• Crew

40th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Nov 10, 1975.

Wikipedia : SS Edmund Fitzgerald

The SS Arthur M. Anderson traveled in the vicinity of Fitzgerald.

By the next day, the two ships were caught in a severe storm on Lake Superior, with near hurricane-force winds and waves up to 35 feet (11 m) high.

Shortly after 7:10 p.m., Fitzgerald suddenly sank in Canadian (Ontario) waters 530 feet (160 m) deep, about 17 miles (15 nautical miles; 27 kilometers) from Whitefish Bay near the twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario—a distance Fitzgerald could have covered in just over an hour at her top speed.

The last communication from the ship came at approximately 7:10 p.m., when Anderson notified Fitzgerald of an upbound ship and asked how she was doing. [Captain] McSorley reported, "We are holding our own." She sank minutes later. No distress signal was received, and ten minutes later, Anderson lost the ability either to raise Fitzgerald by radio or to detect her on radar

Program Tuesday evening at the The National Museum of the Great Lakes.

http://www.ssedmundfitzgerald.org

The Fitzgerald had multiple nicknames, including "Toledo Express."

Why the Fitzgerald sank is still a mystery. One possibility:

Rogue wave theory

A group of three rogue waves, often called "three sisters," was reported in the vicinity of Fitzgerald at the time she sank.

The "three sisters" phenomenon is said to occur on Lake Superior as a result of a sequence of three rogue waves forming that are one-third larger than normal waves. When the first wave hits a ship's deck, before its water drains away the second wave strikes. The third incoming wave adds to the two accumulated backwashes, suddenly overloading the deck with tons of water.

Captain Cooper of Anderson reported that his ship was "hit by two 30 to 35 foot seas about 6:30 p.m., one burying the aft cabins and damaging a lifeboat by pushing it right down onto the saddle. The second wave of this size, perhaps 35 foot, came over the bridge deck."

Cooper went on to say that these two waves, possibly followed by a third, continued in the direction of Fitzgerald and would have struck about the time she sank.

This theory postulates that the "three sisters" compounded the twin problems of Fitzgerald‍ '​s known list and her slower speed in heavy seas that already allowed water to remain on her deck for longer than usual.

Weather:

By late in the afternoon of November 10, sustained winds of over 50 knots (93 km/h; 58 mph) were recorded by ships and observation points across eastern Lake Superior.

Anderson logged sustained winds as high as 58 knots (107 km/h; 67 mph) at 4:52 p.m., while waves increased to as high as 25 feet (7.6 m) by 6:00 p.m.

Anderson was also struck by 70-to-75-knot (130 to 139 km/h; 81 to 86 mph) gusts and rogue waves as high as 35 feet (11 m).

[Captain] Paquette held the opinion that negligence caused Fitzgerald to founder. He said, "in my opinion, all the subsequent events arose because (McSorley) kept pushing that ship and didn't have enough training in weather forecasting to use common sense and pick a route out of the worst of the wind and seas."

Paquette captained the Sykes on that same day on Lake Superior, but his own personal weather forecast was more accurate than the forecast issued by the National Weather Service.

[Paquette] chose a route that took advantage of the protection offered by the lake's north shore in order to avoid the worst effects of the storm.

"And the iron boats go as the mariners all know with the gales of November remembered"

Crew

• Ernest M. McSorley, 63, Captain - Toledo, Ohio

McSorley resided in the Toledo suburb of Ottawa Hills, Ohio.

McSorley was known as a "heavy weather captain" who "'beat hell' out of the Fitzgerald and 'very seldom ever hauled up for weather'".

• John H. McCarthy, 62, Mate - Bay Village, Ohio
• James A. Pratt, 44, Second Mate - Lakewood, Ohio
• Michael E. Armagost, 37, Third Mate - Iron River, Wisconsin
• Thomas Bentsen, 23, Oiler - St. Joseph, Michigan
• Thomas D. Borgeson, 41, Maintenance - Duluth, Minnesota
• John D. Simmons, 60, Wheelsman - Ashland, Wisconsin
• Eugene W. O'Brien, 50, Wheelsman - St. Paul, Minnesota
• John J. Poviach, 59, Wheelsman - Bradenton, Florida
• Ranson E. Cundy, 53, Watchman - Superior, Wisconsin
• William J. Spengler, 59, Watchman - Toledo, Ohio
• Karl A. Peckol, 20, Watchman - Ashtabula, Ohio
• Mark A. Thomas, 21, Deck Hand - Richmond Heights, Ohio
• Paul M. Riippa, 22, Deck Hand - Ashtabula, Ohio
• Bruce L. Hudson, 22, Deck Hand - North Olmsted, Ohio
• David E. Weiss, 22, Cadet - Agoura, California
• Robert C. Rafferty, 62, Steward - Toledo, Ohio
• Allen G. Kalmon, 43, Second Cook - Washburn, Wisconsin
• Frederick J. Beetcher, 56, Porter - Superior, Wisconsin
• Nolan F. Church, 55, Porter - Silver Bay, Minnesota
• George J. Holl, 60, Chief Engineer - Cabot, Pennsylvania
• Edward F. Bindon, 47, First Assistant Engineer, Fairport Harbor, Ohio
• Thomas E. Edwards, 50, Second Assistant Engineer - Oregon, Ohio
• Russell G. Haskell, 40, Second Assistant Engineer - Millbury, Ohio
• Oliver J. Champeau, 41, Third Assistant Engineer - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Blaine H. Wilhelm, 52, Oiler - Moquah, Wisconsin
• Ralph G. Walton, 58, Oiler - Fremont, Ohio
• Joseph W. Mazes, 59, Special Maintenance Man - Ashland, Wisconsin
• Gordon F. MacLellan, 30, Wiper - Clearwater, Florida