Why Did She Split In Half?

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✩ABOUT THIS VIDEO✩
In this video, we take a look at the SS Edmund Fitzgerald which sank on Lake Superior in 1975. To this day, she remains the largest vessel ever to have sunk on the Great Lakes.
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[@CasualNavigation]

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[@nicablackshotsea5825]

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[@NeatNit]

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[@burningSHADOW42]

The add was really badly positioned...

[@Siriussky22]

It wasn’t really that bad

[@rubetz528]

Really, manscaped is the one shill I don't like around YT. Why? Just because advertising to shave my privates in the middle of a documentary feels disturbing.

[@katherynedarrah4245]

You didn't mention one key fact. The Master of the Anderson risked HIS life, crew, and ship, to go searching for the Fitz after she went down. He made it to Whitefish Bay. Reported her missing, then turned around and went back out. Into a November Storm. On Lake Superior. That had claimed the Pride of the American Side.

[@TheUnflushedToilet]

The Anderson and the William Clay Ford were the only ships that risked going out to Superior to look for the Fitz in the initial search. It wouldn't be until the next day(s) when there would be more ships to join the search.

[@nmccw3245]

She’s definitely the most respected boat on the lakes.

[@burntsider8457]

When asked to go back out, Captain Carlson told the Coast Guard, "if I go out there could be two ships on the bottom." But he did anyway.

[@MC-810]

@@vyvianalcott1681 Don’t be an immature troll. I for one had no idea that the Henry Clay Ford was involved in the search. So I thank TUT for stating that fact. Edit: I mistakenly called the vessel Henry Clay; should be William Clay Ford.

[@FriedrichHerschel]

@@vyvianalcott1681 And what exactly did you add to the conversation except toxicity?

[@alexander10000000]

I was just on the SS Arthur M. Anderson as 2nd Assistant Engineer and boy is she a strong ship. 70 years old and still keeping up with the much newer ships.

[@j.griffin]

She was older than the Fitz and was stretched in 1975 so she was actually older AND bigger than the Fitz that night. Her mid-section is soft because of the stretch so she loads about 1,500 tons less cargo than the other big boats at Great Lakes Fleet,Inc.

[@alexander10000000]

@j.griffin all true. I was just acknowledging the fact that she is old but still keeping up with the big boys. When I was at the throttles, the engines always responded well to everything that was demanded of them.

[@alexander10000000]

Not to mention that the boilers (my babies) always gave as good as they got.

[@j.griffin]

@@alexander10000000 Oh,I wasn’t disputing anything. “A man’s got to know his limitations…” -Clint Eastwood As Inspector “Dirty” Harry Callahan in “Magnum Force” The Anderson operates within her limitations- the owners of the Fitz got greedy and raised the load line 3 times. The owners, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, actually got the U.S. Coast Guard to increase the load line for the Edmund Fitzgerald those three times - in 1969, 1971, and 1973 - to allow her to carry 4,000 tons more than she was originally designed&intended for. These changes allowed for 3 feet, 3.25 inches less minimum freeboard overall. Because of that, the ship’s deck was only 11.5 feet above water and she was considerably overweight, according to her original intended specifications. This made the ship especially sluggish and slower to recover and decreased her buoyancy when facing the waves on that fateful November 10th. The Skipper had already said that she was never the same after that- if she fell off in a heavy head sea they would sometimes have to make a complete 360 to get back on course. She’d just wallow in the troughs between the waves and the waves would just keep pushing her off from recovering her heading. “Prior to the load-line increases she was said to be a ‘good riding ship’ but afterwards, the Edmund Fitzgerald became a sluggish ship with slower response&recovery times. Captain McSorley said he did not like the action of a ship he described as a ‘wiggling thing’ that scared him. Now, the Edmund Fitzgerald's bow hooked to one side or the other in heavy seas without recovering and made a groaning sound not heard on other ships.” It’s common to stretch and refit ships for various reasons- as long as it is done well and they are managed properly everything should be fine. The Anderson is a survivor and has been well taken care of- I believed what you said. I was in no way casting shade on you or that fine,old girl.

[@alexander10000000]

@j.griffin got ya. Wow, now that is something there about the Fitz. Also, love the Clint Eastwood quote.

[@MySparkle888]

Most people underestimate the power of the Great Lakes. They are more like inland seas that fresh water lakes. The waves on the great lakes have a much shorter frequency than in the ocean making it harder to ride them out.

[@emusunlimited]

Yep, and I believe (not sure on this) Superior has the shortest of frequencies. You see a lot of 3 sisters out there.

[@alexander10000000]

As a Great Lakes Sailor (engineer) I never ever underestimate the power of the lakes. I've also been on the oceans as well and the Great Lakes are definitely worse.

[@noahdoyle6780]

My youngest son has spent time up in the Northwoods, Boundary Waters, and on Superior. "The Northwoods and Boundary Waters want you to live, but they want you to work for it. Superior just wants you dead."

[@danielkorladis7869]

I think it's fair to consider them inland seas.

[@somethinglikethat2176]

I know I wouldn't have before watching channels like this. For someone with no experience it's easy to look at it's size on a map and not give it much thought.

[@mirandarights9635]

May God rest the men (29) that lost their lives when Big Fitz went down. The bodies are still there (except 1 found lying on the lake bottom next to the wreck) still intact due to the cold and lack of bacteria at that depth). The site has been declared a gravesite and no one can go there without government permission. The artist Gordon Lightfoot donated all the proceeds from his song The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald to the families of the men lost in the sinking.

[@thedentfamily8467]

I luv Gordon likefoot

[@TheEmeraldMenOfficial]

@@thedentfamily8467He passed away May 1st 2023 and has been buried in his hometown of Orillia, ON

[@WhiteArrow76]

I'm convinced the majority of the crew are entombed in the stern. She had accommodations for 36 crew, 10 forward and 26 aft

[@dev2410]

I was first introduced to the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by this song I didn't know that he made it as an act of charity it is heartwarming to see people come together in times of crisis

[@tonyolshansky9288]

Living in Michigan, many children learn about this wreck in school. The lakes have claimed thousands, but gave us a maritime heritage that I've seen light up the eyes of children when they see a tallship set her main or the lights of a freighter steam across the horizon. Tragedies like this become a shared history.

[@Le_8x]

I remember we had a whole unit about it in 5th. Fun times

[@P0KEBLOX]

Man I remember these were our favorite our favorite lessons as kids. It probably also helped that at the time I lived and went to school in Sault Ste. Marie letting us imagine how this would happen in more detail as we saw Lakers every day passing through the locks

[@commanderfox64]

same in Minnesota most be a great lake state thing

[@abrahammorrison6374]

There is a coloured $20 Canadian coin of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I have two in my private collection and one is for sale.

[@Emanresuadeen]

I’ve heard that the legend lives on from the Chippewa on down.

[@owlbuquerqueturkey]

I grew up in Superior, WI, and one of my earliest memories is the night the Fitzgerald went down. My dad got called into work because of the storm, and I remember my mom following the story on the radio, as she waited for him to get home.

