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November 10, 2005
"Fellas, it's been good to know 'ya"
Today is Edmund Fitzgerald Day, the 30th anniversary of the most famous Great Lakes maritime tragedy. A 726-foot bulk freighter carrying twice her weight in iron ore sank in a November storm on Lake Superior just 17 miles from a safe harbor. All 29 aboard were killed.
The Great Lakes usually look calm and flat, but they are lined up and down by various shipwrecks. Consider these weather-related disasters;
- Nov. 11, 1913: eighteen ships were lost, killing 254 people.
- Nov. 11-13, 1940: 57 men died when three freighters sank in Lake Michigan.
- Nov. 18 1958: 33 men died on Lake Michigan with the sinking of the Carl D. Bradley.
- Nov. 29, 1966: Daniel J. Morrell sank in Lake Huron killing the 28 crew members.
I remember as a kid monitoring a nautical radio on Mackinac Island, Michigan. We listend and posted information on the boats as they gave positions during the Chicago-Mackinac race. A storm swept over the northern section of Lake Michigan and Wave Dancer, a pleasure yacht, sent an SOS when she lost her mast in the storm. Lucky for her, the Coast Guard had a cutter nearby that responded and nobody was injured. The lakes can be dangerous. Meanwhile, a fellow was knocked over when he was struck by lightning standing near our monitoring station on the island. Mackinac Island has about 6 motor vehicles in total, and one transported the unlucky fellow to medical attention.
It's worth running a search on iTunes for Gordon Lightfoot's "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"
Posted by adrianjo at November 10, 2005 04:02 PM