# Edmund Fitzgerald - 30 Years On **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 10, 2005, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edmund-fitzgerald-30-years-on/330314 "2005-11-10T00:11:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mooney252](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7c8e57/32.png) [@Mooney252](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooney252)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edmund-fitzgerald-30-years-on/330314/21 "2005-11-11T12:12:39Z")
A few years ago a documentary was done about the sinking. It had a particular theory: that the Edmund Fitzgerald had scraped across a reef outside of Whitefish Bay damaging the hull and setting up the sinking. It was the kind of detailed investigation that one would see on Nova, though a quick Google search reveals nothing. If anyone recalls the name of the show, I’d appreciate knowing. Thanks, Mooney252 ---
**Author:** ![Figaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea666f/32.png) [@Figaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Figaro)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edmund-fitzgerald-30-years-on/330314/22 "2005-11-11T18:59:23Z")
I sang for many years at Mariners’ Church, in Detroit, where they still celebrate an annual memorial service for the crew. (It’s the church mentioned in the song for ringing its bell when the ship went down.) This year’s 30th (Sunday, the 13th) is going to be a mob scene. It’s always interesting to see who turns up…mercantile seamen, navy types, coast guard, various Canadian servicemen, family members and spouses. Gordon Lightfoot came once. I’m not from Michigan, and I always thought it was odd that the church celebrated this one shipwreck each year. But I’ve come to realize how emblazoned the event is on the minds of Michiganders who remember the event, and I think it’s nice to carry on the tradition. ---
**Author:** ![633squadron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/ee59a6/32.png) [@633squadron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/633squadron)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edmund-fitzgerald-30-years-on/330314/23 "2005-11-11T19:11:40Z")
> [@Figaro](#): > > I sang for many years at Mariners’ Church, in Detroit, where they still celebrate an annual memorial service for the crew. (It’s the church mentioned in the song for ringing its bell when the ship went down.) This year’s 30th (Sunday, the 13th) is going to be a mob scene. The oceans are dangerous and fickle. Every port worldwide has at least one church that keeps record of those who died at sea. I remember seeing the church at the end of “A Perfect Storm” and the names of the sailors. I guess you need something like that, since there’s no graves or anything. ☹ I particularly honor fishermen (and women). I remember reading somewhere a comment from an old commercial fisherman, to the effect of “that’s not fish yer eatin’, that’s men’s lives!” amen. ---
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edmund-fitzgerald-30-years-on/330314/24 "2005-11-11T19:12:00Z")
> [@zagloba](#): > > I was in high school when the Lightfoot song came out. I’ve always liked that song. But for years I thought it was written about an event long in the past. Only much later did I learn that Lightfoot wrote the song right after it happened, as in the old days when news travelled by means of songs and rhymes. Me too except that I didn’t know until today that it happened in 1975. I was 15 then. I guess I had the usual teenaged obliviousness to news that happens far from home (Florida). I wish peace to the families and friends of those 29 who lost their lives. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edmund-fitzgerald-30-years-on/330314/25 "2005-11-11T20:03:12Z")
I’m from the east coast, so the wreck was something I only heard about from the song. But about 12 years ago a friend and I bicycled from St. Paul to Sault Ste. Marie. There is a Great Lakes museum in “Soo” that described the wreck story. Fascinating. Never heard of magnetite before, but now I’ll probably never forget it. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edmund-fitzgerald-30-years-on/330314/26 "2005-11-11T20:23:44Z")
I also learned that it happened in 1975 just this week. Rest in peace. ---
**Author:** ![Mooney252](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7c8e57/32.png) [@Mooney252](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooney252)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edmund-fitzgerald-30-years-on/330314/27 "2005-11-15T18:52:14Z")
This AP story ran over the weekend – [http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/05/11/12/100ae\_ballad001.cfm](http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/05/11/12/100ae_ballad001.cfm) Best regards, Mooney252 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edmund-fitzgerald-30-years-on/330314.md?page=1)