The Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 มิ.ย. 2024
- "On the 9th of November, 1975, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald left Wisconsin and set off across Lake Superior laden with a cargo of iron ore pellets..."
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
00:42 - History of the Edmund Fitzgerald
02:36 - The Final Voyage
06:40 - The Aftermath
MUSIC:
► "Glass Pond" by Public Memory
► "Emotional Aftermath" by Doug Maxwell/Media Right Productions
CORRECTIONS:
► The image in this video which I display when speaking about Captain McSorley is actually Captain Bernie Cooper of the Arthur M Anderson. Apologies for this error, which is entirely my own.
#Documentary #History #TrueStories
It's worth mentioning that these lakes are massive, lake superior is bigger than the Czech Republic.
Just so you get a sense of the scale at work here.
And (I will tell your readers this so that they don't have to go through what I did to find out) it is *literally* un-swimmable. On the hottest, most humid, languid, dog's breath summer day, it's literally too cold to get in the damn thing without making an instant fool of yourself in front of twenty-five other guests at the Superior Shores Resort in Minnesota.
@@CinemaDemocratica oh no lol im so sorry.
I nevever realized just how big till u just said that. Thanku.
@@meredithgrubb7027 Life's lesson number 47A: If there is a gorgeous, placid, totally inviting-looking body of water directly in front of you on a hot day, and twenty or thirty people all around you are *not* getting in it .... THERE'S PROBABLY A REASON.
I love Czechia
The fact that the Anderson and her crew went back out in the storm to try and find/help the Edmund Fitzgerald is crazy. The captain is incredibly brave, even if he was hesitant to do so
Anyone who did a search for the Edmund Fitzgerald in that weather are incredibly brave.
He knew it was gone, I'm sure. Going out was dangerous and he likely did so simply because it was the right thing to do and not because he had any hope of finding it.
A group of three unique waves passed his ship before Fitzgerald was lost (it was behind his ship so it would have experienced these three waves shortly after) they apparently built in size from one wave to the next and some theorize that they ultimately caused the Fitzgerald disaster.
Same with the William Clay Ford and Captain Erickson as well as the salt water said
Ships that deemed it safer to turn back and help in the search than continue on through the storm towards Thunder Bay
The hesitancy lends itself to a truly courageous man-Bravery to do what is right despite being afraid is the testament to a truly honourable man along with his crew!
Aho Mitakuye Oyasin Palmaye Mita Kolas -Lakota Oglala Blessing
👵🏽👋🏾🍃🦬🍃
🍃🦬🍃🦬🍃🦬
🍃🦬🍃🦬🍃🦬
🍃🦬🍃🦬🍃🦬
🍃🦬🍃🦬🍃🦬
🍃🦬🍃🦬🍃🦬
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Along with the Anderson several other ships were sent out to look also.
My grandfather went to High School with one of the crew. The Mariner's Church in Detroit still does a memorial service and still rings the bell 29 times.
On May 2, 2023 the bell rang 30 times - one of them for Gordon Lightfoot, who commemorated the Edmond Fitzgerald in song.
@@georgebalsamo1011that's a beautiful tribute to a man who knew those families. Solidarity forever on the seas.
30 now. One for each man, and one for the bard.
And 1 for Gordon Lightfoot now 🤓☝🏾
I grew up in Milwaukee, and Lake Michigan looks more like an ocean than what people can grasp. In November the waves at the shore are mesmerizing and terrifying. Lake Superior is said to be the most treacherous of the Great Lakes.
Superior is a monster lake
I have stood on the shore of all the Great Lakes, grew up 30mi from Ontario. I remember the first time I stood at the shores of Superior, during a storm in November no less, and was taken aback at the ferocity of it. They are nothing to trifle with in bad weather
I’m a Michigan native, we say that Lake Michigan is the most dangerous body of water in the world… that lake takes so many lives all the time it’s crazy, just buried a kid my age last year because of the Lake Michigan
Yeah people hear the word "lake" and they think of something smaller, when in reality they're closer to seas on the size scale. Put together they almost fill up the Baltic.
@@imratehear very sorry to hear 🙏
The anderson still sails the lakes today. She's been converted into a self unloader, and will sound salutes every November 10th to her lost sister
Oh God, I just read that to the tune of The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
That’s beautiful, I would love to see the Anderson in action some day. I’m going to a college in Sault St Marie soon, hopefully I’ll get time to read some maritime ghost stories outside of my studying!
@@lavenderotaku2481 I agree
I've been lucky enough to see her on the lakes. I got a good picture of her when she was offloading at a pier along the Calumet River near the Chicago Skyway.
The Anderson came in to port in my town on Tuesday. Not sure of the cargo she was carrying.
“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot used to be one of my favorite songs. Its such an amazing song and lead to me having a hyperfixation of this event. Its weird hearing about this after forgetting about it
Me too! Am I right in thinking he had a relative on board?
I think that song is why I thought the Fitzgerald sank before it did. It sank in 1974. He must have recorded that song right after it happened.
What do you mean "used to"?
@@ladydeerheart1 Yes!! The song was recorded in december of ‘75 and released in ‘76. Lightfoot released the song less than a year after the wreck.
I completely agree it’s a monument of song
That the captain and crew of the Anderson were willing to go back out there and lead the search despite being afraid for their own ship's safety shows true courage.