[@botanifolf9767]

The Anderson crew were heroes that day, both guiding the Fitzgerald, looking for her after losing contact and leading the hours long search operation after the storm

[@insertnamehere313]

Quite a few went out to search...not just the Anderson...most of those vessels still sail the lakes today. Salt water vessels really close to the area of the Fitz refused to help

[@returnofbillyjack]

Maybe we. plural. Should make a song like the Edmond

[@spaceflight1019]

​@@insertnamehere313In retrospect, the only thing that the other boats accomplished was to place their crews in unnecessarily peril.

[@insertnamehere313]

@@spaceflight1019 If you was in the freezing water struggling to stay alive..wouldn't you want someone out there trying to help find and rescue you.

[@spaceflight1019]

@@insertnamehere313 I wouldn't, but I believe in the "needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one". What good would it have done to have the other freighters become storm victims too?

[@GTLakeMate]

I’m a chief mate on the Great Lakes in the Canadian fleet. I have always had a huge interest in this marine disaster. You did a very good job in explaining the dynamics of this disaster, with theories I do agree with, less the hatch covers being unsecured. I personally feel the hatch covers were secure, and I side with Captain Bernie Cooper, that she bottomed out on the shoal north of Caribou Island. The unsecured hatch cover theory in my opinion is just a cop out for the US Coast Guard.

[@michaelraines93]

i agree, McSorley and his deck boss would have them secured. she reportedly had bottom damage already.

[@niklaspilot]

I couldn't see this video title without thinking "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"

[@wiesejay]

Because of this song, I already knew she was carrying 26,000 tons of iron ore

[@jackschulte6185]

@@wiesejay Mad props to Gordon for getting most of the times right too lol

[@sfrsteel]

Excellent!

[@sfrsteel]

@@jackschulte6185 lyricly a masterwork in how to write a song

[@davidclark3304]

I first heard that song as I was going along on the freeway in the Chicago area. I turned off and stopped on the shoulder to listen to it, and of course later I bought the recording. Being from the Detroit area it rang a bell with me. In the seventies we operated a sailboat on Lake Erie and we'd occasionally see the Fitz going in and out of Toledo. In fact the marine architect who designed the hull was a friend of my father and he gave us a framed blueprint of the ship which my dad still has hung on the wall where he lives.

[@davetimmer5149]

My deer blind over looks whitefish bay, during the week after it went down. Over 20 ships were still anchored in the bay. Waves at whitefish point we're in the 16-18 foot range and winds were still minimum of 35 mph. The howling sound it made in the woods was deafening. Lake Superior's color changes during these winter storms, it turns a dark black... It is very intimidating, even evil looking.

[@leonaheraty3760]

That sounds so spooky. 🥺

[@Squid1562]

Personally I believe it was a combination of the the load draft being increased, the high seas, and her bottoming out. The captain of the Anderson at the time, Bernie Cooper, was adamite that the only way the Fitz would have lost her railings was if she either stress fractured or bottomed out. The hatch cover theory was also highly frowned upon by other captains, as even if the hatches aren't fully secured, they weigh several tons and would remain firmly on the deck in heavy seas. With any water coming through being minimal to none. My personal take is for one reason or another, Edmund Fitzgerald sustained underwater damage just south of caribou island. She either stress fractured or bottomed out on a shoal. After that point, she started slowly dropping in the water. As the waves rolled up her deck, her bow would end up plunging down into them. Eventually, the inflow of water became too great, she plunged into another wave and never came back up. The first sign to the crew that anything was wrong would've been her impacting the sea floor and the subsequent wall of water smashing through the cabin windows, explaining the lack of a mayday.

[@Aengus42]

Adamant, not "adamite".

[@neilkurzman4907]

I wouldn’t discount hatchcover so readily. Apparently even in modern times they are not always secured properly. And sometimes or allowed to rust so the weight of the water can break through them.

[@HoshizakiYoshimasa]

The fact Arthur B Homer the exact sister ship of the Fitzgerald was scrapped a decade after the Fitzgerald loss despite many millions of dollars spent to lengthen her, leads me to believe stress/hull failure more than shoaling. Lake Fleets knew, and so nobody bought her and they quietly scrapped the Homer blaming the economy and (yet older vessels with smaller cargo capacity were still sailing and the tens of millions spent to lengthen the Homer just years prior)

[@thecamocampaindude5167]

Your theory is not wrong

[@Cadet1008]

@@HoshizakiYoshimasa Well, the company that owned the Homer scrapped other ships in their fleet, nearly the same age around the same time, the 1980s was a terrible time for the steel industry, and the numbers have never really recovered since.

[@normpaddle]

We'll never know for sure, but a couple key factors or comments not considered was Bernie Cooper saying he had 2 massive waves roll over him from behind and heades towards the Fitz. Cooper believed it was those two waves that did they final deed. Also the Fitzgerald is nearly 200 feet longer than the depth of the water she rest in. Its highly possible that she augured her bow which would be a sudden stop, the stern would have been out of the water almost 200 feet and Still moving! The boat most likely snapped at that moment, having the bow stopped and on the bottom while the stern moving and the mid section snapped, most likely where she was weakened. It would have been one load sound. I remember talking to a Canadian man that lived along shore east of where she went down say he heard what sounded like a metal shopping mall being torn apart. Like a thousand dinosaurs screaming. What was it? RIP crew.

[@jacktribble5253]

This wreck struck my family pretty hard and I have always wanted to know the answers to these questions. I appreciate you taking the time. Thanks.

[@playgroundchooser]

I feel like some gentle Canadian should write a ballad about this event. Could be a winner.

[@Utuber-x44]

Someone who's foot's not too heavy

[@chloeholmes4641]

​​@@Utuber-x44 kinda late but a great cover song for that would be a canadian rock band with a lead singer that also stars in tv shows!

[@Historybuff_769]

The Fitz also needed to go in drydock for repair she was badly neglected, and her sister ship was proof when she went in drydock after the sinking of the Fitzgerald. There's a good interview with the nephew of Ralph Walton and talks about the condition of the edmund fitzgerald when she sank

[@ZombieSlayer-dj3wb]

And his dad was the 30th crewman but never went on that trip cause the state she was in

[@Cadet1008]

Fitzgerald was going to be in drydock to be lengthened, like her sistership was.

[@tgland02494]

The Fitz had already been lengthened. That’s what the issue was with the keel plates. The stress was causing issues with the hull under stress. Most likely the hull was failing and started leaking. So it was just being docked to repaid the hull due to hull being lengthened years prior

[@gregblackburn4280]

@@tgland02494 I read a book on just that subject. I think it was THE NIGHT THE FITZ WENT DOWN.

[@thomasreinker3402]

@@tgland02494 the fitz never got lengthened.

