The Sinking of the Pere Marquette 18 Car Ferry

[@RailroadStreet]

If you're interested in supporting the channel, I've set up a tip jar for easy one-time donations: ko-fi.com/railroadstreetmedia. Your contributions will help me cover the costs of producing these videos, so anything is appreciated!

[@DaveMichiganTEK]

Maritime archeological accounts on Great Lakes is a hot topic. My own specialty is municipal waste treatment in great lakes facilities - - frankly the field stinks.

[@LindaAvery-qu6qi]

Thank you for this well researched and documented video about the story of the Pere Marquette 18. The second mate, Walter Brown, was my great-grandfather. At the time the Pere Marquette sunk, and my great-grandfather died, his wife had a 4 year old son, also named Walter who was my grandfather and a 3 week old daughter. She waited for him on the Ludington pier that morning but of course he never returned. I have heard about this story from my mother since I was a child and did more research on it myself, reading several books and online articles, when I got into studying my familiy's ancestry. And, I've shared it with my own children. My son has especially taken and interest in his great-great grandfather Brown's story. Thank you again for telling this story. Linda Avery

[@robnamowicz8073]

Some years ago we took the Badger across Lake Michigan. The pounding of the engines and the massive cargo hold evoked memories of these magnificent maritime monsters plying our Inland Seas. Imaginings overwhelmed thoughts of modern America, back to the times of expansion and exploration. Ferry on the Badger, you will see.

[@Crashed131963]

Not because its the largest and most northern of the great lakes?

[@jcee2259]

I did my Senior Thesis on ship wrecks off central California . And using SCUBA examined one that I found under 12 feet of water. It had carried furniture and bottled beer as cargo. I afterward swam down to locate two other wrecked hulls. One being a coastal tanker known as the Frank S. Buck. Another broke apart in shoal water. I had prior wreck exploration of Japanese vessels sunk by the US Navy. .

[@jcee2259]

So, not everybody just wants to learn about sunk vessels while in a chair.

[@Del-Canada]

@@jcee2259 I used to do some wreck diving here in Nova Scotia. I miss it.

[@felixcat9318]

I particularly enjoyed this beautifully presented and narrated historical shipwreck documentary! The excellent imagery, and interesting and informative narration provided a wealth of detail. That such a large and solid vessel could succumb to the sea without her crew having any idea of how she took on such a fatal volume of water, and where it entered is disturbing! I have to agree with the official findings, the Captain had plenty of time to have got all non essential crew and passengers off in the lifeboats, but he didn't even give the order to abandon ship. The only conclusion is that he failed in his duty of care to his crew and passengers, causing so many, including himself, to lose their lives. Subscribed.

[@robinmartz9052]

I'm fascinated with ship stories but they make me anxious just the same.

[@bigdmac33]

[ 2:41 ] "Safest Ship Afloat," Where have we heard that, before?

[@skywalker2852]

File under "Famous Last Words"

[@jowilkish7895]

GOD HIMSELF !, Could not sink this ship !

[@tillyboos]

Hmmmmm, was this an Edwardian era catchphrase? 🙄🤬😱

[@smyset1112]

i can’t put my finger on it…

[@tillyboos]

@@jowilkish7895 Yeah, ok Cal. 😂

[@markfortin421]

Another sad tale from Lake Michigan and its toll on the maritime community....but Lake Superior holds the record for the most shipwrecks in Michigan....probably because of the viscous storms it produces. The lake floor of Superior is testament to this and will continue until time ends.

[@badguy5554]

Great job in recounting this very sad story. Many thanks!

[@warrenwilson4818]

Outstanding video. All new to me. Had no idea the lake was so deep. 2-18-22. St. Joseph, MO.

[@michaeltutty1540]

Very interesting indeed. Have to wonder why portholes at all that close to the water line. Many lessons have been learned, that is for sure, and they were applied well to the Chi-Cheemaun.

[@NickFortier]

Good old chi chi maun. It's sits now in ice, but we took a trip on it last summer on a rather choppy day. It was great then we stopped to see the norisle, and my God, that must have been terrifying in rough weather...