Every single crew member voted to go back out, Captain Cooper said. Those are some damn good, brave men!
RIP Gordon lightfoot! He passed away yesterday and has been a Canadian icon and amazing song writer
My wife's uncle was a plumber by trade. When he was an apprentice, one of his first jobs was servicing the plumbing on lake freighters that would winter in Toledo. In January of 75, he overhauled the plumbing on the Fitzgerald. Since he spent a couple of weeks doing this task, he got to know Captain McSorely and always says what a nice guy he was.
Breaking "design load capacity" records caught up with the ship. The ss Arthur Anderson followed behind that day with no problem with its non record breaking designed load capacity.
@@Crashed131963 You got no idea what you're talking about. Of course it broke load-carrying records: it was the biggest ship on the lakes at the time.
@@throttlegalsmagazineaustra7361 The term "breaking load capacity records" is just wrong.
The ship has a load capacity , you just do not go over it period even if it can handle it.
I'm sure 1/2 ton trucks can carry one ton if it had to but it's not a called a 1/2 ton truck for nothing.
@@Crashed131963 Fun Fact Johnny, you don't know what you are talking about; and should keep your "opinions" to yourself; where you can tell yourself you know all...LMFAO
@@ligmasack9038 Everyone is entitled to their opinion; it’s only fkn YT you know! And since you don’t even provide a hypothesis Mr Marine Authority, well you might as well shut up.
The depths of Lake superior are the perfect temp for preserving a human being. Many wrecks still hold their crews.
Davy Jones' Locker.
The Edmund Fitzgerald included. The wreck is officially a graveyard nowadays. Edit: as in diving to the wreck is forbidden
Yep, that expedition back in the early 90s found at least one member of the crew. I'm glad they didn't publish images of the body, like they had originally wanted to. >.> Very tacky.
That’s the most horrifying fact I’ve heard all day
@@donactdum6635 all the Great Lakes are huge but Superior is MUCH deeper and colder than the rest. If you sink to the bottom your body doesn't decompose, so you stay there.
Lake Superior is absolutely terrifying and powerful. I grew up in Minnesota and have visited the lake. The normal tides are as powerful as the ocean and I even witnessed a violent thunderstorm on the coast of the lake from my cabin. They really are ten foot freezing cold waves of death
In the town of Marathon , Ontario the views of this monster lake are impressive , in November the waves can be huge and the lake dark and brooding
As a Michigan resident my whole and going to Detroit schools as a kid. I remember this day so well, as it was my birthday and my family whear all x maritimiers. Sorry if any spelling errors, I did say Detroit public schools
In November of 2002, we stayed at a hotel in Canal Park. There was a huge storm going on in Duluth, Lake Superior, with lightning and thunder. Waves were crazy high, and SO LOUD! we barely slept at all that night. I’ve never been through a hurricane but I can only imagine that’s what they’re like.
It pisses me off when people try to place blame on the crew. I can't even imagine a storm like that being on a freighter. Ill always stand by Bernies words.
After a disaster you would like to be able to say you determined the cause so it can never happen again, and the men didn't die in vain. Unfortunately this wreck was never investigated properly. There was a large propeller blade on the deck that may have broke loose, it would be nice to confirm it is at the wreck site. Reports of a loose keel and the ramifications were never investigated. Canada continues to put forth bizarre PC blockades to the investigation. It seems it had flooding from topside, but we will never know where.
@@scottnelson2384 agreed. I mean thinking about it logically, those hatch covers weigh tons... and with 60 some odd clamps holding them down I can't see that being a cause. It wasn't investigated enough for the families, but in the end you have to respect their wishes to leave the sight alone. We will never know for sure
I've read two books on the subject and watched numerous videos like this, I have no recollection of the crew being blamed, they were mentioned in the initial investigation among other causes purporting that possibly the hatches were not fixed down good enough by the crew. That was clearly a position of the owners as to avoid liability and that as a primary cause never held water.
@@theivory1 Im referring to the documentary, the one investigator believes it was faulty hatch covers basically saying the crew didn't tighten them properly and the two captains working that night defending that wasn't a reason the ship went down.
I remember the storm. I blame it, not the crew. Fitz was the fleets flagship. As such she would have been held to higher standards then the rest of the fleet.
hearing "an impeccable safety record" definitely took me by surprise in a fascinating horror video
Too true!
Sometimes, you just have bad luck.
You can be the safest ship in the world, but if the storms on Lake Superior decide it's your time then there's not a whole lot you can do about it, sadly.
Safety records may not mean much. I was chosen to be the guy an OSHA inspector interviewed on a construction job. He had to ask specific questions for his report. He asked if I had access to a safety belt; I had to say "yes" because there was one- just one for 2 dozen guys who were in need of it at the same time. None of us used it, none of us fell, none of it mattered- this time. About a year later that company had a man fall without a safety belt. I'm sure the exact same question was asked again...
