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In remembrance of the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald that was lost November 10,1975 and all lake sailors that been lost "when the gales of November come slashing".
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Sadly 90% of the ships lost in the Great Lakes was making that famous last trip of the season and was caught in a November storm that sent screaming sailors and passengers to the bottom.
How dangerous was it?
The ship owners would pay crews extra pay to make trips during November and if possible until the lakes started to "ice up".It was these trips that sent countless ships and their crews to the bottom.
Larry
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Summerset Ry
Make Safety your first thought, Not your last! Safety First!
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I remember it well . A lot of Canadians sort of adopted the Fitz as being Canadian ( because of Lightfoot ) but of course it was out of Milwaukee . The one line in the song " ..she left fully loaded for cleveland " was wrong .....she was headed for Zug Island in the Detroit River ...about 5 miles from my house .
T
To err is human, to blame it on somebody else shows management potential.
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Having visited the Twin Ports of Duluth/Superior many times, I always think of the Fitz when November 10th comes around. My wife and I have seen the Arthur M. Anderson , the last ship to have contact with the Edmund Fitzgerald that fateful night, arrive and depart through Duluth's ship canal a number of times.
Lake Superior is a beautiful thing on a calm day...but a monster when the winds are up.
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There was a model of the Anderson in the marine museum in Ashtabula Ohio ...as soon as I saw it I thought of the Fitz . How the captain turned the Anderson around , in that horrific storm , to try to find the Fitz ,must be a story in itself . He was running several miles ahead of the Fitz and went back to find her . Amazing stuff .
One other note : Lightfoot was astounded by the popularity of the song .....radio stations usually played 3 minute songs and " The Wreck ..." was about 9 minutes .
T
To err is human, to blame it on somebody else shows management potential.
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There was a model of the Anderson in the marine museum in Ashtabula Ohio ...as soon as I saw it I thought of the Fitz . How the captain turned the Anderson around , in that horrific storm , to try to find the Fitz ,must be a story in itself .
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Indeed it is.When USCG Group Soo asked if the Anderson could go back out and look for the Fitzgerald Captain Cooper was reluctant to head back into the 25-30 foot seas but,he ordered the Anderson to come about and headed back into Superior.A true hero.
A good read is Robert J. Hemming's "Gales of November: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald".
Larry
Engineman
Summerset Ry
Make Safety your first thought, Not your last! Safety First!
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I've only had one personal experience with Lake Superior ...never forget it .
When I was a kid , the family drove out to the Seattle Worlds Fair in '63 . On the way back we stopped in Minnesota ...I'm going to say Bimidji .... for the night at a motel on the water . It had to be 90-95 degrees out , late afternoon , and my step dad and I went for a dip before supper . I never thought much about there being virtually NOBODY on the beach ....such a hot day ...but as a kid , I never stuck my toe in the water first ...just ran and jumped in , right ? My step dad and I both ran and dove and I swear we came back out of the water and back to the beach , all in one motion ....COLDEST water I'd ever been in , and that was summer time ! Can't imagine it in November .
T
To err is human, to blame it on somebody else shows management potential.
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A couple of other good reads about the Fitzgerald: Chapter 10 of "In the Teeth of the Northeaster" by Marlin Bree and "Mighty Fitz, The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by Michael Schumacher.
Photos of Lake Superior in gentler times....
![[Image: IMG_0526.jpg]](http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa145/Ralph59/ops%203/IMG_0526.jpg)
Duluth ship canal
![[Image: IMG_1959.jpg]](http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa145/Ralph59/ops%203/IMG_1959.jpg)
Massive 1000 footer, the Edwin H. Gott.
![[Image: IMG_1947.jpg]](http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa145/Ralph59/IMG_1947.jpg)
and historic Split Rock light house that is illumniated every November 10th in honor of the crew that perished.
![[Image: IMG_0519.jpg]](http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa145/Ralph59/ops%203/IMG_0519.jpg)
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Thanks for posting all this great information.....
Brakie - If you didn't post the link to youtube, I would have!!!!! I try to listen to that song every year!!! It's such a great tribute!!! I was in 11th grade in '75.
We were all horrified when we heard about it on the news, the song made us all feel better "Remembering" the great crew and Captain!!!!