[@larrydemaar409]

Great video of a terrible tragedy, well done. Thanks for sharing!

[@mjc11a]

Excellent presentation. Clear, concise narration with supporting visual aids. Well done sir. Thanks for posting and be safe 🙏

[@stealdst]

-claims to be the safest boat afloat -is a ro-ro ferry (before stern gates were invented?!?) -has cutouts in the side of the hull for convenience -on the Great Lakes I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did honestly.

[@jamescrab4110]

Where was the boat claimed to be the safest afloat? and those cutouts in the side of the hull are sealed most of the time.

[@alexandreayoung7920]

@@jamescrab4110 :10 is where the "safest ship afloat" claim is made.

[@ukaszwalczak1154]

Not exactly RORO in the typical sense. Like, yes the wagons were rolled onto and off the ship, but they were loaded and unloaded from the stern-

[@stealdst]

@@ukaszwalczak1154 not sure what you mean by that comment, this is absolutely RORO in the traditional sense. RORO simply refers to a ship specifically designed so that wagons, carts, train cars, whatever can be directly driven onto the ship without the aid of a crane. It has nothing to do with whether it is loaded from the bow or stern, or if there is a bow/stern door.

[@whostheplum1711]

I am loving this very Midwestern and sixth city view of industrial history. Cleveland, city of Progress and Prosperity, came from somewhere.

[@bubba99009]

Wow 5000 passengers would have been a real disaster. That's a crazy number of passengers for a ship that size.

[@briankottman8274]

I'm betting that was the season total over several cruises.

[@iainlindsay5687]

Thanks for sharing this story all be it a tragic one.

[@harlanjennings7452]

Very interesting, did one individual pass the inspection railcar cargo? Perhaps an inspection after loading was in order.

[@johnjephcote7636]

I was trying to think how such an amount of water got in. I recall that the Principessa Mafalda sank owing to a broken propellor shaft.

[@davidjones332]

It looks as if the enquiry got this one right: the captain was more preoccupied with trying to save the ship than with evacuating his crew while they still had a chance to escape. It was a fatal error of judgement.

[@mmi16]

In the Captain's mind - saving the ship was saving the crew.

[@leaturk11]

To be fair it's easy to be an expert after the event.

[@TheLittlered1961]

@@leaturk11 Agreed. People must remember the time. Trying to find small life boats on that lake would have been very difficult. No search and rescue planes at that time.

[@fernandomarques5166]

Dave jones himself eh? Ironic. As someone whose dad was in the navy, my old man would say saving the ship was the absolute first priority, but at some point you gotta realise she's gone. The navy has an old "proverb" : Fighing, manouvering, floating. It list your priorities in regards to the ship. Keep her in fighting condition, if not possible keep her manouverability (there's a reason why sailors say "DEAD in the water"), if that's not possible keep her afloat. If even that is not possible hit the lifeboat and pray, because the sea, or in this case the lakes, is always a cold mistress. In my old mans words: "The sea is any sailors worst enemy, it will not hesitate to strike you down. That is why we have so much respect for it, also why we pick the enemy up from it."

[@ralphe5842]

Investigators would have been professional mariners and while officers all died the rest of the crew would have been interviewed as would the crew and officers of he other ships so this statement about the captain wouldn’t have casually made.

[@Del-Canada]

Going to finish watching this video and then finish up my night with Nightbeast on Tubi. Thanks for the video.