If you look into what the Mariners of the Lakes say out of the public spotlight so that they are not pitting their job at risk, you'll find tales of men picking up buckets of sheared rivet heads after a voyage- especially in storms- so they aren't seen by an inspector. Tales from yard workers doing quick patchwork to hide a serious problem that would fail inspection so the ship can make it through the rest of that shipping season. Tales like mine where things are terribly wrong but are addressed only to the extent of being able to give the right answer rather than fixing the problem. The Fitz had it's share of this as do all the Lakers; it's endemic in the industry and in the way regulations are made and enforced. It's in the airline industry and likely all others too. Safety records mean little; you'd be surprised how much of our world is held together by sheer luck alone and it seems to work. Well most of the time that is...
It sounds like the ship was well cared for most of her life, though this was getting sloppy towards the end. Then there's just luck - sometimes deathtraps can go years without incident, and sometimes things go wrong even for the safest and best maintained things.
The Gordon Lightfoot song is a perfect telling of this tragic story. It's sheer poetry and it's legendary!
A truly talented writer/performer Gordon Lightfoot's song about this disaster has kept interest alive of the ship and subsequent disaster. Otherwise this ship and the 28 souls that perished would have been long forgotten by the public, surly not by the men's families.
@@4thstooge75 Yep. When I first heard of the song I thought it was about a 19th century shipwreck. Upon nearing it I was amazed to discover it took place in the Great Lakes when I was 9 years old.
@@geoffpoole483 I was 10 and remember my Dad telling us to shut up when Walter Concrite announced on the news That The Edmond Fitzgerald went down. My father was about in tears. I get all choked up every time I listen to the masterpiece story by Gordon Lightfoot of her.
Except for the inaccuracies.
The song is good but the Fitz was not on her way to Cleveland.
I’ve been infatuated with this story since I was a child. I was staying in downtown detroit about two years ago. And saw the Arthur M Anderson cruising the Detroit river. Amazing that it dealt with what it did and continues to sail.
Yes. I was thinking that this is also a song that needs to be sung.
Ships don't have feelings...
There is an anchor from the Fitzgerald on Belle Isle at the Shipwreck Museum
My son took a picture with it a few days ago.
We called the gales of November the "witch of November" or the "witches of November." As a kid growing up in the vastness of the UP wilderness this made for hair raising campfire tales. When I got a little older and heard that song for the first time it added a whole new layer of awe and sadness.
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@@daveelruiz9157 bro wtf
@@daveelruiz9157 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
“In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed,
In the maritime sailors' cathedral. The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times, for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.”
This song has been in my head ever since the notification showed up. 🙃
My favorite part from a favorite poem......
How sad.
That song by Gordon Lightfoot is still the most beautiful homage to the Edmund Fitzgerald and her crew. Requiescat in Pace 🙏
Great song in memory of the men
The Gordon Lightfoot song really did capture the sense of loss of this maritime tragedy.
Maybe he can do a video on the sinking of Atlantis next .
That song is how I became familiar with this tragedy. It's beautifully written, very sad, but filled with dignity.
I got chills when I heard it full-volume at Costco. Was demo music for the TVs.
One of my favorite songs of all time.
It makes me stop whatever I’m
doing when I hear it; sends shivers down my apine
As a Michigander I would like to wholeheartedly thank you for making such an informative and *respectful* documentary. So often people talk about the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and they discuss it with so much sensationalism and exaggeration. Thank you for sticking to the facts (as you always do). I think we all appreciate that.
As a Wisconsinite I'm telling you it was aliens bro
My family has sailed the Great Lakes for generations. Thank you for this documentary.
Mom and I like watching a lot of those 'unexplained mystery' shows on TV. Whenever anything about the Edmund Fitzgerald comes on Dad yells at the TV. A lot of my family is still in the UP, and dad was in high school when it went down. He gets so angry whenever someone acts like it's some 'great mystery' when it's just the kind of risks you run sailing on Lake Superior.
Spending a lot of time of Lake Superior gives you lots of respect for her. The weather can turn fast and it is so cold. Many amazing Native American tales of the lake and islands
Many big lakes have legends of a monster, with Superior, the lake IS the monster.
What a great sentence 👍
As a Michigander you're 100% NOT wrong. I've only ever gone shin deep into Superior.
I went with my mom and grandma to a small tourist town on the coast when I was a kid (back in 96, I believe). We did a glass bottom boat tour of ship wrecks. It was a pretty crazy sight. I can definitely believe it about the lake being a monster. The vacation was wonderful, though.
@@shaggystoner5235 I’m a Hawaiian and I’m planning on taking a trip to the Great Lakes and doing some scuba/free diving I’m sure you guys are being overdramatic
@@bigshrimp6458 nah, superior is a beast
Finally he talks about Edmund, she was a beautiful ship. may all of her crew rest in peace.
Its a hell of a dive also
Always beneficial to tell these stories and I for one wasn't aware of it whatsoever..
This has only piped my interest though, I'd never heard of it before either except from fascinating horror commentators, its mad they have no idea as to why it sank, its a proper long running mystery like mh370.
Buttmund lmao i never understood why loving a ship needs to be a thing it’s metal were you gonna destroy your penis in? The propellers?
One of my college classmates (older than me) had actually applied to serve on the Fitz when he was a young guy. He toured the ship and met the crew... right before that final voyage. The competing offer welding came with more money, so he took that job instead. Seeing his reaction when Lightfoot's song came on was something else.
My grandpa used to be a freight scheduler for the DM&IR RR and knew the ship well from her many visits to Duluth.
