The Edmund Fitzgerald

***Westside*** · 11-13-2022, 08:41 AM

I have made a post on this topic a number of years ago on this topic. Every at this time, I think of this tragedy. The Edmund Fitzgerald sank on November 10, 1975. I have read two books about the incident and am for some reason fascinated. There are few absolute masterpieces when it comes to music, but I find the song by Gordon Lightfoot to be just that. The lyrics, the music, and how he sings the song go perfectly with this tragedy. Anyway, here is the best video on Youtube of this song, IMO.

~~Hoot Gibson~~ · (This post was last modified: 11-18-2022, 12:57 PM by Hoot Gibson.)

Horrible tragedy, but great song. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is one of my favorite ballads.

Old School Hound · (This post was last modified: 11-19-2022, 09:08 PM by Old School Hound.)

(11-18-2022, 12:56 PM)Hoot Gibson Wrote: Horrible tragedy, but great song. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is one of my favorite ballads.

Love that song. Lightfoot is as good as it gets as a storyteller and TWOTEF is right at the top of story-telling songs.

wheeler · 11-20-2022, 02:24 AM

Westside i have read Mighty Fitz and Gales of November. Did water overrun the pumps if she drug bottom? Or did a wave like the Lakes have never seen pick her up and drive her to the bottom. Watch Arthur M. Anderson video from 11/10/2020 give a salute to the Fitzgerald pulling into a load out.

***Granny Bear*** · 11-21-2022, 06:25 PM

It was the waves!

***Westside*** · 11-21-2022, 07:53 PM

(11-20-2022, 02:24 AM)wheeler Wrote: Westside i have read Mighty Fitz and Gales of November. Did water overrun the pumps if she drug bottom? Or did a wave like the Lakes have never seen pick her up and drive her to the bottom. Watch Arthur M. Anderson video from 11/10/2020 give a salute to the Fitzgerald pulling into a load out.

(11-21-2022, 06:25 PM)Granny Bear Wrote: It was the waves!

I think it was the waves as well. I watched a video on Youtube, as I'm sure you all have as well, where the captain of the Arther M Anderson talks about a couple massive waves that hit his freighter. It was his opinion that the waves took the Fitz down. He had lots of experience and was going through the same storm in the same location as the Fitz. I respect his opinion.

~~Hoot Gibson~~ · (This post was last modified: 11-21-2022, 08:20 PM by Hoot Gibson.)

The Storm

Storms on the Great Lakes can rival hurricanes in their intensity and the one that sank the Edmund Fitzgerald had sustained winds of 67 mph, gusts up to 86 mph, and waves reported up to 35 feet according to another vessel in the area that survived the storm. On November 8, 1975, a storm was brewing in the center part of the country and it headed northeastward towards the Great Lakes. On November 9 at 7 p.m. the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a gale warning for Lake Superior. The NWS predicted east to northeasterly winds during the night, shifting to NW to N by the afternoon of November 10. At approximately 10:40 p.m., the NWS revised its forecast for eastern Lake Superior to easterly winds becoming southeasterly the morning of the 10th. At about 2:00 am on November 10th the NWS upgraded the gale warning to a storm warning (winds 48-55 knots) with a prediction of "northeast winds 35 to 50 knots becoming northwesterly 28 to 38 knots on Monday, waves 8 to 15 feet".