[@DankNoodles420]

well done, very nice work you did here. The video you made is very interesting it keeps the attention well of the viewer meanwhile keeping to the factual information. The photography element was a nice touch that added to helping keep attention of the viewer. You told the story of the ship and the events that unfolded throughout this event nicely. I appreciate you making the video just as long as it needed to be and that you did not throw in your own opinion, theories, etc. It kept the video short, sweet, and to the point. There are video makers that do all these things to achieve extra length to the video and retain viewers by throwing in their own theories, opinions, and outlandish things that other people said with no factual basis etc. Great work, I would give this upload a 10/10 🔟 rating on my own scale for sure.. and seeing as how this is the first video of yours I have watched the first impression was excellent indeed. You have kept me entertained for the past 20 minutes with the narration/commentary the pictures helped put extra perspective into what I was being told. I take away from this that I would like to see another video of yours and you are fast on track to earning my subscription. I have specific requirements that must be met from a channel before I will subscribe to it as to keep down subscription clutter on my 'Subscriptions feed', also so I don't wind up giving a channel that happened to make a video or two that was good and peaked my interest except the rest of their work is of lower quality or on content not in my interest range. Id say on my scale your about a 2.5 out of 5 so far to achieving my subscription. That is a great start and you have made it further than most does with their first video I watched. Congratulations on a excellent video. I hope your viewers and subscriptions are very prosperous now and in the future! I will be watching another video that I see on the sidebar here called "Mystery of the Marquette and Bessemer No. 2"

[@SkinnerOrg]

Good video, slight exaggeration stating her size, there were many cruise ships that were much larger and more elaborate. She was the largest and most powerful railroad carferry at that time, and had the most extensive passenger accommodations of any of the carferries.

[@Brandon-uz9uy]

Thanks for the great video and audio keep them up

[@RailroadStreet]

Hey Brandon, thanks for the compliment! Stay tuned, there are plenty more videos in the works.

[@georgemartin1436]

Thanks for another riveting story!

[@VanessaScrillions]

I really really love your videos. Thank you for making them so good

[@1TruNub]

Something tells me that explosion where are the six boilers going up

[@c.j.cleveland7475]

That's what I was thinking.

[@christiananthony2026]

Exactly!! Or the triple expansion engines

[@charliekezza]

Same here

[@Dan-nt2yb]

I don’t understand.

[@Rambo-John-J]

That was my first thought too

[@mauricedavis2160]

Excellent episode!!!🙏🚢😢

[@princesssolace4337]

I can't imagine the Great Lake's tide and weather. I've been to the Mekong delta and Lake Toba where it seems like I'm in the ocean

[@kirkmorrison6131]

I think the foundering snuck up on the Captain. I know when you're trying to save a vessel you get tunnel vision

[@alekpo2000]

well it seems like people in charge didnt tell him it was serious, the engeneer knew the engine room was flooding fast and still went down there again to check... just tell the capitain the ship is sinking already.

[@greggaieck4808]

Railroad street I like your utube videos are awesome

[@mbryson2899]

I grew up in Chicago. Great Lakes sinkings were only referred to in the vaguest terms, with an almost superstitious hush. Apparently a LOT of ships were lost over the years, but it just wasn't talked about. Even tales of the Eastland disaster (which wiped out some entire families in my neighborhood) focused on the victims, not the cause.

[@dbeaus]

I also grew up in Chicago in the 50's and 60's. I never heard of the Eastland until I read a story about it 20 years ago. We used to sit on the beach at 100th st. and watch the freighters cross our vantage point south to north from the Steel Mills in Gary to Wisconsin. We knew nothing about them and never read anything in the news. I never heard of the Edmund Fitzgerald until the song came out. One thing funny. When the ships passed you knew who the locals were. How? Well, they discharged waste and about 25 minutes after they went by large amounts of hard rocks began to float up on the beach. The locals knew this and got out of the water. Some beaches became so covered it was impossible to walk out to the deeper water without sandals. We just didn't seem to have a connection to the lake other than to swim.

[@mbryson2899]

@@dbeaus Swim? Ewww! I didn't even sunbathe on Oak Street Beach because of all the broken glass. The closest I went was summertime strolls on the lakefront with a lively trying to cheat the heat. I did once fall into Salt Creek from a steep bank and by the time I'd waded out my pants were bleached from mud-thigh down. When I lived in Brookfield I helped to sandbag along the Des Plaines during the big flood around '87 or '88 and many of us ended up having to get tetanus shots and antibiotics. I didn't see lake freighters until we visited Duluth, all I ever saw were the Wendellas.