Rest in peace, Gordon Lightfoot! Your legend will live on in Minnesota, and beyond!
Don't. Miss. Ya. Gordie
and the Chippewa on down!
@@bradharris2248 I grew up in the Chippewa National Forest.
Just saw a tiktok today mentioning the passing of Gordon Lightfoot and how the church mentioned in the end of the song ringing their bells 29 times honored him after his passing by ringing their bells 30 times. (If this isn't true please don't disprove it, it's such a beautiful thought to hold onto in these crazy times)
Gordon lightfoot stinks
As a boy, I remember hearing about the loss of the Fitz. I live on the south shore of Superior, and can tell you that it's very easy to understand how this huge ore boat could have gone down. The photo here shows the holds empty, as she is riding high. With the holds full, she will draft 35 feet, and only 10 feet to put waves on her deck. Once she takes water, she will go down like a rock.
I'm going to Whitefish Point in August to the museum there and to pay my respects to those lost that fateful night in 1975.
The Legend lives on from the Chippewas on down of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee, The Lake it is said, never gives up her dead when the skies of November turn gloomy...
Gordon Lightfoot ❤
*Copyright*
Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams
The islands and bays are for sportsmen
Now this will be in my head all day.
This story is known to every mariner on the Great Lakes. Those freshwater beasts are not lakes, but oceans, cruel and unforgiving. They deserve respect, especially during late autumn
“The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy”
As a kid, my family and I visited Lake Michigan. While playing in the surf, I got caught up in the current and was being steadily pulled farther and farther from the shore. I was terrified because no matter how hard I'd swim, I never got closer to the shore. If it hadn't been for my dad telling me how to get back to shore I'd have kept drifting. And I was sure I was going to drown.
I had gone swimming in lakes many times before this, but those other lakes didn't have tides. Michigan scared me. Inland sea is right.
They don’t just deserve respect, they demand it. 🌬🌊
@@faithcastillo9597 how did you make it back to shore?
@@watchmetrade6066 My guess is that she swam out of the rip current, parallel to the shoreline. Great lakes rip currents are just as bad as ocean rip currents!
My FIL is a retired towboat captain. He said the Edmund Fitzgerald haunts even the river barge guys. It's a stark reminder that the rivers and lakes can be just as deadly as the open ocean.
I really enjoy how, recently, you've stressed the positive changes made post-tragedy that prevent repetition. It's important to learn from AND not forget our history and you're doing your part in making sure that stays true.
As always, another great video!
@@fastwin493 sir who is your cocaine dealer
Survival suits came from a totally different ship sinking .
"Superior, they said, never gives up her dead when the gales of November come early..."
I don't listen to folk, but I know that song by heart.
Give the man his credit. Cite him!
@@OzyMandias13 Gordon lightfoot.
Will never forget. Great song sad event.
Saw him in concert not too many years ago. He is still an institution
@@amyb5339 The first time I heard the song was in a Hi Fi dealer as a demonstration track. Loved the song, bought the gear then went and bought his albums.. I still have them.
The man pictured at 3:21 is not Captain McSorely, but is Captain Bernie Cooper of the SS Arthur M. Anderson, the ship that was in contact with the Edmund Fitzgerald before she sank (and who went back into the storm to search for potential survivors).
I thought that was Bernie not mcsorely
I was going to post the same thing but I see you beat me too it :)
Me too
Captain Cooper's photo was identified as Captain McSorely more than once. Captain Cooper was a fairly well-recognized man. This was poorly researched. No mention of the William Clay Ford which was the other freighter that searched with the Anderson. And it stated that the Edmund Fitzgerald was "well maintained" when firsthand interviews have detailed the ways in which the ship was abused and maintenance was neglected. This video was a serious disappointment.
Noticed the same thing!
If you live in the Great Lakes area, you know the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Her sinking is a tragedy that, thankfully, has never been repeated.
There have been many safety improvements since her day including better weather forecasting.
Surprised a movie hasn't been made about this story.
But a song has been written about it.
I’ve been saying there should be one made. But not like Titanic; no sappy love story.
More like, Perfect Storm.
There is a great documentary of this incident including interviews from family members and former crew (crew that were not part of the final trip)
Ghost Ship?
There has been a Discovery Channel documentary about this.
This ship, this great tragedy, is known throughout the entirety of the great lakes region. It is a reminder to all of how massive and powerful these fresh bodied waters are. These are not lakes, they are seas that demand and deserve respect.
Got a damn song too
they are lakes tho
@@user-bx1bv6ng9t
I'd argue the Great Lakes are only called lakes because there's no title for such massive freshwatered bodies.
Yeah, people don't realize just how big they are. 1/5th the entire world's fresh water in those lakes. N then there's st Clair too which isn't tiny itself
@@LAPISTime25 Exactly! If they're big enough to form their own weather systems and micro-climate, they're not just lakes.
