The Edmund Fitzgerald, 50 years on
Discussion
50 years ago tonight the Great Lakes iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald was lost in one of the worst storms imaginable with all 29 of her crew members on Lake Superior, Michigan.
Immortalised in Gordon Lightfoot's ballad The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, it's a tragedy that I've read and watched documentaries about for years.
At this time, on the 50th anniversary of the loss of those 29 lives, so close to our own Remembrance Day, I think its appropriate to take a minute
to remember the tragedy and the lives lost.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Edmund_Fitzgerald
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbm7b2I8BKWzZ9Xtd...
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake, they called Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore, twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early
The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ship's bell rang
Could it be the north wind they'd been feeling?
The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the captain did too
'Twas the witch of November come stealing
The dawn came late, and the breakfast had to wait
When the gales of November came slashin'
When afternoon came, it was freezin' rain
In the face of a hurricane west wind
When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin'
"Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya"
At seven p.m., a main hatchway caved in, he said
"Fellas, it's been good to know ya"
The captain wired in he had water comin' in
And the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when his lights went outta sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd put 15 more miles behind her
They might have split up or they might have capsized
They may have broke deep and took water
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters
Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams
The islands and bays are for sportsmen
And farther below Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the gales of November remembered
In a musty old hall in Detroit, they prayed
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral
The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake, they call Gitche Gumee
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early
Immortalised in Gordon Lightfoot's ballad The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, it's a tragedy that I've read and watched documentaries about for years.
At this time, on the 50th anniversary of the loss of those 29 lives, so close to our own Remembrance Day, I think its appropriate to take a minute
to remember the tragedy and the lives lost.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Edmund_Fitzgerald
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbm7b2I8BKWzZ9Xtd...
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake, they called Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore, twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early
The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ship's bell rang
Could it be the north wind they'd been feeling?
The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the captain did too
'Twas the witch of November come stealing
The dawn came late, and the breakfast had to wait
When the gales of November came slashin'
When afternoon came, it was freezin' rain
In the face of a hurricane west wind
When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin'
"Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya"
At seven p.m., a main hatchway caved in, he said
"Fellas, it's been good to know ya"
The captain wired in he had water comin' in
And the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when his lights went outta sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd put 15 more miles behind her
They might have split up or they might have capsized
They may have broke deep and took water
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters
Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams
The islands and bays are for sportsmen
And farther below Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the gales of November remembered
In a musty old hall in Detroit, they prayed
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral
The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake, they call Gitche Gumee
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early
I know of the Edmund Fitzgerald tragedy from this very tune, and this popped up on my YT feed earlier:-
Even though I'm a guitar player, I like Charles' channel as he covers a lot of music theory and harmony.
I'm about to watch this, as its not a documentary I've seen on the sinking before:-
Even though I'm a guitar player, I like Charles' channel as he covers a lot of music theory and harmony.
I'm about to watch this, as its not a documentary I've seen on the sinking before:-
I’m obsessed with the Great Lakes shipwrecks and The Edmund Fitzgerald.
I don’t really know why but it just strikes a chord with me. The idea that for 200 years, Captains having been taking that risk of a last autumn run before winter sets in. Risking everything, their boats, their lives for just one more run and that promised bonus. The weather systems that rival the North Sea in terms of extremes. The tales of bravery in face of ridiculous odds. I find the whole thing fascinating.
And that’s without the cruise ship that rolled over in Detroit harbour still tied to the dock, killing hundreds of people. And one of the principal reasons was because the hull was too narrow for the safety modifications enforced after the sinking of the Titanic. The extra life boats they installed were mounted too high on the super structure and CofG couldn’t cope.
And then there was the dredging ship which was using explosives to do its job
, got struck by lightning and was vaporised in a massive explosion.
It’s the biggest thing on my bucket list to visit the Great Lakes and to take in all the history.
If you are interested, can I recommend this book?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shipwrecks-Great-Lakes-An...
Is well written and gives you a terrific insight into all the stories of the major wrecks.
I don’t really know why but it just strikes a chord with me. The idea that for 200 years, Captains having been taking that risk of a last autumn run before winter sets in. Risking everything, their boats, their lives for just one more run and that promised bonus. The weather systems that rival the North Sea in terms of extremes. The tales of bravery in face of ridiculous odds. I find the whole thing fascinating.
And that’s without the cruise ship that rolled over in Detroit harbour still tied to the dock, killing hundreds of people. And one of the principal reasons was because the hull was too narrow for the safety modifications enforced after the sinking of the Titanic. The extra life boats they installed were mounted too high on the super structure and CofG couldn’t cope.
And then there was the dredging ship which was using explosives to do its job
, got struck by lightning and was vaporised in a massive explosion. It’s the biggest thing on my bucket list to visit the Great Lakes and to take in all the history.
If you are interested, can I recommend this book?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shipwrecks-Great-Lakes-An...