[@dbeaus]

@@mbryson2899 Oak Street beach is 15 miles and a couple of economic strata away from 100th st. When I was older, I moved to the north side and went to college. That was my first contact with Oak St. beach. Nobody swam they just hung out and observed each other. I doubt they would have noticed if the Titanic came by.

[@mbryson2899]

@@dbeaus I grew up in Cicero, also about 15 miles and several strata different. 😁

[@dbeaus]

@@mbryson2899 Ah, Cicero. I was a southsider and we were very familiar with Cicero between Roosevelt and 22nd. The bars were open all night and would serve anyone over 16. Had a few interesting nights there, some forgettable. At least you weren't from Berwyn.

[@eyesack6218]

At this point i really want to know lake michigan's body count, it seems like everyday i learn about another sinking in the great lake.

[@jindrariley1824]

Interesting video, I'm glad I learnt someting new.

[@jeffreylaurahutton5379]

Queen Mary floating or on dry land is a very strong ship there are old riveted ships is on dry land such as the battleship Tx plans to dry dock her and that huge freighter up at the Great Lakes is riveted hull been on dry land for long time. Well with California earthquakes I’m sure the QM safer in the water. The QM been hit by a tidal wave and kept on plowing right through the wave, QM is a very strong Ocean Liner.

[@thebluntrappa]

12:18 possibly a steam explosion from the hot boilers getting submerged so quickly.

[@shawnkeith1164]

Not likely. The boilers were pretty far aft. It was the bow deck that blew off. Yhe 18 had a massive deck for railroad cars, open at the stern. Once the stern had submerged sufficiently to close it off there would have been a huge pocket of air trapped with noplace to escape. As pressure built up the wooden deck would have been the weakest point in the structure and would have easily given way. While the boilers may have blown they would have vented much of their pressure out the stacks, as may have happened with Titanic not two years later.

[@dosrios57]

Thank you for an Interesting Video, Please note that the Wind Direction is always measured from the Direction it Comes from.

[@lithuaniangiant2676]

I wonder if the description of this sinking could be used to understand how the Marquette & Bessemer #2 sank?

[@MechaWolf0]

Another tragic car ferry loss occurred near that area. It was the SS Milwaukee. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Milwaukee_(1902)

[@shawnkeith1164]

Pere Marquette 18 and Milwaukee were virtually identical when built.

[@mysticdragonwolf89]

Does anyone notice any ship with the words, ‘safest’, ‘unsinkable’, and ‘unbeatable’ - all meet very dark and watery ends?

[@robinrodriguez480]

Well done video!! 👍

[@WimvanderBaan]

Nooit eerder van gehoord, maar indrukwekkend! Groeten, Wim van der Baan

[@59mannix]

This armchair skipper would guess that the numerous hard dockings by numerous charter crews buckled many seams (they didn’t give a ____ !) “Oh f___-em if they can’t take a joke, I’m going home.” It may have been taking water before it even left port. 💦🌊

[@fireincarnation2]

Holes 20 inches above the waterline!?! Woops

[@pimpompoom93726]

Very unfair to condemn the Captain when he was perished and unable to defend himself. It's easy to second-guess decisions made during a storm, a little more difficult when you're there.

[@marks6663]

I think it is unfair not to blame him since that is what the evidence points to. If you don't blame him, you are blaming others by definition.

[@pimpompoom93726]

@@marks6663 Not true. Even insurance companies recognize 'Acts of Nature' that are beyond human control. Storms happen, are the victims of tornadoes and hurricanes also guilty of negligence? The Captain of PM 18 is unable to defend himself and his actions, it's unfair to condemn him a century after the events.

[@marks6663]

@@pimpompoom93726 but that is not the case here. It was human decisions that led to the disaster. The captain is the one responsible. His decisions. Saying it was not the captains fault is saying it was somebody's else's fault otherwise you are saying that this ship had to sink no matter what. Obviously it did not have to sink.