We've been having massive Lake Ontario summer storms every evening this week so far - high winds and waves, heavy rain, hail... and around here we just call it "refreshing". Can't wait for what the Lake throws at us in winter. ;P
I went to Ely Memorial high school in Ely, Minn.with the 3rd mate, Michael Armagost. He was a few years older but I remember Mike as very handsome and crush worthy. In 1966 I moved to Silver Bay, Mn where my husband worked at Reserve mining company that made taconite pellets. Silver Bay is located on the shore of Lake Superior. I remeber the Edmund Fitzgerald pulling up to the docks to get the taconite pellets. The first time I saw the Fitz I was in awe of it's size. The fitz would pick up the pellets every 7-10 days. I still get tears in my eyes when I think of Mike and the 28 others that lost their lives on Nov. 10, 1975. May they rest in peace and God bless their families.
Thank you for sharing, it’s nice to hear stories from people who saw and were there, so to speak.
My neighbors across the street are relatives of Michael, I played hockey with his grandson for a number of years. What a small world. Thank you for sharing your story
My mom and her sister went to Ely high school in the 70s. I still occasionally go to Blueberry Fest and visit family in Ely.
I currently live in Amarillo, Texas. Still go back to Ely when I can. They are having a blueberry festival This year but it will have fewer booths. Have a good time and have a drink at Dee's Bar for me LOL.
@@venorahare8213 my cousin bartends at the Boathouse. I'll raise a glass for ya.
RIP Gordon Lightfoot. I think he brought a lot of light around this maritime disaster.
"and all that remains are the faces and names of the wives and the sons and the daughters" The most chilling words of the song!
I call that a very close second, for me "does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes in to hours" shakes me to my core. As a combat veteran I understand that notion and the events and circumstances this crew endured are a worse fate than any I can imagine.
And the puppers! 🐶
I couldn’t imagine the horror of the crews during the last hour. Pitch dark, winter storm, middle of Lake Superior. No way out.
It probably happened in seconds. there have been computer recreations of the wreck and possible ways it could happen, the two most likely causes are...
1) the ship grounded it's bow in the bottom of the lake due to flooding and a particularly large wave, which snapped the ship in half. supporting this theory is the positioning of the ship on the bottom and the way the back end is upsidedown while the front end is right side up
2) the ship snapped in half due to being overweight due to flooding while riding 2 waves with the mid section out of the water. this is also supported by the positioning of the two halfs, though less so. it's also debatable if the front half would have sunk fast enough to take all hands down with the ship without a word, SOS or soul getting off. that said this is hands down the most popular theory
A third theory was actually formed thanks to the loss of an ore carrying ocean ship a decade or two ago in a typhoon, which had similar damage on it to the EF. basically the ore carrier smashed into a wave so hard, the water ripped the cargo hatches off the ship, instantly flooding the front half, and ripping the ship in two, as the front sank in seconds while the back end maintained some buoyancy, sinking a minute or two later. some of the cargo hatches on the RF are ripped off so it's possible massive flooding broke the ship in half due to a huge buoyancy issue likely aided by the heavy storm. i
@@arizona_anime_fan correct. I have read those theories. I was stationed in the Air Force up on Lake Superior in the mid 1970s. During stormy weather we use to go down to the lake just to watch the huge waves and swells. Simply Amazing and frightening at the same time.
Freezing water. Shudder. RIP
@@arizona_anime_fan - They didn't try to launch life boats or even make it to them. That's how fast it happened. Stuff of nightmares had they survived.
Lived through 3 winters and many storms as a teen in Duluth. The storms are bad enough on land. Could not imagine how terrible it would be in one of those winter storms....in the middle of Lake Superior.
Everyone up here knows about the Edmund Fitzgerald. We used to have a moment of silence on the anniversary of the wreck.
Mariner's Church in Detroit still has a special service for the Edmund Fitzgerald today. Beautiful old church if you get the chance to see it. The ship's bell and anchor can be found nearby at Dossens Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle.
Everyone up here? Up on earth? Up on Mount everest? Up on the dark side of the moon? Up on the empire state building? Up on the Gobi desert?
@@TrustMeIKnowEverything probably up in the american north/midwest. im from wisconsin and we definitely learned about the fitzgerald as kids
I live in the twin ports and we have a whole museum after this ship. Love that they did an episode of this!
The song is awesome, the the Edmund Fitzgerald is a legend
I heard when they went to look at her, the bell and anchor were salvaged. When the bell came loose, it gave a "haunting ring" Let's never forget our lost crew. RIP, from Michael Taylor
Can’t ring underwater...
@@MrStamperh literally can....
They didn't salvage the anchor from the wreck; it lost that anchor in the Detroit River the previous year. It was eventually recovered from the river bottom and now sits on display at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle.
I heard they made an exact replica of the bell, engraved it with all 29 names, and replaced it in the same spindles they took the Fitz' from. Doesn't bring 'em back, but a Hell of a tribute!
@@hoppinonabronzeleg9477 Gordon light foot made an exceptionally famous song about this too al Canadians know it lll
I knew none of these people but still find my heart heavy every time I hear this song. Such a sad incident.
When in high school a bunch of us guys went out to the lake that night. Ironwood mi. area it was the worst I have ever seen. Scary bad waves and wind. We turned around ,and the next day heard about this sinking.
That has to be scary to be so close to such a horror story
In our highschool, two guys went to paddle out on one of our great lakes. I don't know exactly what happened, but the two died drowning in the cold waters. Our school held a candle light vigil for them. One of the guy's little sister was in our grade, and I just felt so horrible for her. I wanted to give her brother back to her somehow, the whole school felt awful.
prove it
@@dr.loomis4221 I would, but I dont want to give anyones personal information away, including the names if the family, or the name of my past highschool. To publically "out" that information could put risk to every student who currently still attends that school. You don't have to believe anything you read, but this was a very real experience we all shared.