[@mattdavis9601]

A fact I haven't seen mentioned in the prior comments (granted I might've missed it): the Edmund Fitzgerald was one of the first Great Lakes freighters to have a welded hull instead of a riveted one. Riveted hulls can flex more in rough seas whereas welded hulls are more apt to snap. I've read that the Fitz was due to have repairs made to its hull before the sailing season; but, they were postponed because there were plans to lengthen it during that winter's layup ('75-'76). Interestingly; the Edmund Fitzgerald had a sister ship, the SS Arthur B. Homer, that was built the same way, with welds instead of rivets. It actually was lengthened that winter, which was not a cheap thing to do, but then was suddenly retired only five years later and scrapped sometime in the '80s. For comparison; the Arthur M. Anderson, the ship that was selling with the Fitz the night it sank, was six years older at the time of the incident, yet is still in service today.

[@CrimeVid]

Several lengthened freighters have snapped in half at sea, it seems that inadequate stringers were installed.

[@callunas]

One of my earliest memories is watching a distressing Edmund Fitzgerald program with my grandparents at the the Great Lakes maritime museum. Now I'm watching your video a few hundred feet from some choppy great lakes waves outside my window! There's something so extremely unsettling about this type of sinking, like the Derbyshire, where the ship just sits lower and lower in the water, waves leaving more and more green water on deck until it's overwhelmed and slips beneath one last time.

[@Bobcat9]

I grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, MI and had the pleasure of knowing the painting-Artist Pat Norton, who lived in a small cottage on the St. Mary's River, down river from the Sault Locks. She paints the freighters steaming by her cottage, including the Edmund Fitzgerald. My sister bought one of her prints of the ship, which Mrs. Norton arranged for Gordon Lightfoot to sign, 1 of only 10, and hangs proudly above her mantle in her Bay City home. We Yoopers have a great deal of respect and reverence for Great Lakes sailors, and by extension, to Gordon Lightfoot's many excellent songs. Rest in Peace Mr. Lightfoot (May 1, 2023) and thank you for your contribution to American music culture and the immortal dignity of of the story sung in the The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

[@franks471]

I really think the large rogue waves had something to do with it. If they were trully 30 feet tall, and the bow was in a trough, the bow could have been 50-60 feet lower than the stern. With reduced buoyancy from taking in water through the hatches and possibly even shifting cargo, two of those monster waves in succession and slow recovery likely (imo) caused the bow to dive straight to the bottom. I think it came as a shock and in an instant.

[@psychologicaltirefire8190]

That's basically been my opinion for years now. Big rogue waves, water ingress, and then just plowing into the trough of the next big wave and never popping back up. It makes sense because the ship is broken in two, which likely happened when she finally hit bottom being that she was longer than the water depth.

[@bobbamford5207]

I agree. Why was this not mentioned?

[@446hemi]

bottomed out on 6 fathom shoal...thats the cause of it sinking

[@cludecat7072]

@@446hemi about a minute after fitz left Anderson's radar, three massive rouge waves rolled over Anderson. she likely bottomed out and rode lower and lower and the rouge waves sealed her fate.

[@SpartyCubsFan]

If I recall correctly, the Anderson reported that 2 rogue waves had just hit her and were heading to the Fitz at 6:46pm, with possibly a 3rd wave. Again, if I’m remembering correctly the Anderson reported that the 2 waves that’d hit her were 30 and 35 feet. I’d also think it likely that a rogue wave or waves knocked out the Fitz’s radar

[@ABH313]

As a Michigander, the story of the Fitzgerald is almost legend. Old timers use it as a warning to explain the power of the Lakes. Living on the 3rd coast is interesting, almost everyone is a boater. Outsiders think the Lakes are just big lakes but they are actually inland seas. Events like rogue waves have been recorded, and the storms are no joke. The Fitzgerald is one of over 6000 ships that lay on the muddy bottoms. These bodies of water are not to be taken lightly. For an example of how large they are, Lake St. Claire looks like a swimming pool compared to the Great Lakes and it's still the 15th largest lake in the country...

[@danalarose846]

Correct. I'm born and raised on Lake Michigan. People come here every year without educating themselves and find out the hard way.

[@Kroggnagch]

The main problem, speaking as an outsider as I’ve lived in Arizona my whole life, is that they’re named “Lakes” and even tho you see them on a map, rivaling STATES in size, for some reason hearing “lake” at the end puts a damper on guesstimating the size. At least, that’s how I perceive it. But you’re absolutely right, it’s not just a big lake you can hardly see the opposite coast of, you absolutely can not see from one coast to the other side because the damn earth is curved and they’re that big so as you can only see the water.

[@25Erix]

From what I hear, they're called lakes because they're not saltwater. But yeah, as someone near Lake Erie in Toledo, they're like freshwater inland seas.

[@TiffanyL2]

@@danalarose846 yes

[@stephenp448]

​@@Kroggnagch I live on the north shore of Lake Ontario near Toronto. I've flown Cessna 172s along the shoreline, and even from 3000' up you STILL can't see the opposite side of the lake!

[@sky173]

Great video. Anyone who's never heard, should listen to 'The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald' by Gordon Lightfoot. Amazing song. RIP to the crew of a beautiful ship.

[@MC-810]

I think that the Gordon Lightfoot's song is why the the Fitz is still widely remembered to this day. The El Faro sank 2015 and it's not as widely remembered. Maybe Gordon can write another song...

[@mxg75]

The Punch Brothers did a cover of that song recently. It’s haunting, possibly better than the original.

[@zaprowsdower3911]

@@mxg75 it no where near as good as the original. I have no clue why people like that version so much. It's good but besides the instruments. It's nothing really special that would last the test of time like Gordon Lightfoot song

[@davea8346]

No, they shouldn't. That song is worse than stabbing an ice pick in your ears.

[@davea8346]

@@MC-810 Don't encourage hime.

[@WhiteArrow76]

The Edmund Fitzgerald had accommodations for 36 crew and 4 passengers at the forward and aft ends of the ship on the upper and main decks. McSorley's rooms were on the upper deck just under the bridge. He had a private cabin with his own bathroom plus an office and lounge overlooking the main deck. There were also two double cabins for private guests, each with a private bathroom. Below on the main deck there were 6 more cabins for the deck crew, 3 on each side and each with private bathrooms for the bridge crew. The 3 starboard cabins were singles for the officers, while the 3 port cabins were double cabins for the 3 wheelsmen and 3 watchmen. In between was a rec room. Moving aft, on the upper deck there were 3 dining rooms, each for officers, crew and guests as well as the galley. There were also 4 cabins. The shipkeeper had a single cabin, while the cook, 2 waiters and 3 stewards shared the other 3 double cabins. On the main deck were 12 more cabins. 5 were private cabins for the lead engineers. The other 7 double cabins berthed 5 seamen, 3 firemen, 3 coalpassers and 3 oilers.

[@EdA-qh7qr]

You sound very familiar with that ship

[@WhiteArrow76]

@@EdA-qh7qr I found the deck plans for the ship and I saw how the ship was planned to function. I was surprised to see some of the crew even had their own private bathrooms.

[@B_Van_Glorious]

I gotta tell ya, I grew up a mile from the Pacific ocean. I watched the sunset on the beach everyday from my high school job. You know what that gave me? A refusal to go out into big water. I don't foresee me, ever, getting on a seaworthy vessel for the entire of my life and yet I watch your videos as soon as I see the notification, I don't even scroll past it, it's an immediate click. So thank you and well done mate.