[@kevinhoffman8214]

@@marks6663 mark I agree , and was shocked to see the top comment blaming the captain , if he put people in lifeboats and they died , they would blame him , he did the best he could , AND they still dont know why it sank , BUT I am darn sure it was not the captains fault , how about blame the inspectors that just PASSED it 3 days earlier

[@normanollie4409]

@@kevinhoffman8214 I was agreeing with Mark S, but you make a valid point!!

[@danielcoburn8635]

It's worth pointing out that the three sinkings involving car ferries we're Logan boats.

[@shawnkeith1164]

And that some of those with the longest and safest service records were also Logan boats built to nearly identical prints.

[@Ro6entX]

Think this wreck was found couple of years ago; looks to be in good condition considering how long it’s been down there.

[@paulpoppenfuse7071]

Wow Wow

[@frankbandy2087]

Very good video

[@johnbee7729]

WOW. Seems like they had everything in control and could have easily abandoned the vessel in an orderly manner with the full lifeboat compliment. But many would not want to have abandoned ship

[@thomaswoitekaitis8977]

Went right through through the lake Michigan triangle.

[@Philc231]

Good job

[@carolynfortin2372]

FYI, the Pere Marquette's name is pronounced "Pare", not "Peer". It's a French word meaning father. Good Video!

[@JaxRiley]

Not disagreeing with you whatsoever, but I actually live in Ludington and I've never heard a single person pronounce it "pare" lol. In the US we tend to use foreign names and words with an American accent. But sometimes people get it right, like most people who know F1 can pronounce Charles Leclerc in the correct Italian pronunciation

[@margaretgustafson2095]

Agree with you! We here in Ludington wouldn’t know what you were talking about if you said “Pare”! @@JaxRiley

[@basicallystupid7080]

“CQD, 18 SINKING! FOR GOD’S SAKE, SAVE US!” that is horrifying..

[@fixento]

Deepest part of the lake, slid down the slope off Long Point

[@vansongs]

What was on the cars as cargo? Or empty?

[@mikemhoon]

You could be the best captain in the world, but if your boat sinks.......

[@paulpoppenfuse7071]

Love ❤ that all

[@Del-Canada]

13:42 Paul Newman on left.

[@lesliefrank2266]

I would agree cold watet hot boilers boom

[@rexfrommn3316]

All human life sailing on any of the dangerous Great Lakes can become expendable at anytime. This reality is especially true during the stormy winter weather season. The experience of the crew and captain matter some but when things go bad the ship goes down often with all hands. The relentless pounding of the heavy seas leaves little margin for error in navigation due to rocks and shoals. The Great Lakes allow for no escape from the relentless pounding of heavy seas as is often possible on the ocean. All ships on the Great Lakes require the most rigorous engineering safety inspections with annual refits with reinspection afterwards. Any human error, misjudgment or design flaws on the ship can prove fatal on the Great Lakes during heavy seas. It seems in some of these disastrous sinkings, the hulls had stress fractures with cracks taking on water leading to capsizing, break up or rapid plunging downward during rogue waves with no time for the crew to escape. These ferries with no sea stern gates or had them added later on were especially prone to sinking due too poor engineering design.

[@ukaszwalczak1154]

This, is why, you never, disregard, even a small leak, or broken porthole/window, on a SHIP, WHICH HAS AN OPEN STERN-

[@johnreed8336]

Easy to blame a dead Captain. One wonders how much was missed during the dry Dock examination. For a period in which high moral standards were expected it was often known that a cash bung could achieve many things especially during a dry dock inspection. As with most disasters it is not one thing that causes it . Normally it's a whole sequence of ' minor ' events that when unchecked can lead up or build up to the eventual disaster . May the lost rest in peace in God's care .

[@Villanelle1783]

They said the ship was "Safe"

[@bloopbleepnothinghere]

How did a ship 350 feet long carry 5,000 passengers?? Even some of the largest cruise ships today carry less than that. I think the largest of them have a capacity of 6,000.

[@briankottman8274]

I'm betting that was the season total over several cruises.