@@Great_Lake_Surfer_ I don’t understand the whole ‘putting people at risk’ … what kind of risk are you worried about ?
The Great Lakes are a cold place to rest. May all the souls lost find peace
Thanks for showing respect Mr. Mothman
The lake, it is said never gives up her dead. When the skies of November turn gloomy.
@@vantastic9367 Such a cold, morbid and solemn line.
It all comes down to this, “If Lake Superior wants you dead, you’re dead.”
Truth. It goes from sunny blue skies to wicked storms and gale force winds in no time flat.
@@Deetroiter reckon there as dangerous as any open sea
@@kendodd8734 what's the difference?
@@filthycasual8074 deep water and storms spose there ain’t none drowning in salt water or fresh water is still just drowning
@@filthycasual8074 o
"we're holding our own"
-last transmitted words from the Edmund Fitzgerald
People underestimate how large and deep the great lakes are. They're an ocean if you didn't know any better.
It’s the size of a Whole state itself
@@mysteryjunkie9808 They're even bigger than some countries.
Just oceans without salt.
@sayvar44 Right, the Fitzgerald sits in water less deep than her own length. There are some nice animations people have made that show how it would be possible for the bow to have hit the lake bottom while the stern was still technically above the surface.
Yeah I really didn't know until your post ....
This was a terrific topic for this channel: Pathos-filled backstory, horrifying accident, abiding mystery about the specifics. Bravo.
Agreed 👍
Legend 👍
Says it all. And everything you say is something I believe he strives for and achieves with every recounting
@@Frenchblue8 I got a personal reply from the filmmaker to a tweet in which I suggested a topic -- coolest thing that happened to me that whole ... well, year? ;-)
And a song about it that’s longer than the ship
I live in Duluth MN which is at the tip of Lake Superior. The lake can be beautiful but whenever I go to the beach or in the water I remember how strong the lake is and how many people have lost their lives to it. It’s as powerful as it is beautiful, and honestly it’s chilling (both literally and figuratively)
I got chills when the narrator said that the Anderson asked how the Fitz was making out with her problems. “We are holding our own” is a haunting and iconic quote from the Fitzgerald tragedy. Frederick Stonehouse wrote a book about the tragedy titled “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” in which he discusses the various theories of her sinking, includes the Coast Guard report on the sinking, and a few other things from the tragedy.
This channel is actually the only one I watch immediately after I get the notification.
Just left another TH-cam video as soon as it popped up.
Your videos are so good!
Prolly the only one you follow mind.. 😎
Do you want a medal or something
@@KD-kl4sx Do you want a xanax or something to stop randomly crying in peoples replies?
@@KD-kl4sx he he!
@@kam2894 “femboy enthusiast” 😂😂 you people just get stranger
To facilitate shipping through the Great Lakes, lock canals were made. They criss-cross over the area I live in. The latest one carries with it a legacy of men killed in accidents. It sounds so 'safe', shipping over lakes, because people don't think of them having the weather of the ocean. I live here, sandwiched between two of them, and I can tell you how wrong that assumption is.
for real. i live in sw ontario, in the big peninsula that divides most of the lakes, and ive watched the waters go from calm to terrifying in just minutes
@@jackal0p You ever watch the water and sky turn green and things get super calm right before a massive storm breaks out? Me and my dad got caught on Wabigoon in a 14' with a little 15 hp motor about 3 mi from camp. We took off before it started because we knew what was coming, but I've never anything like it. Didnt think were gonna make it.
I live near Lake Ontario and my local news station has a photographer who loves to take videos and photos of the lake in winter, and i can tell you, massive waves can splash over the pier and even over the sides of the lighthouse at the end, and then the waves can freeze too, leaving the pier treacherous to walk on.
@@je3421 The sky turning green, clouds bubbling and wind getting calm happens here often before a tornado. It must be terrifying to be on the water and see those signs.
@@davidcox3076 No exaggeration the waves were like 3' high, but the diff between the peak and valley of them felt like 5', especially with a small boat and weak motor. It was May in Canada, so if we went overboard, we werent gonna be able to swim to shore, the water was still ice cold. You could start to feel the static in the air, about 15 min before all hell broke loose. It was an eerie calm, then the green skies came over the tree line, and it was on us. Full throttle as far as we could, until the waves started. We were talking about just getting to shore, but had to risk it to get back since we had two other family boats out, elsewhere on the water.. My dad sounded confident, but that was the first time I've seen panic in his eyes. Lol. It's funny to look back on it, but wasnt any laughing then.
Thinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald send chills over me. Fascinating Horror puts the story out so well. As well as Gordon Lightfoot's song does. Great job.
As someone who grew up hearing about this every November, I think the thing that really only strikes me now is how recent this was. Growing up 1975 felt so long ago, and this specific tragedy took on such a mythical quality that it felt suspended in time, and now I'm forced to confront the idea that the same year this happened Wheel of Fortune premiered, a week and a half earlier Bohemian Rhapsody was released, and only a few weeks later The Rocky Horrow Picture Show came out in theaters.