[@blastonightfb77ryan86]

One of my next door Neighbors husbands friend was the second Stewart for the Fitzgerald when she went down on that fateful day, his name was Allen G. Kalmon, the Fitzgerald has always fascinated me especially as somebody who has lived by the Great Lakes all my life. I may not be a Michigander or Minnesotan since I live in Wisconsin, but I’ve gone to superior since I was little and the Fitzgerald will always be a topic of great interest, especially since it was made in Wisconsin.

[@katieneubaum4284]

I can only imagine how scary it would be to watch your ship plough so hard and so deep into the water that it touches the bottom…

[@TrickedZap]

But I looked it up and it was 530 feet deep so how could it have touched the bottom then?

[@HeadHoncho727]

Its way too fuckin deep to it to touch bottom. Wake the hell up🤣

[@callsignapollo_]

​@TrickedZap she was just shy of 730ft long. The rear 200ft of her wouldve still been above water when the bow struck bottom Not long enough for any crew in the rear to have a chance, but maybe just long enough to know they were doomed

[@bobanppvc]

​@@callsignapollo_bullshit...That would make sense if it touched ground flat...

[@McLarenMercedes]

@@callsignapollo_ "she was just shy of 730ft long. The rear 200ft of her wouldve still been above water when the bow struck bottom" Sure, IF she was perfectly *vertical* when this happened. 90 degrees angle. In what universe would she suddenly go straight down like a spike?? Because even if you use a highly unusual and improbable 45 degrees angle then she'd have to be *750ft* long and that's counting the stern being barely above water. The pythagorean theorem is highly useful. Some seem to have forgotten about it once they left school. Ships having their backs snapped is nothing new or unusual. Especially if the ship carries a heavy load and hasn't been properly maintained. I'd say the Edmund Fitzgerald buckled immensely under the high waves. The rear bulkhead simply gave away when the bow and stern were lifted, while the middle part sagged down from an insane load. *Snap* Game over.

[@nmccw3245]

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

[@themallard1515]

A truly sad tragedy, the lake takes without a trace. However because of this tragedy we have one of the greatest folk songs ever wrote.

[@WhiteArrow76]

The eastern end of Lake Superior is notorious for monstrous seas for a specific reason. Most storms and gales sweep over the lake from west to east, churning a lot of energy into the water. As they move east and the Michigan and Ontario shorelines get closer together, that energy not only has less room to move around but it actually bounces off the coastlines, causing wave action from 3 different directions.

[@spaceflight1019]

The story I read about the Three Sisters is that after they rolled up the stern of the AA Captain Cooper got on the radio and warned Captain McSorley that they were coming. Cooper's radar was periodically losing contact with the EF due to the weather, but the EF went down in the time it took for the radar to make one revolution.

[@godblessamerica7048]

Rest in peace, Gordon Lightfoot! Your song will live on in Minnesota!

[@bethanyschofield2613]

My personal theory for this wreck stems from the fact that it was so...abrupt. They had no time to jump out or to get to the lifeboats. Taking into account the fact that the wreck is sitting at a depth of 530 feet, which is shallower than she was long, I think that one of the rouge waves came over the bow and forced the bow down. Bow hits the floor of the lake, causes the stern to torque off, accounting for how it's split up. This also gives account for how quick it was, and how no distress call was given. *shrug* This is just my opinion through.

[@446hemi]

agree...but what was the beginning of the end was it hit 6 fathom shoal at caribou island around 310..315 pm

[@waynecoulter6761]

The main theory has it that she grounded at 6 fathom shoal... that's why she was taking water. The more likely cause of the sinking was not that she was taking huge waves over the bow, but that the waves were rolling up the stern, forcing the stern up and forcing the bow underwater. A big enough wave would force the bow under and the weight of the ship would drive her into the bottom. The shifting weight of the 26,000 tons of taconite ore basically blew the ship in half when the bow crashed into the bottom.

[@moosecat]

Even though "lakers" such as the Fitz have had careers that have lasted over half a century (the Arthur M. Anderson is still working), a large part of that longevity is based on how well the ship is taken care of. The Fitz was pushed hard throughout her time in service--breaking her own records for individual loads carried, and loads carried in a season--and had more than her fair share of hard hits with piers, and the walls of the locks. You can only push things--and people--so hard for so long, before they fail.

[@SheldonT.]

Cookie knew what happened At seven PM, a main hatchway caved in, he said "Fellas, it's been good to know ya"

[@chimrichalds1422]

I was born and raised near the huron coast in Michigan. Its fun to show someone from a different state or country a great lake. They never get over not being able to see the other side because of the earths curvature. The shear size only then starts to sink in.

[@ryanm9566]

Maritime Horrors covered this and according to former crew testimony and previous CG inspections, she wasn't in the best shape by the time she went down. Although she's only one of many bulk carriers that have broken in half on the Great Lakes. Being long and skinny while carrying such heavy cargo in such rough waters seems to have that effect.

[@sharpshooter13ify]

Something I feel should be mentioned is that there is around 100ft of the spar deck that is nothing more then twisted metal on the lakebed. The prevailing theory is when the Fitzgerald hit the lakebed the forward momentum the direction of travel, currents, overall weight and perhaps the ships engine still running caused the bow to hit bedrock and because bedrock is immovable the forward momentum caused the ship to suffer an accordion effect, literally the stern pushing against the bow with such force it obliterated most of the middle of the ship and spun off hence why the stern is split from the bow and capsized

[@timengineman2nd714]

Sailors had commented that after her load line was increased, that instead of shedding water quickly (like she had done since she was built) the Fitz struggled as water slowly left her main deck. Also, it is possible, that even though she cleared 6 fathom shoals, the wave action could have caused her to "hog". (Similar wave action sank the Moran) So, a weaken hull, from the hog, followed by the 3 sisters that hit the Anderson which was behind the Fitz, probably sank her, especially if one of the waves was amidships and another wave shoved her stern up..... Her stern is upside down on the bottom so obviously it came loose about the same time as the bow slammed into the bottom. One of the debates about her sinking is exactly when the aft quarter to a third of the ship broke off. Part of the problem is that the section we need to see suffered a catastrophic failure, and is now sheets of metal under several 1,000s tons ore!

