The SS Edmund Fitzgerald met its fate 51 years ago today
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American Great Lakes freighter that sank during a violent storm on November 10, 1975, in Lake Superior, claiming the lives of all 29 crew members - 51 years ago, today. Because no survivors were left and the ship sank without a distress call, the exact cause of the disaster remains one of maritime history's great mysteries. Over the years, several leading theories have emerged to explain her sudden loss.
The official U.S. Coast Guard conclusion suggested that ineffective or improperly clamped cargo hatch covers allowed water to flood the hold, causing the ship to slowly lose buoyancy and dive straight to the bottom after hours of battering by massive waves. However, shipping industry experts with the Lake Carriers' Association argued the ship bottomed out on Six Fathom Shoal near Caribou Island earlier in the afternoon, tearing a hole in her hull. This could explain why Captain McSorley reported a list, and broken pumps hours before the ship vanished. Another compelling explanation involves the "Three Sisters" rogue waves, reported by Captain Bernie Cooper of the nearby SS Arthur M. Anderson. A rapid succession of three giant 35-foot waves could have overwhelmed the deck of the already low-riding vessel and driven her bow underwater. Additionally, some naval architects believe the 729-foot freighter suffered a structural failure on the surface, snapping in two when suspended between the crests of giant waves, which accounts for the wreck resting on the lakebed in two distinct pieces.
The tragic loss was immortalized in early 1976 when Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot wrote and recorded "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." Inspired by a Newsweek article titled "The Cruelest Month," Lightfoot sought to ensure the memory of the 29 lost sailors would not fade from public consciousness. Recorded in a single take at Eastern Sound in Toronto, the 6-minute, 29-second ballad featuring an Irish folk-inspired melody became an unexpected commercial hit following its August 1976 release on the Summertime Dream album, reaching #1 in Canada and #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and turning the disaster into a lasting cultural touchstone.
Todd Coppernoll oversees local news for WRCO and WRCE radio in Richland Center. Having served Richland Center as Mayor for three terms, Todd brings a unique perspective, and a familiar voice to the news. The focus is local, and so is the reporter.
Adam Hess has been involved in radio broadcasting since 1990, with many of those years spent on the air at WRCO FM in Richland Center. Currently, Adam hosts the Weekend Wake-up and Prime Mover Saturdays on WRCO FM, jumps in and helps out with news duties, handles Social Media duties for WRCO and WRCE, and is the Director of Technology at a Southwest Wisconsin School District. Reach him at [email protected].