The Edmund sits in 530 feet of water. Fact. As deep as she is if the ship was vertical you would see 200 feet of her sticking out of the water.
I honestly think that's why it broke in two. It must have hit with force when it reached the bottom and I think the back stern broke of as the bow hit the bottom.
@@dansweet6793 Good point Dan. Guess we will never know for sure.
@@jamesvw769 unfortunately not.
@@jamesvw769 and I am just guessing the propeller was still turning so I think that's why the stern is upside-down and farther from the bow.
That is crazy and kinda creepy at the same time.
The benefits of never sleeping pay off yet again.
Same, dude. This channel needs to stop positively reinforcing my insomnia (joke)
😅
I got a problem 🥴😵
zzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZ
Yes, I'm a Wisconsinite and pretty much everyone knows this tragic story. While the great lakes are beautiful they can also be quite dangerous and some people forget this. The Edmund Fitzgerald is a sad and constant reminder.
I was a senior in college when this happened, & remember reading about it in my university's newspaper, "The Daily Texan." Remember also when Gordon Lightfoot's song came out the following year, & it gave me chills every time I listened to it. Played on the radio constantly, & I never tuned away from it.
You were at U.T.?
@@danday1253 well let's think about that. 🤔 . The Daily Texan is U.T.s paper. Soooo...... that would be a yes
As a Michigan resident, it's so cool to see one of my favorite channels talk about the Great Lakes, even if it's about a tragedy. A lot of people who have never been to any of the Great Lakes usually just picture the smaller lakes that you find at parks and campsites, but when you see them in person, you would think they were oceans. They contain a fifth of the world's surface fresh water and, as the video illustrates, they can be very dangerous under the right conditions.
Great video as always!
Right? I grew up on Erie, which is the smallest by volume, but is still impossible to see across and accounts for 2,000 of the 6,000 recorded shipwrecks on the Great Lakes.
growing up in michigan i never realized that people could ever underestimate the sheer size and power of our lakes because i was always there and always swam in them. now that i’m older i can see how shit inducing they might be to a first time non michigan native
True. My parents live in St Joseph, Michigan, and I’m always astonished at the size of the ships making their way out to Lake Michigan. They are as big as ocean-going ships!
@@goblinlibrary280 I always thought of Erie as tame compared to the others. Went swimming there all the time as a kid. I had no idea so many wrecks happened here. That's wild.
I grew up in Michigan and was raised on the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Colt : Are you familiar with the story of the 1974 Dodge Challenger owned by a 22-year-old crewman of the Edmund Fitzgerald that was waiting for him when he got back?
www.boreal.org/2018/06/11/174945/driven-to-keep-edmund-fitzgerald-crewmans-memory-afloat
So was I, born in Duluth Minnesota. I still watch the Arthur M Anderson come and go from port every once in awhile.
I was born and raised in michigan too. Planning to surf the great lakes next year too :D I've learned that although the waves are greater in winter, they're freezing and a lot more deadly- especially if you have the wrong kind of board and wetsuit for the freezing lakes. The Edmund Fitzgerald is the reason why I will always surf in the warmer months, and never try to brave the ice baths.
We heard the story a lot growing up in Ohio as well.
Me too. Flint. It was so sad. Seeing Fascinating post this, my heart sank. No pun intended. It is as if the ship is a part of my family, although I knew none of the crew.
My great grandpa sailed on the Fitz throughout the late 1960s and into the early 70s, I don't know for sure what position he held in the crew but I believe he was a watchman. He retired from the Fitzgerald and sailing all together just a few years before the sinking
Just want to point out that you have used a photo of Captain Bernie Cooper as Captain Ernest McSorley. Captain Cooper was the skipper of the Anderson the ship following the Fitzgerald.
Thank you! WTH, I just chimed in on that then saw your comment. You're right.
Yep I pointed it out when the video was two days old there is a correction in the description of the video so at least unlike other channels does creator pays attention. Cheers.
I remember listening to some audio commentary from The Simpsons and one of the producers was talking about they wanted to use the song, The Edmund Fitzgerald in one of the cartoon episodes. But he said they found out that in order to do that you have to clear the rights with all 25 families. So he said they decided not to do that because they were sure that these families did not want to be reminded of what was probably one of the worst days, if not the worst day of their lives.
A record label owns the rights. It has nothing to do with the families.
I wonder which episode they wanted it for?
@@ladydeerheart1 The record label could have decided that they didn't want them to use the song without the families agreeing.
25 families? Weren't their 29 crew members lost? Does that mean some were related?
@@carolinefarquhar8029 maybe it was 29 members.
The Arthur M. Anderson is actually still around today and still working on the Great Lakes.
Last year, at the 45th anniversary of the sinking of the Fitz, the Anderson payed tribute to her with a master salute, entering Duluth Harbor.
th-cam.com/video/ZDA8nF02Xy0/w-d-xo.html
That's so cool! Thank you for sharing that!
Thank you for the link. That was a very beautiful salute.
I see that ship quite often. I had no idea it was the one that was in the same area as the Edmund Fitzgerald. That’s really cool.
Forgot to mention that in my already essay of a comment lol
I strongly believe that the Fitzgerald would've still been around today as well. If every other ship survived that storm, as bad as it was, the Fitz should've been more than capable of surviving it too. But she didn't. And that begs the question why.