[@wcemichael]

I like the "twist/flex" theory, that the hull could just not take anymore flexing and broke apart. The FItz was the biggest for her time. The longer you make a stick the easier it is to snap it in two, coupled with the larger waves she was ridding. It makes a lot of sense

[@nathanlynn7374]

You should cover another Great Lakes ship that suffered a similar fate called the SS Daniel J Morrell that broke in half just a few years prior in 1966 the sinking was gathered in great detail by the only survivor accounting what he saw saying that when the ship broke up he and three others jumped on a raft and the bow sunk but the stern actually kept sailing about 5 miles past the bow before sinking it would be absolutely horrific to see the back half of your ship sail off into the stormy night with all the lighting still on

[@446hemi]

the fitz didnt break in half on the surface

[@nathanlynn7374]

@@446hemi dude I wasn’t talking about the fitz and besides both the morell and fitz broke in half now not exactly the same way but they did break in two the similarities arise from that they both split in two not how they did

[@40beretta1]

If you look at the under water images of the ship. .. especially the video of a diver retrieving the bell... The bow and pilot house have crush points like a beer-can being pushed together (top and bottom and the middle crushing inward). All the windows appear to have been blown out, door is missing. I have come to believe the ship did take on water, began to ride low, until the she dove in-between two waves, her stern ride high...the weight of iron ore and water shifting, drover her bow first the lake bottom. All the force, crushed the bow, and snapped the ship in half. They found some life rafts... one split in half the others bow is crushed, like the Fitz itself. If you have never been on the Great Lakes, when a storm whips up... it's freakish... and the lakes are NOT forgiving. The mentions of three sisters isn't just three waves...its three cross-chop waves. When the lakes get all riled up, they waves cross each other at there worst, they meet in the middle for a triple stack, each bring its own power, when they hit...its a wall of water is dense... even 4 -6 footers hitting will plow you down and into the lake bottom...

[@KevinRudd-w8s]

I was in the merchant navy for twenty years and always feel for the lost crews and their families when I read these accounts. It's even worse when the actual cause has never been determined as it means there could be other crews in danger of meeting the same fate.

[@ronpittman88]

We visited Sault Saint Marie, MI last summer and saw the Edmund Fitzgerald's two lifeboats on display. I hardly ever hear them mentioned. With modern forensics I would imagine they contain clues. One was literally sheared in half! They were badly mangled.

[@cludecat7072]

ripped free from their davits most likely. no bodies were recovered on the surface which is unusual if they had made an attempt to launch the lifeboats.

[@chornobylreactor4]

The poor little things 😢 😭 the lifeboats didn't deserve that fate rip in boat heaven

[@losgatosboi9880]

I suggested this almost 2 years ago. Thank you for finally making this video; I understand you may not have seen my comments, but as a lake-state resident, this means a lot to me. Probably means a lot to the families as well.

[@DragonsSongStudios]

A lot of people underestimate the sheer power these lakes have, the waves the unpredictable weather, so on and so forth. Waves that flow in the lakes (or also known as inland seas) are practically none stop. These lakes have an average of 80-100 drownings a year. They are monstrous and not to be underestimated. As a wise singer Stan Rogers once said "they're almost enchanted" In rougher conditions with shorter wave periods (around 3 seconds) with a rough estimate, you could experience up to 20 waves per minute or 300 waves every 15 minutes.

[@rayoflight62]

I believe that the ship cargo holds not being completely filled, because of the high specific weight of the iron ore, allowed the cargo to roll over one side - while the ship herself was rolled by the waves. And the ship laying on one side caused it to sink. Whatever the cause, it is a sad story of bad luck. Thank you for telling. Regards, Anthony

[@timengineman2nd714]

Or, since there were no real bulkheads dividing the main cargo hold (as in just 1), it is possible that the 3 sisters caused the ore to shift forward and cause the plunge....

[@signolias100]

@@timengineman2nd714 the fitz three holds, thus 4 bulkheads one on each end and two splitting the holds. the arthur m anderson however has 5 holds thus 6 bulkheads (one on each end and 4 in between). the Fitz's bulkheads were not water tight though...

[@timengineman2nd714]

@@signolias100 Also, from what I understand, they were more of a divider than a true bulkhead able to withstand shifting cargo.

[@signolias100]

@@timengineman2nd714 they were suppose to be true non water tight bulkheads. That is not to say the two bulkheads at the ends of the cargo area weren't water tight per the blueprints. From how I understand it though the two dividing bulkheads were not water tight. None of them were on those ore haulers at the time. The biggest issue is that the holds were massive . The Fitz was much larger than the Anderson, but had less holds than the Anderson . Another thing I am unsure of is could the ore the was carrying undergo a phenomenon called liquefaction? This is a dangerous situation in bauxite haulers.

[@timengineman2nd714]

@@signolias100 From my understanding (reading various articles) the ore could soak up water (it was iron so basically turning into rust) but I don't think it could liquify. However, it could shift and take out what some called dividers (i.e. the intermediary non-watertight bulkheads) and shift forward preventing the Fitz from recovering from her bow being shoved under, and then her hitting bottom while her stern was in the air (lifted out of the water by the wave). Also, she could have hogged without hitting at 6 fathom shoals! There's a video about the SS Moran (I don't remember the spelling of that ship's name) where she was hit with a wave that basically lifted her midships and left both the bow and the stern in too little water (due to troughs) to support them. Then as the waves moved forward (the were coming from astern like what happened to the Fitz when she sank) 2 waves supported Moran (Morran?) bow and stern but basically left her midships unsupported. She too sank in a bad storm....

[@jamesmccarthy5086]

My third grade teachers dad helped look for the Edmund Fitzgerald that night. I remember he came into our class to tell us about it. I don’t remember too much but it was one of the most interesting story I’ve ever heard. Rip to all 29 on board

[@AnonOmis1000]

Let me interrupt this solemn and serious video and talk about Manscape

[@MrQueso6191]

Don't forget the moons in the ad forming a perfect cock and balls

[@katzrkool77]

😂

[@waynecoulter6761]

You failed to mention the most obvious possibility. The wind and waves were being driven by the high northwest winds which meant that the Fitz was taking waves up the stern. As those massive rogue waves hit, the stern would raise first, driving the Fitz's bow underwater. The theory is that one of those waves was so large that it lifted the stern high enough and drove the Fitz's bow under and she struck bottom, the sheer weight of the load of Taconite ore (pronounced Takonite) basically overloaded and blew the ship in half by the sheer weight of the shifting load. As the bow struck bottom, the sheer inertia of the shifting load broke the ship in half when the bow hit bottom. The stern was rolled inverted by the torque from the still running engines.

[@Aran2323]

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down...

[@robertlivingston1634]

I think you're pretty much spot on, the Anderson mentioned being concerned that those 3 Waves may have cought up to her. And in a following see with the bow riding low and listing that's dangerous enough, then while trying to navigate All of that it's possible a rouge wave caused by shoreline rebound pushed the bow down even more. If you've seen pictures you'll notice the visor on the pilot house bent down and I believe that can only happen with a wave breaking over it.

[@williamcronan7874]

She broke because she hit Hard, bow first on the lake floor. The winds came up, lake got rough, water coming in through leaky hatches (due to ? ), the bow went under, and it dove deep into water. This happened very quickly. The bow gouged a hole in the floor of the lake. I was told by a friend of mine, a government employee "Larry" who dove on the ship to investigate.

[@JamieMatthewsAtWars]

Great video, just for future reference "Taconite" is pronounced "Tak o nite" incase you do a video on the Daniel J Morrell or similar.

[@jeremiahkivi4256]

Grew up in Wisconsin. We were always told the rogue wave is what did her in. 70+ foot wave hit her head on and it basically was suspended between the swells (backside of the wave and the secondary smaller wave) after making it through the wave. Basically she got suspended in a "U" with the center of the ship being suspended with no support causing it to snap.