Is well written and gives you a terrific insight into all the stories of the major wrecks.
And on the St Lawrence river, the Empress of Ireland - struck amidships in fog: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Empress_of_Irela...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKQ6dLU7f3g
This was apparently the lakes at the start of the week.
A bit lively if it is…
This was apparently the lakes at the start of the week.
A bit lively if it is…
For the past three years I've been travelling out to Cleveland (and then, this year, I lived there for seven months).
it is amazing to see such 'inland seas' up close and go out on Lake Eerie on a friend's sailing boat and be miles from shore in all directions, whilst being on 'just a lake'.
Lake Eerie supplies most of northern Ohio and Pennsylvania with fresh water - and in winter, most of its gritting salt, as there is a huge seam of it underneath the southern edge of the lake.
it is amazing to see such 'inland seas' up close and go out on Lake Eerie on a friend's sailing boat and be miles from shore in all directions, whilst being on 'just a lake'.
Lake Eerie supplies most of northern Ohio and Pennsylvania with fresh water - and in winter, most of its gritting salt, as there is a huge seam of it underneath the southern edge of the lake.
paulguitar said:
RedWhiteMonkey said:
paulguitar said:
The Hypno-Toad said:
And that s without the cruise ship that rolled over in Detroit harbour still tied to the dock, killing hundreds of people.
Which ship was this?
LightweightLouisDanvers said:
50 years ago tonight the Great Lakes iron ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald was lost in one of the worst storms imaginable with all 29 of her crew members on Lake Superior, Michigan.
Immortalised in Gordon Lightfoot's ballad The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, it's a tragedy that I've read and watched documentaries about for years.
At this time, on the 50th anniversary of the loss of those 29 lives, so close to our own Remembrance Day, I think its appropriate to take a minute
to remember the tragedy and the lives lost.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Edmund_Fitzgerald
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbm7b2I8BKWzZ9Xtd...
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake, they called Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore, twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early
The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ship's bell rang
Could it be the north wind they'd been feeling?
The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the captain did too
'Twas the witch of November come stealing
The dawn came late, and the breakfast had to wait
When the gales of November came slashin'
When afternoon came, it was freezin' rain
In the face of a hurricane west wind
When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin'
"Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya"
At seven p.m., a main hatchway caved in, he said
"Fellas, it's been good to know ya"
The captain wired in he had water comin' in
And the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when his lights went outta sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd put 15 more miles behind her
They might have split up or they might have capsized
They may have broke deep and took water
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters
Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams
The islands and bays are for sportsmen
And farther below Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the gales of November remembered
In a musty old hall in Detroit, they prayed
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral
The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake, they call Gitche Gumee
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early
I always liked the song, but didn't realise at the time that it was a true story. Incredibly moving lyrics.Immortalised in Gordon Lightfoot's ballad The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, it's a tragedy that I've read and watched documentaries about for years.
At this time, on the 50th anniversary of the loss of those 29 lives, so close to our own Remembrance Day, I think its appropriate to take a minute
to remember the tragedy and the lives lost.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Edmund_Fitzgerald
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbm7b2I8BKWzZ9Xtd...
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake, they called Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore, twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early
The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ship's bell rang
Could it be the north wind they'd been feeling?
The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the captain did too
'Twas the witch of November come stealing
The dawn came late, and the breakfast had to wait
When the gales of November came slashin'
When afternoon came, it was freezin' rain
In the face of a hurricane west wind
When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin'
"Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya"
At seven p.m., a main hatchway caved in, he said
"Fellas, it's been good to know ya"
The captain wired in he had water comin' in
And the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when his lights went outta sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd put 15 more miles behind her
They might have split up or they might have capsized
They may have broke deep and took water
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters
Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams
The islands and bays are for sportsmen
And farther below Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the gales of November remembered
In a musty old hall in Detroit, they prayed
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral
The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake, they call Gitche Gumee
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early
In 2010 Gordon Lightfoot changed some of the lyrics in live performances, more recent findings showed that it was waves and not crew error that lead to the shipwreck. The line about the hatchway was changed to:
"At seven PM, it grew dark, it was then he said,"
The 'musty old hall' was changed to 'rustic'
There is a memorial service at the Mariners' Church every year on the Sunday nearest the date of the tragedy, when the Church Bell rings out 29 times "For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald".
In 2023, the year Gordon Lightfoot died, it rang out 30 times.
Brother D said:
paulguitar said:
RedWhiteMonkey said:
paulguitar said:
The Hypno-Toad said:
And that s without the cruise ship that rolled over in Detroit harbour still tied to the dock, killing hundreds of people.
Which ship was this?The Hypno-Toad said:
Brother D said:
paulguitar said:
RedWhiteMonkey said:
paulguitar said:
The Hypno-Toad said:
And that s without the cruise ship that rolled over in Detroit harbour still tied to the dock, killing hundreds of people.
Which ship was this?Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff