Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald and other tragic Great Lakes shipwrecks

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I rang our bell on the Lake Michigan shore 29 times tonight, for the Edmund Fitzgerald. (Once for each man lost on Lake Superior in 1975.)

I’m sure I saw the Fitz sail past my home here many times during my younger days. My Grandfather and I would sit and watch the ore boats go by in the 1960’s. I did spot the Arthur M. Anderson sailing past here earlier this year. It was the Laker that accompanied the Fitz on that fateful night, reported it missing, and went back into the storm from safe harbor in Whitefish Bay to search for any survivors. Captain Cooper was a brave man.

Next time I will ring it on November 18th, for the Carl D. Bradley, where 33 lives were lost on Lake Michigan in 1958 (but two did survive).

After that, it will ring again on November 29th, for the 28 men lost on the Daniel J. Morrell on Lake Huron in 1966 (one survivor there).

My ancestors were commercial fishermen on Lake Michigan, and a few were lost to storms and accidents so our family has always paid attention to such tragedies on our waters.

November is the cruelest month on the Great Lakes.

2

A cruel month, but kindly remembered. Thanks for sharing the memories.

3

I still get a chill when I hear Gordon Lightfoot sing the lines:

Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?

4

And it isn’t the only freighter to die out there.
Recall the White Hurricane.
VIDEO

5

Very true. Over 250 deaths in that 1913 blizzard over water. But I limit the ringing of my bell to those boats lost during my lifetime. I may add in the Phoenix, which burned and sank in 1845 off Sheboygan, with over 200 of my kinfolk dying that night of Nov 21st. But ringing the bell 200+ times would be a bit much. I’ll have to figure a workaround for that one. 29 times set all the local dogs barking as it was.

The most recent loss of a commercial boat locally (that I’m aware of) was the Linda E on December 11th, 1998. 3 commercial fishermen died when apparently they were run down by a barge as they worked cleaning fish belowdeck.

6

Do you think it would still be remembered as much without the Gordon Lightfoot song?

7

me, too

I meant to quote solost, here

8

Of course not. That’s pretty much what this type of ballad is for-- they’ve served as a way of memorializing or reminding people of an event as long as ballads have been written; as well as being entertainment.

9

Wonderful sound a ships bell is. :musical_score:

10

I rang the bell 33 times for the Bradley on the 18th. A number of other observances for her occurred around the Great Lakes too.

When the Bradley was torn and then gone

Last night it was for the hundreds lost on the Phoenix in 1847, just a few miles north of me. I lost a few kin in that sinking, siblings and niblings of some of my great great + grandparents. A friend and I rang the bell rapidly for about 45 seconds.

the Phoenix story

11

Qadgop, that is so wonderful, keeping the memories going. Especially for those family members.

12

The loss of HMS Speedy was another Great Lakes wreck, on Lake Ontario.