[@cludecat7072]

if you look at the wreck and how close the bow and stern are as well as a portion of the spar deck missing, and the fact no distress call was sent and that she vanished so quickly, it is nearly impossible that she broke up on the surface

[@zachwak]

You make SUCH high quality content. Great jobs and thank you, keep it up!

[@sirridesalot6652]

I had a 24 feet long by 16.5 inches wide kayak. I had it out on Lake Ontario not to far from shore ie. less than a quarter of a mile. Just for fun as an experiment I allowed a fair bit of water to come into the boat. When paddling into a wave it was very difficult to get the bow to come back up again and to make that a bit easier I had to bend my back rearwards and lay almost flat along the rear deck. Being that the Fitz's captain had radioed in that the had water coming in, and that the sinking was very sudden (or the radio gear was no longer capable of sending) I too think that the Fitz nosedived into a large wave and then was driven under by a large or series of large waves from astern.

[@coyotej4895]

You showed the correct wave and wind direction. However right after when talking about the Three Sisters, the three big waves that nearly caused the Arther M Anderson to broach and capsize, you show them hitting from the bow when they were from the stern. It must also be mentioned that while the Big Rollers where from the stern the echo effect of the lakes confined space was making for a confused Sea effect with some waves coming from the south and some from the East. Three captains including the skipper of the Aurther M Anderson, as well as some top navel Salvage experts all said that the only thing that would account for Nun of the crew even getting off the ship and how fast it sank was that the three big rouges hit her One lifting her stern shifting the already heave bow lode and then the second pushed her bow under, allowing the smaller but still large confused waves to pile on to her already diving bow, then the third caused the ship to plunge or Submarine and as she did the stern would have twisted and separated from the stress as it lifted. Her Crew would have never had a chance to get out and the entire ship would have been under water in the three minutes needed to explain why Auther M Anderson who passed over the exact spot not five minutes later seen no sign of her. As someone who has worked the rough seas of the Baring Sea for most of my life, I know how ships react to a fallowing sea. Only this explains how they would have been caught so unprepared and would not have sent off some message or had time to get over the side. Might I suggest you have a listen to this as well, It's the radio traffic from that night after the Anderson reported her missing. Its eerily haunting. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jWLJgIqfZdmYn7s

[@anonymous.nobody]

My dad was stationed on the USCG Woodrush when they went out after the Fitzgerald and he at minimum followed the investigation, he said that the bow of the Fitzgerald was driven 28 feet into the mud. I can’t remember if he thought the Three Sisters waves was possibly the best theory to explain it diving into the mud.

[@CrewGuyPJ]

He would have been under the command of Capt Hobaugh, who gave a perfect description of the conditions during the search. Ive personally seen the WR many times on vacations to Mackinac. Ive never been able to imagine that boat doing a roll to 50 degrees on the day they were searching for Fitz survivors.

[@anonymous.nobody]

@@CrewGuyPJ Yeah, my dad had said the conditions were really bad on the lake. I have seen the lake with what I thought was bad conditions but it probably didn't come close to that storm.

[@sargepent9815]

The bridge has implosion damage. Meaning it was not flooded beforehand. The cargo hold hatches weren't secured and water entered the hold. The ship lost buoyancy, and a big wave put her bow under and the engine in the rear drove her right to the bottoms hard and fast the bridge imploded, and no one ever called for help. She went to the bottom like a torpedo

[@karlepaul6632]

All I know is, I couldn't possibly imagine what it must've been like to be on that ship, being above water, then within a second immediately being under and not coming back up. 😱

[@stynger007]

Capt McSorley reported he had lost his starboard railing to the Anderson , so the railing was an issue before She went down. That transmission was before the final " We`re holding our own" . As well, your pictograph shows more than 3 cargo holds. Although She had many hatches, She had 3 cargo holds, the Anderson had 5. She broke records for cargo time and again and was overloaded continuously to break those records. You also mentioned She may have broke in half, then sank..a similar wreck was the Daniel J Morrell. There was but 2 survivors . The Morrell broke in 2 , and as the life rafts were deployed, some swam and made it to the rafts. While on the rafts and the bow now almost completely under water, in all the commotion they saw another ship.. they waved their arms yelling. That other ship, was the stern section that had just enough of fore up angle to motor 5 miles away not before plowing into the bow section on it`s way . The Fitz on the other hand, shows the bow had hit the bottom, very hard leaving an imprint of several feet. Everyone has an opinion, none of us were there . With Capt McSorly reporting a loss of the starboard railing, the break up in all probability due to stress cracks - others that served on Her reported hearing groaning previous to the loss. The 3 sisters wave has credibility here in that the flashing above the wheelhouse is hammered down- so , yes, as you said She may have taken a hard hit on the bow, and wheelhouse wave 1, with Her bow down in a trough, the second larger wave 2 pressed on the stern while the bow was down further flexing midships , adding to a stress fracture , or flexing of the hull as She rose from the first wave and the stress of the 3rd wave encroached- by that time the taconite being like marbles had found it` way to both fore and aft, ultimately breaking Her to the point of almost in half- with taconite both fore and aft , that 3rd wave sent her hard to the bottom- the bow section implanted in several feet of seabed, the stern flipped upside down and not showing the same type of impact. Given 729 feet long and 540 feet of water yes She may have hit hard on the bow implanting in the lakebed , with stern still raised , causing the final break up with the stern finding it`s way upside down after the impact. The shroud above the wheelhouse may very well be the telltale that She took an extremely hard wave and was already stress fractured midship , had water in the cargo holds with taconite finding it`s way fore and aft further stress fracturing. We all have our theories. Let`s learn from each other and never forget the brave souls that were lost on that fateful evening. All opinions, theories and comments welcomed .

[@snubbedpeer]

Maybe I didn't hear you mentioned it but one possibility would be that the cargo shifted too much, especially since the ship reported a list.

[@carbunkle9902]

They tried to squeeze in one last trip instead of tying up to the dock for the winter as normal. Nobody got paid unless they made a trip. Also the ship was getting old. Old worn ships can be dangerous. Also had extra large holds. Some structure was eliminated for larger holds. Less structure (bulkheads) made the ship more flexible and less strong.

[@jpkoch427]

I am not certain but, I think They might have split up or they might have capsized They may have broke deep and took water But what I do know is, all that remains is the faces and the names Of the wives and the sons and the daughters

[@matthewoakland4629]

I was so happy when I went to Duluth to learn about the EDMUND FITZGERALD

[@sgt.bunbun1369]

56yrs old and remember this and the song was new!

[@brentdykgraaf184]

I believe after observing pictures of the wreck. Visor over wheelhouse smashed down...forecastle covered ( full) with silt. Bow was driven into the bottom breaking in two. If it broke on surface stern would be further away.

[@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking]

True. Ships that break on the surface tend to have their halves each float by themselves for a bit. They drift apart.

[@fenrislegacy]

The bow hit the bottom with such force that it created an underwater hill.