[@bloopbleepnothinghere]

@@briankottman8274 not according to Wikipedia. Those numbers have to be wrong.

[@imchris5000]

they were fairly short trips to beaches you can fit a lot of people if they dont need rooms

[@timothybelgard-wiley4823]

...that is how a crew should behave in crisis, all the officers were lost, these crews that abandon their passengers and shipmates make an old sailor sad...but this crew, and the wireless operator, shades of Phillips on Titanic....the ship had a fatal flaw in her design, and some really bad luck, and the wildcard of ships at sea, the weather, at sea I saw every type of weather, from beautiful blue with perfect weather and dolphins swimming by the bow of the ship, to the sickly gray/yellow sea and sky, they somehow blend together, I never saw the Pacific do that before, 40 foot seas, they closed the hanger bay doors, the only time I saw them closed at sea....get what, yep,, it was the build up to a typhoon, and the big carrier road it out,, our escort destroyers stayed with us, but took a pounding, weather is a factor in most wrecks, did you know that the navy lost 3 destroyers in a typhoon at the end of WW2, a couple with most of their crews...weather is the wildcard....

[@Oakleaf700]

Princess Victoria Disaster {Ferry , Irish Sea, 1953, Heroic Telegraph operator David Broadfoot and Captain went down with the Ferry .153 Souls perished.

[@kristiangoransson6104]

I’ve been targeted by the KZbin algorithm since accidentally watching videos about ship wrecks on the Great Lakes. One thing worth thinking about is that it feels like sailing thru the Bermuda Triangle is a joyride with minimum risk compared to sailing the Great Lakes in the wrong time of the year. Is it a big history subject locally or is it just enthusiasts and random KZbin addicts that have a interest in these subjects?

[@jamescampbell6737]

For those in peril on the sea befitting in this sad case,I've never been to sea,that's why never went to see,,I rest,jcvw

[@williamerazo3921]

She was built in Lorain

[@olentangyriver1191]

Dudes gotta be from Cleveland

[@richardbaumgart2454]

Why is it that "unsinkable" ships always sink??

[@DoubleMonoLR]

The Titanic you were presumably mainly referring to was never referred to as unsinkable, it was only some articles that described it as 'practically unsinkable'. It's unlikely any manufacturer or operator etc would ever refer to any boat as unsinkable.

[@richardbaumgart2454]

@@DoubleMonoLR it was meant to be a rhetorical question...they said in this video this ship was believed to be unsinkable and they said the same about the Titanic and Tirpitz...thanks for your 2 cents.

[@michaeltutty1540]

@@richardbaumgart2454 In the immortal words of Lord Robert Grantham, "Every mountain is unclimbable until it is climbed and all ships are unsinkable until they sink." Actually there was a Fatal Flaw in Titanic, Britannic, and Olympic. The watertight bulkheads only extended to the water line. After Titanic went down, Olympic was called back from her sea trials to have the bulkheads extended up to the main deck. Britannic was still in drydock so she was modified before launch. Olympic was finally scrapped. Britannic never carried a paying passenger. She went directly into service as an hospital ship. She was on her way to pick up another load of injured soldiers when she hit the mine. The problem was that every last one of her portholes was open to get fresh air in the ship, so as she started to take on water, the portholes let progressively more ocean in.

[@richardbaumgart2454]

@@michaeltutty1540 Yeah that was stupid not to make those bulk heads water tight to the top. Cpt. Smith almost sunk the damn Olympic when it collided with a war ship before the voyage of the Titanic. Cpt. Smith also skipped life boat training for the crew and went to Sunday Service instead, so no one was trained on how to launch a life boat. Personally I think Cpt. Smith was old and a little over confident..and should of been court-martialed if he had lived, at least for not holding the life boat training meeting, if not being held responsible for the crew not having proper equipment (nautical glasses) in the crow's nest. The ship was his responsibility no matter what happens....of course. Seems those ships were cursed from the get-go.

