Lawrence Seaway."[8][9] The Fitzgerald was the first laker built to the maximum St Lawrence Seaway size[10] which was 730 feet (222.5 m) long, 75 feet (22.9 m) wide, and 25 feet (7.6 m) deep.[11] GLEW laid the first keel plate on August 7 of that year.[12]
The completed vessel had a capacity of 26,000 long tons (29,120 ST; 26,417 t).[5][8] Its length of 729 feet (222 m) made it the longest ship on the Great Lakes and earned it the title of Queen of the Lakes[10] until September 17, 1959 when the 730 feet (220 m) SS Murray Bay was launched.[13] The Fitzgerald's three cargo holds[14] were in the center of the vessel[15] and loaded through 21 watertight hatches, each 11 by 48 feet (3.4 by 15 m) of 5⁄16 inches (7.9 mm) thick steel.[16] The boat's boilers were originally coal-fired, but would be converted to burn oil during the 1971–72 winter layup.[17] In 1969, the Fitzgerald's maneuverability was improved by the installation of a diesel-powered bow thruster.[18]
The interior of the Fitzgerald was luxurious by ore freighter standards.[19] The furnishings designed by the S.L. Hudson Company included deep pile carpeting, tiled bathrooms, d****s over the portholes, and leather swivel chairs in the guest lounge. There were two guest state rooms for passengers.[19] The air conditioning extended to the crew quarters that were accommodated with more amenities than usual. A large galley and fully stocked pantry supplied meals for two dining rooms.[19][20] The Fitzgerald pilot house was outfitted with "state-of-the-art nautical equipment and a beautiful map room."[19]
Northwestern decided to name the boat for its President and Chairman of the Board, Edmund Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald's grandfather had been a lake captain and his father owned Milwaukee Drydock Company which built and repaired ships.[21][22] More than 15,000 people attended the Fitzgerald's christening and launch ceremony on June 7, 1958. The event was troublesome. When Elizabeth Fitzgerald, wife of Edmund Fitzgerald, christened the boat by smashing a champagne bottle over the bow, it took her three swings to break the bottle.[23] The launch was delayed 36 minutes while the shipyard crew struggled to release the keel blocks. Upon launching sideways into the water, the boat crashed violently into a pier.[24][25] Sea trials for the Fitzgerald began on September 13, 1958, and were completed nine days later.[26]
CareerNorthwestern entered a 25-year contract with Oglebay Norton Corporation to operate the Fitzgerald. It was Northwestern's practice to purchase ships for operation by other companies. [27] Oglebay Norton immediately designated the Fitzgerald the flagship of its Columbia Transportation fleet.[14][28]
The Fitzgerald was a record-setting "workhorse", often breaking its own records.[5] For a single trip, its record load was 27,402 long tons (30,690 ST; 27,842 t) in 1969.[5][29] For 17 years the Fitzgerald carried taconite from Minnesota's Iron Range mines near Duluth, Minnesota, to iron works in Detroit, Toledo, and other ports. The Fitzgerald set seasonal haul records six different times.[6] It became nicknamed "Fitz", "Pride of the American Flag",[30] "Mighty Fitz", "Toledo Express",[31] "Big Fitz",[32] or the "Titanic of the Great Lakes".[33] It required an average of four and a half hours to load the Fitzgerald with taconite pellets and 14 hours to unload.[34] It usually took the Fitzgerald five days to make a round trip between Superior, Wisconsin and Detroit, Michigan and it averaged 47 similar trips per season.[34] The Fitzgerald's usual route was between Superior, Wisconsin and Toledo, Ohio, although its port of destination could vary.[31] By November 1975, the Fitzgerald logged an estimated 748 round trips on the Great Lakes covering more than a million miles, "a distance roughly equivalent to 44 trips around the world."[35]
Passengers traveled as company guests as recently as a few weeks before its loss. The guests were given VIP treatment by the stewards, and the cuisine was reported to be excellent. The captain hosted a candlelight dinner for the guests once each trip, "complete with mess-jacketed stewards and special 'clamdigger' punch."[36]
The Ftizgerald became a favorite of boatwatchers throughout its career because of its size, appearance, string of records, and "dee jay captain".[5] Captain Peter Pulcer was in command of the Fitzgerald when many of the cargo records were set but he is best remembered for piping music day or night over the ship's intercom system while passing through the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers. He would often come out of the pilot house when passing through the Soo Locks and use a bullhorn to entertain tourists with a commentary on details about the Fitzgerald.[5][37]
In 1969, the Fitzgerald received a safety award for operating eight years without a time-off worker injury.[5] It ran aground in 1969 and collided with the SS Hochelaga in 1970. The Fitzgerald struck the wall of a lock later that same year, and again in 1973. During 1974, it again struck a lock's wall and lost its original bow anchor in the Detroit River.[2][38] None of the Fitzgerald's mishaps were considered serious or unusual.[39][40] Industry standards that built freshwater vessels to last more than a half-century made the Fitzgerald a young ship when it sank.[7]
Final voyage and wreck
National Transportation Safety Board map of probable course of Edmund Fitzgerald and Arthur M. Anderson (Click to enlarge)The Fitzgerald left Superior, Wisconsin at 2:15 p.m. on the afternoon of November 9, 1975,[41][42] under the command of Captain Ernest M. McSorley. Soon traveling at full speed, or 16.3 miles per hour (14.2 kn; 26.2 km/h),[43] it was en route to the steel mill on Zug Island, near Detroit, Michigan,[44][45] with a cargo of 26,116 long tons (29,250 ST; 26,535 t) of taconite ore pellets.[42][46] Around 5:00 p.m., the Fitzgerald joined a second freighter under the command of Captain Jesse B. "Bernie" Cooper, the Arthur M. Anderson, destined for Gary, Indiana, out of Two Harbors, Minnesota.[47] The weather forecast was not unusual for November and the National Weather Service (NWS) predicted that a storm would pass just south of Lake Superior by 7:00 a.m. on November 10.[48]
The SS Wilfred Sykes loaded opposite the Fitzgerald at the Burlington Northern Dock #1 and departed at 4:15 p.m. about 2 hours behind the Fitzgerald. In contrast to the NWS forecast, Captain Dudley J. Paquette of the Sykes predicted that a major storm would cross directly over Lake Superior. From the outset, Paquette chose a route that avoided the worst effects of the storm by using the protection of Lake Superior's north shore. The crew of the Sykes followed the radio conversations between the Fitzgerald and the Anderson during the first part of their trip and overheard their captains decide to take the regular Lake Carriers' Association downbound route.[49] The NWS altered its forecast at 7:00 p.m., issuing gale warnings for all of Lake Superior.[50] The Anderson and the Fitzgerald altered their courses northward, seeking shelter along the Canadian coast.[47] The two boats encountered a massive winter storm: at 1:00 a.m. on November 10, the Fitzgerald reported winds of 52 knots (96 km/h; 60 mph) and waves 10 feet (3.0 m) high.[51] Captain Paquette of the Sykes reported that after 1:00 a.m., he overheard McSorley say that he had reduced the ship's speed due to the rough conditions. Paquette said he was stunned to later hear McSorley, who was not known for turning aside or slowing down, state, "we're going to try for some lee from Isle Royale. You're walking away from us anyway ... I can't stay with you."[49]
At 2:00 a.m. on November 10, the NWS upgraded from gale to storm warnings, predicting winds of 35–50 knots (65–93 km/h; 40–58 mph).[52] Until then, the Fitzgerald followed the Anderson, which was travelling at a constant 14.6 miles per hour (12.7 kn; 23.5 km/h),[47] but the faster Fitzgerald pulled ahead at about 3:00 a.m.[53] As the storm center passed over the ships, they experienced shifting winds, with wind speeds temporarily dropping as wind direction changed from northeast to south and then northwest.[51] After 1:50 p.m., when the Anderson logged winds of 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph),[54] wind speeds picked up rapidly again, and it began to snow at 2:45 p.m., reducing visibility.[54][55] The Anderson lost sight of the Fitzgerald, which was about 16 miles (26 km) ahead at the time.[56]
Shortly after 3:30 p.m., Captain McSorley radioed the Anderson to report that the Fitzgerald was taking on water and had lost two vent covers and a fence railing, and developed a list.[57] Two of the Fitzgerald's six bilge pumps were running continuously to discharge shipped water.[58] McSorley told that he will slow his ship down so that the Anderson could close the gap between them.[57] In a broadcast shortly after, the USCG told ships that the Soo Locks had been closed and that they should seek a safe anchorage.[59] Shortly after 4:10 p.m., McSorley called the Anderson again to report that his radar was not working and he asked the Anderson to keep track of them.[59] The Fitzgerald, effectively blind, slowed to let the Anderson come within a 10-mile (16 km) range so it could receive radar guidance from the other ship.[60]
For a time the Anderson directed the Fitzgerald toward the relative safety of Whitefish Bay. At 4:39 p.m., McSorley contacted the United States Coast Guard (USCG) station in Grand Marais, Michigan, to inquire if the Whitefish Point light and navigational radio beacon were operational, but USCG replied that their monitoring equipment indicates both instruments as inactive.[61] McSorley then hailed any ships in the Whitefish Point area to report the state of the navigational aids, receiving an answer from Captain Cedric Woodard of the Avafors between 5:00–5:30 p.m. that the Whitefish point light was on but not the radio beacon.[53] Woodward testified to the Marine Board that he overheard McSorley say, "don't allow nobody on deck"[62] and something else about a vent that Woodward could not understand.[63] Some time later, McSorley told Woodward that "I have a 'bad list', I have lost both radars, and am taking heavy seas over the deck in one of the worst seas I have ever been in".[64]
By late in the afternoon of November 10, sustained winds over 50 knots (93 km/h; 58 mph) were observed on ships and observation points across eastern Lake Superior.[65] The Anderson logged sustained winds as high as 58 knots (107 km/h; 67 mph) at 4:52 p.m.,[59] while waves increased to as high as 25 feet (7.6 m) by 6:00 p.m.[66] The Anderson was also struck by 70-to-75-knot (130 to 139 km/h; 81 to 86 mph) gusts[41][65] and rogue waves as high as 35 feet (11 m).[14][67][68]
The last communication from the doomed ship came at approximately 7:10 p.m., when the Anderson notified the Fitzgerald of an upbound ship and asked how it was doing. McSorley reported, "we are holding our own." It sank minutes later. No distress signal was received. Ten minutes later the Anderson could neither raise the Fitzgerald by radio, nor detect it on radar.[62][69]
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