[@LordOfTamarac]

Originally Ohioan here, it’s lovely to hear it pronounced like the town in Spain, but unfortunately it’s “Toe-Lee-Do”…. I’m so happy I moved

[@Samxd90]

Down in ohio,swag like ohio

[@mongolordofdarkness]

Last run of the season. She was due for yearly hull maintenance. She was running a heavy load She was running fast. Heavy seas. Each of those increased her draft. The Arthur Anderson said that they got a report of a wave taking out the Fitzgerald's navigation radar. The captain of the Anderson watched on his radar as the Fitzgerald drove straight over the shoal. I say she struck bottom and damaged her keel. She went down soon after driving over the shoal.

[@Brodym2433]

Hey I love your videos and here’s another great one, but I do have some tiny complaints, over in the Great Lakes area we call it “tack”a night and Michigan sounds like MISH again thanks so much keep up the great work

[@ihavenoideadanny]

I believe that the Fitzgerald was afloat, hit a big wave which caused her bow to be out of the water at the top of a crest, when the bow dived it collided with the sea floor, buckling the hull. Since there was no warning or indication from the crew that the ship was foundering, the crew probably thought they were going to pop back out of the water.

[@Lawnmower979]

I don’t know Lake Superior is really deep

[@BatteryH1862]

@@Lawnmower979 about 500' deep at that point, the Fitz was nearly twice that in length.

[@HeadHoncho727]

WAYYYY too fuckin deep where they were.

[@BatteryH1862]

@@HeadHoncho727 the Fitzgerald sits in 530' of water. The Fitz was 730' long.

[@Wilhelm-Von-Hohenzollern]

I have previously asked for things on the Great Lakes, because as someone who knows all about them, I think it is great to see others learning about the rich history of our amazing Great Lakes. I was not displeased with this. There was much important info left out, but still great.

[@DraigBlackCat]

What was left out? I'm a land lubber from the UK and only about 7 years ago heard of this sinking via the song. It is a haunting tune but a bit of an annoying ear worm that keeps the tale niggling at the back of my mind. My late Father-in-law was a Chief Engineer on Shell Tankers so I wish I'd got to look at this with him. I think it is amazing at the difference in the available technology of the 70's, when he retired, compared with today. I think what keeps the story in people's minds is the lack of any conclusive reason for the sinking and don't the owners refuse any proper investigation of the wreck? If so then there is always a suspicion of a cover-up.

[@Wilhelm-Von-Hohenzollern]

@stephenpayton4222 well, I can't exactly go through the things left out, as they are mostly small fast facts that just make it all the more interesting, however, I think you should check out a good documentary I know of, it's a 1995 documentary from the Television show Discovery Sunday. It too has some inaccuracy, but it lets in some great info for someone such as yourself. Anyhow, it's a topic worth researching, and there is plenty of good things to find out, if there is anything you would like to know in specific, let me, Perhaps I can tell you, anyway, cheers, mate.

[@FunkMasterJunk]

Im sitting here at Pancake Bay Provincial park. We hiked to the Edmund Fitzgerald lookout and looked over where she sank. Its eerie. I have always thought that since I was a kid. Even as gorgeous as the view was, Caribbean blue water shoreline, green canopy of the forest and a clear blue sky, I had goose bumps.

[@Frankie5Angels150]

I thought that after they found her they discovered that she hadn’t broken in two but foundered and took on water. And even Gordon Lightfoot regretted the “Main hatchway gave in” line because it is still intact, proving that the crew had not failed to secure it.

[@jetcat132]

But two hatches WERE found to be punched inside the hold.

[@suzannee6673]

Although there is physical evidence that some of the hatch covers were not properly fastened, it is unlikely to be the sole cause of the sinking. The Fitzgerald was habitually overloaded and known as a "wiggly" or "wet" ship. An already weakened hull could easily hog/sag in heavy seas, leading to the failure cascade that caused the ship to slowly lose buoyancy until it took a very quick dive to the bottom of Lake Superior. In that regard, I do believe it was similar to the Derbyshire. I am impressed about the comprehensive review of all the theories included in this video!

[@voidokami1427]

I agree with your person opinion that it was a combination of events that leads to the ship and its crews unfortunate end

[@cynthiawargo523]

I had a relative who was a merchant seaman and served on the Fitz his hypothesis (and some old time Lorain Ohio shipyard workers )the ship was was originally built with old style rivet technology...with rivets you can break and pop some rivets in a plate and the plate still holds and flex the ship would still maintain its sea worthyness but leak a bit ...in the late 60s or can't remember maybe early 70s the Fitz was put into the Amship shipyards in Lorain Ohio... CUT IN HALF ... and the hull was lengthened, and a conveyor belt self unloading system installed...(the old time hulett unloaders around the great lakes were being phased out and the new ore carriers were being built as self unloaders ) The new hull in the middle of ship was of WELDED PLATES, not riveted...so when the ship is in heavy seas flexing the welded section would presumably flex and stress differently...as I mentioned before rivets could break due to flexing activity and with so many rivets in a plate it could lose many and still maintain its sea worthyness, however if a major welded seam fails the whole weld may be compromised, so you get the picture. Also the welded hull area would be less flexible due to its nature of construction...This was the concensus of the theory on why the ship broke in half during the storm by my old seadog relative and 3 shipyard worker buddies over beers at Mangines Cafe across from the shipyard in Lorain Ohio one blustery winter night shortly after the disaster...

[@UR_HR]

@Casual Navigation I have always been a fan of your vids, can you please share which Programme you use to produce your animations? Thank you

[@MONKMIKE]

I'll always pay my Respect's to the Men that lost their lives Nov. 10th 1975.. And Thank Gordon Lightfoot for the beautiful folk song that tells the story of it all, since Mr. Lightfoot setup the royalties/proceedings go to the surviving family members of the (29 fallen Men) which is amazing. Godspeed to you All, on your Journey. 💙

[@TenereAMir]

She had a list and was taking on water, she was overloaded, and there are rumors she wasn't always well maintained and needed some serious work done. Couple that with a storm that was very, VERY bad, and then rogue waves and that was it for the Fitz. There's an old documentary from the 90s floating around on KZbin-- Captain Cooper himself says it in an interview on that documentary that those rogue waves struck the Anderson, too, and almost took them down. He thinks that's what finally sank the Fitz-- all of those components were just too much and she was doomed. Such a tragic story. I live in Michigan and grew up in the 80s-- it was still pretty fresh in memory then. We all grew up knowing about it.

[@RobloxmitJAROmehr-ok9ei]

4:31 after ad

[@davidrfowler6432]

the damage all along her port side clearly indicates that a massive wave wider than the length of the ship impacted it hard , basically the wave rode up and slammed hard , right on top of the deck and the side of the ship , which then forced the middle of the ship down under the water , where it was forcibly snapped in two

[@djjazzyjeff1232]

Historic Travels has a theory that because of the lack of depth there combined with her massive length, and the massive waves, that perhaps she was simply riding the waves, and then the bow just slammed into the lakebed because of the valley between 2 waves. The depth is only 530ft deep on calm water, the ship is longer than that. The theory is that she lawn-darted into the lakebed and expected to rise from the waves as she probably did dozens of times earlier in the trip, except this time she simply didn't come back up, breaking her spine along the keel, and there she lay for eternity.