[@gerrynightingale9045]

*This seems a story of 'miscalculation' more than any other factor..."How long before the ship founders and sinks?"* *The 'down-angle' of the stern must've allowed water in far faster than was thought since there was no obvious physical damage from striking anything in the water* *It would be difficult to calculate the amount of 'Push' factor involved where water is exerting it's enormous mass in an actual 'downward' motion which is far greater than can be seen in relation the amount of flooding* _____________ *As for launching heavy lifeboats on the 'seaward' side of the ship it's all but impossible because heavy wave action will slam the wooden boats into the steel-hull faster than the boats can be lowered and even if it were managed, oars are useless due to wave action* _____________ *"The ship is doomed" must've been obvious to the Captain and officers...but the question of 'How long?' was the issue and they must've thought "This might take hours or perhaps even days as the 'tight' compartments refuse to yield because the bulkheads are intact" but waves made a mockery of that assumption as each heavy 'swell' pushed the stern under, allowing water into every possible opening despite intact bulkheads and as the ship 'gained weight' it lost 'positive buoyancy' far faster than thought*

[@danikmcintyre2068]

why do all that companys ships have the same name? lack of imagination maybe

[@michaeltutty1540]

These ships were built as transportation tools for the company only. They were built for utilitarian purposes only. In general they were only named because the Coast Guard requires any vessel with a Ship to Shore radio carry a name. My brother learned that when he bought a Ship to Shore for his 2 man inflatable rubber raft. So, he did the logical thing and it was officially and legally "Rubber Ducky". I rather wish I were joking.

[@ИльяАлександров-о8м]

Сколько же много кораблей погибло на Великих озерах

[@DaveMichiganTEK]

Pere is pronounced’peer’ Just like Sault St Marie is ‘Sue-saint-Maree’ Or the Soo. Good job on correct pronunciation.🎉

[@angusosborne3151]

in the end it all comes down to human error.

[@peterm1826]

I Reckon it broke in half. during severe sea conditioning.

[@scottarivett496]

“Unsinkable” “Safest ship afloat” ⬆️ red flag words

[@charliekezza]

Obviously it had to be something to do with the last, super quick refit and super quick turnaround. The ship would have felt different, performed different after the refit but went out in a storm for its first time back out. I don't blame the captain

[@melissaradburn9268]

My nan's dad was born in 1912 when titanic was built

[@sabrinastratton1991]

Titanic building began in 1909 and completed in 2 April 1912

[@melissaradburn9268]

Bruh im so dumb I wasn't ment to say built i mean to say sale

[@mqtcreations]

Are you able to share a link to the full version of the drawing shown at 0:40? I'm wanting to make a 3D model of the ship and drawings would be very useful.

[@RailroadStreet]

Sure! Send an email to me at [e-mail].

[@Crashed131963]

Let's put windows below or very close to the waterline. Bad Idea.

[@OceanChannelProductions]

nice!

[@RailroadStreet]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@thegamingteen44mc5]

It would have been a worse disaster if this occurred prior to the latest refit

[@majikglustik9704]

With just SIX lifeboats? What were they thinking?

[@michaeltutty1540]

6 lifeboats for a crew that was normally 30 members is actually more than adequate. There were not that many passengers on this run. Remember this is before RMS Titanic went down, so lifeboats were figured into the decorative aspects of the ship, not calculated to carry every person off in an emergency.

[@majikglustik9704]

@@michaeltutty1540 I'm glad we changed that!

[@philvanderlaan5942]

Safest ship afloat? Statements like that really piss off king Neptune.

[@jamesshunt5123]

Surely she was a *railway* car ferry. Not a *motor* car ferry. Most people didn't own cars when she was built and even in 1910 the Ford Model T had barely entered production and the famous running-assembly line which sped-up production (and drove costs down) wasn't introduced until 1915. Genuine *car ferries* the way we perceive them didn't emerge until after WWII with the RORO-ferries. The earliest ones were just surplus landing ships from WWII which were adapted for civilian use. In the 1950's the first purpose-built car ferries for tourism were built.