[@bobbamford5207]

Didn't mention 3 rogue waves went by the Anderson from dead astern shortly before contact was lost with the Fitzgerald. An already half sunk ship would have tilted the stern so high so as to shift the cargo forward driving the bow underwater into the bottom 500 feet down. The ship was 700 feet long so I believe this was the cause of the wreck. Nothing in the video mentioned this.

[@patreilly1458]

One theory was the spare propeller that was stored on deck broke loose and caused the damage to the vent covers and the railing. The hogging on a shoal would have caused both railings to fail not just one and the vent covers would not be affected by a hogging. Those vent pipes were of schedule 80 steel and are 1/4 thick walls for the diameter. The winter load line was changed two years before with the captain McSolery been involved in the decision for the Coast Guards approval to increase the loads in November. It may have been the straw that broke the Camels back to increase the loads and reduce the free board in the storm prone late fall.

[@PakledHostage]

This story is even immortalized in music. For those who don't know, Gordon Lightfoot wrote a popular song about it called "The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald" in 1976. The Headstones did a great cover of it a few years ago: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j2mvc56Pn9Ocirc

[@Commysumngtus]

We used to Walleye fish on St Clair River south of Port Huron-Sarnia (at the power plants). When the ore ships came off Lake Huron, the fish would come in and start hitting. singing Gorden's song. I remember them chugging by and the smell of heavy bunker C oil. Good times.

[@TheBestEverEverEver]

I learned to fear the lakes when we were at a lighthouse on Lake Superior on a nice sunny summer day and in less than 10 minutes in was 10 degrees cooler and storming. We could see the clouds appear over the lake and head for us.

[@TikkaQrow]

A quick reminder the Great Lakes are huge. Occasionally they even produce their own hurricanes independently of oceanic storms. Greetings from WI btw.

[@receiving9067]

The thing about the Fitz, however she went down, it was fast and unexpected. I think a number of factors played apart. She either grounded or that weakened section of hull started letting water in. As she rode the waves her bow would dip down and recover, each time being slightly deeper till those rogue waves hit her. She rode one, dipped down and the second hit her pushing her down into the mud nose first. At that depth the water pressure is immense and blew out the windows, imploded hatch covers and killed the crew in the pilot house near immediately. The third wave hit her stern and due to that weakened hull section, broke her, crushing some hundred feet or so of her hull that's missing and forced the stern under.

[@Loquacious_Jackson]

It was aliens, do your own research!

[@mrheadcrab1233]

I asked my grandpa about the Fitzgerald sinking, he worked in Michigan as an electrician in the car factories, he said that it was very sad when the ship went down, and the community was kind of shaken up about it.

[@ohnoohyeah3205]

Cheers for mentioning Lake St. Clair amongst the Great Lakes. It's the heart of em ya know.

[@lagamerfuel9661]

From what I was taught living in Michigan and by the Edmund fits Gerald memorial and museum near munising I believe is that 2 rouge waves hit the ship at a frequency to have the first one be at the stern and the second at the the bow, the ends being lighter would get lifted up, but that would bring the middle up to, which had the iron ore in it, the loss of support from the water would split the ship in half, that’s just my leading theory but there may well be other more correct theories

[@446hemi]

it didnt break in half on the surface....it hit bottom at caribou island 6 fathom shoal around 315 pm and was sinking lower and lower from than point on

[@signolias100]

there is the phenomenon most noted in the great lakes called ploughing and the sister phenomenon called ploughing to the bottom. these two situations have been known to kill ships in the past. i'll give a description of both. ploughing: this is when the ship hits a wave and the front of the ship (or rear depending on the wave motions and direction of travel) dip into the lake and then under the ships own power it drives the ship further under usually ploughing can be recovered from but relies on the ship's ability to "submarine". if the ship waterlogs the ship sinks. ploughing to the bottom: has similar aspects, but in this case the end of the ship is driven hard into the floor of the lake and could cause the ship to break from the heavy impact. as for your theory it does not cover why there was no emergency call. if the fitz's captain figured out something was seriously wrong in those ten minutes he would have called it in. my theory is that the fitz ploughed to the bottom as ploughing in general can happen without warning. the wheelhouse would have went under possibly crushing and drowning the crew in the wheel house very quickly. thus no radio signal for an emergency. the engine room was in the stern of the ship thus the screws would have continued to drive the ship downward until impact. this impact and the rapidly flooding holds cracked the ship in half flipping the stern over where it is at rest today. in front of the bow it shows the mud pushed out in a wave in front of her(you can see similar mud movements with the bismarck which slid down the side of an underwater mountain before coming to a rest). she is also buried at least to her draft depth while the hole hull of her stern seems to be resting on top of the sea floor. this tells me that the bow hit far harder than the stern did, and in a forward moving motion. there also appears to be rips in her hull on the bow above the waterline, though i am not sure what those could have been from.

[@ninehundreddollarluxuryyac5958]

Interesting hypothesis about it breaking up after the bow hit the bottom. If the front of the ship became negatively buoyant, the ship's momentum would force it to dive once it was underwater. And if the water really was that shallow, its remaining momentum would work to break the ship when the bow struck bottom. The damage would be different from metal-fatigue you'd expect if it broke up from repeated flexing in the waves. Your collision with the bottom would create an abrupt tearing of the metal or brittle fracture. The way the metal is damaged where the ship broke will be one way if it was broken by hitting the bottom, and different if it broke on its own.

[@jonw.3886]

I think there were several things like the hatch covers that contributed to the sinking. But I think a rogue wave or waves was the ultimate thing that brought it down. I've seen 25 foot waves on Superior and been on the lake fishing when the lake went from calm to 10 plus foot waves in a matter of minutes. Like I've said, if that lake wants you, it'll take you. It's not just a large piece of water. It has an unexplainable power that can't be comprehended.

[@daviddelaet8116]

She had developed a list, but the captain stated the pumps were keeping up. Who knows what structural damage was done when she dragged bottom. I can see high seas or rogue waves putting her under. I believe the William Clay Ford went out in the search along with the Anderson. Duluth harbor cam shows the Anderson still making trips.

[@anthonybeno1481]

We will never know exactly what happened to her but the one thing I refuse to believe is that the hatch covers weren't properly secured. McSorely was a very good captain and wouldn't have allowed them to not properly secured...the external forces exerted on the Fitzgerald that day were tremendous and the flexing of her would explain why they found some clamps on the hatches in the position they were found in

[@robertkochenderfer4634]

The video briefly mentions but doesn't go into detail about the fact that the Fitz was 729 feet long but sank in 530 feet of water, meaning that it sank in a depth that was less that three-quarters of its length. With its decreasing buoyancy and being hit by the Three Sisters and its bow subsequently "submarining", it would only take a couple of seconds of forward momentum for the bow hit the bottom of the lake bed before it had a chance to rise and break the surface as ships normally do in severe weather.

[@oreally8605]

"The Legend lives on from the Chippewa on down to the big lake they call Gitcha Gumee." That song haunts people to this day..