[@drforjc]

Railway car ferries were always referred to as simply "car ferries"

[@shawnkeith1164]

There were three actual car (auto) ferries crossing the Straits of Mackinac by 1940. Ironically one of them was the Pere Marquette 17, converted for this use and renamed City of Petoskey. She served until the Mackinac Bridge opened in 1957.

[@frednone]

Good vidoe, one thing, I think that the depth under the water of ship is called it's draft.

[@RailroadStreet]

Thank You. According to the site Britannica, "Depth is measured at the middle of the length, from the top of the keel to the top of the deck beam at the side of the uppermost continuous deck." "Draft is measured from the keel to the waterline." The measurements listed on Pere Marquette 18's builder plans use length overall, beam, and depth. It refers to depth as "from keel to top of sheer strake."

[@frednone]

@@RailroadStreet Thanks for the info, I had only ever heard of draft, I'm guessing because it doesn't really matter what is sticking out of the water, only what is below, as that measures how deep water has to be for the ship to not run aground.

[@jeffbybee5207]

@@frednone am thinking the distance between water line and top of deck speaks to loadable to be carryed and reserve buoyancy. Also height of waves that start breaking over the deck

[@frednone]

@@jeffbybee5207 Indeed, it is usually called a ships freeboard. I think depth gives you a ball park figure of how much cargo space a ship has.

[@1-_-M00g-_-1]

Cochran? Any relation to the Survivor player Cochran?

[@arikusno8071]

Hey my name is Passenger ship

[@ianjeremy4471]

When we humans stop thinking size makes ships safer !

[@Deadshot2225]

Captains are great scape goats for bad owners, 1st mates are great scape goats for bad captains.

[@carmium]

Just FYI: It's not the "Peer" Marquette, but the "Pehr" Marquette. It's French.

[@carlcushmanhybels8159]

Thanks. I hoped others would notice and point that out. "Pere" 'Pehr'= 'father.'

[@RailroadStreet]

Thank you for the correction on how to properly pronounce "Pere."

[@mysterycrumble]

wgaf how the french pronounce it

[@erbewayne6868]

You must not be from Michigan.

[@shawnkeith1164]

As a resident of Ludington for nearly six decades I've never heard anyone here pronounce it anything other than "peer". Correct or not, that's how it has been pronounced here forever.

[@dollinterrupted]

OK I can't be the only one who gasped when they heard the name Seymour Cochrane 😅😅😅

[@c.j.cleveland7475]

That thump you felt when your mind went rolling down the gutter was when you bumped into mine!! 😁👍

[@dbeaus]

Odd, the exact same amount dead as the Edmund Fitzgerald. I vote for the captain. Would you have wanted to lower life boats in the middle of the lake in a choppy sea? I think he did the right thing but I question his turn south instead of heading immediately west to land. Even if he had run aground he would have been better off. You cannot really judge someone unless you were in his shoes that night. RIP to the dead and honor to those who remained at their posts probably knowing the result.

[@charliekezza]

When I hear RORO, refits and "its just a broken...". I know it won't end well

[@eviehammond9509]

First we need need to stop labeling things "safest" & "unsinkable", etc.

[@memadmax69]

Portholes that close to the waterline is just stupid....

[@jamessimms415]

Hmmmm. Wonder how much ‘greasy’ cash passed between hands?

[@lyman135]

I don't understand the crew just standing there while the ship sinks and dying. I mean you get to a point where its just like obviously there is nothing going to happen by standing at the wheel. Just leave.

[@shawnkeith1164]

There was considerable "chop" on Lake Michigan that day. Launching the boats would have been extremely difficult and dangerous. If there was any chance the 18 would remain afloat they were safer there. It was bad enough that two crew members of the 17 were killed when a lifeboat they launched to aid in the rescue was slammed against the side of the ship. Also, in 1910 the attitude on the boats - any of them, not just the carferries - was that yhe Captain was as close to a god as you'd come this side of eternity. His word was law, and he was not to be disobeyed. Before modern navigation your life could depend on it. Obviously that didn't always work out.