My childhood friends’ dad was the captain on it for many years. Unfortunately I believe it was run aground about ten or so years ago, but I believe it’s back in service now:
It always amazes me how our great lakes can create such terrifying forces of nature. I've lived here my whole life, swam in lake Superior numerous times, and yet it still baffles me that we had our own Titanic-level event (albeit with a much lower body count). A few years back, some people were out on Presque Isle during a storm and got swept away by a massive wave. Their bodies still haven't been found, and I doubt they ever will. Lake Superior is a mass grave of unfortunate sailors, swimmers and tourists, and she never gives up her dead.
The song might be the most wonderful monument to a tragedy in history.
Yup, you can literally start to shiver listening to it.
Ohio is better since it was written a week after the Kent State shooting ( massacre)
How about Where were you when the world stopped turning? It's about 9/11
My favourite song based on this tragedy. Gordon Lightfoot writes in a way to perfectly paint a picture in my head. such a good song with a sad background
I have to imagine very few people, only those in that local area, would have ever heard of this ship if not for that song. Thanks to that song this shipwreck could be second only to Titanic in public awareness. Every shipwreck deserves such recognition though.
"Canadian Railroad Trilogy" really stands out as a ballad as well. My father, grandfather and myself survived a similar storm, but below the locks, down near Raber Bay...we'd been fishing over near Canada and headed back when things began to darken....we stopped at a mine on Lime Island (I believe...this is from memory and I was only 4 at the time) as my grandfather and I lashed things down in our 16 foot open boat, a rental from where we were staying - using our own outboard motors- my father was invited to tie onto a cabin cruiser and ride with them and also was made and offer to bed down in the boiler room at the mine, but turned them both down. As soon as we cleared the breakwater into open water, that was a choice he regretted, but was unable to turn around at that point....that was just before it got dark - we had NO lights, except for a flashlight...we'd traveled at night before, but never in such conditions. I was sitting facing backwards in the bow seat, my grandfather likewise in the center seat, both bailing the night through, as we rode, at times nearly vertically, up and down the enormous waves with only their direction to determine our direction by heading directly into them....my father would run one of our motors until he'd figure the gas was low in the intigrated tanks of both of the motors and then start another one, making sure it was running well and powering the boat before shutting down the one that had been running, removing it from the transom and moving to between his knees and holding it at which time my grandfather stopped bailing long enough to unlash our gas can, fill the motor's tank and help my father as well as he could from his seated position to place the motor back onto the transom, until it would be neeeded....this went on throughout the night. We ended up down to the Macinaw Straights (sp) by daylight...at which time the water finally became only "choppy" and we followed the shoreline back up to where we were staying at Raber Bay. The only "gear" we had at that time were boat cushions and the clothes we were wearing....which were soaked through. We heard later that boats had been lost that night. We were lucky to have survived...none of us were able to swim...which wouldn't have made any difference. This happened in the early 50's, before the bridge. I'm looking forward to watching this movie....I was really impressed by "A Perfect Storm" too.
@@jacuzzis1 Man reading that gives me chills
Thanks, I'd always meant to write this down....somewhere like "This Happened To Me" in Sports Illustrated made me think about doing it, but by the time I tried to go back and get specific details to be accurate, I'd waited too long. I did get some people who remembered certain things when we talked, but were usually not firsthand but "hearsay" or something told them by somebody else...one of the things I was told was really creepy though....that the cabin cruiser owner my dad had turned down the lift from was one of the lost boats that night....I never heard what my dad told me he'd heard firsthand either, but I do recall that when my grandfather asked him "why" the turndown my dad admitted he could tell they..."they" being the owner and his friends, had been drinking beer. Close call.
If you haven’t listened to Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot, give it a listen. It forever memorializes the tragic event that otherwise would’ve been mostly forgotten.
“In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
In the maritime sailors' cathedral
The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald”
It's a fantastic song!!
I haven't heard the song, so i instinctively read the first 3 like of the lyrics to the rhythm of Hallelujah.
Jessica Well, Leonard Cohen and Gordon Lightfoot have some similarities. Canadian poets and singer-songwriters. But Lightfoot is a more down to earth artist. Cohen was more imaginative in his lyrics, which was often wonderful but sometimes outright weird. Also, Lightfoot is a better singer.
It’s a very haunting song
My family originally came from Duluth and I worked in Twin Ports radio. The pain is still palpable. Well done, as always, sir.
As a nut for lake freighters and the story of the Fitz, I was pleasantly surprised with how in depth and accurate this video was.
Interestingly, lake freighters overall tend to have an impressive lifespan. Because they sail only in fresh water, corrosion is much slower to take hold. The oldest laker (still under her own power)the SS Alpena, was built in 1942. She was built to help move ore to make steel for WW2. She is turning 80 in 2022 and she's still working like any other ship, still under STEAM power.
These old ships usually meet their end when the economy takes a turn for the worse and shipping companies trim down on excess tonnage. Their hulls tend to hold up well over the years, and the oldest ship still in service on the Great Lakes, the former St Mary's Challenger, was built in 1906 if I recall. She was cut down to a barge/tug boat combination in the early 2010s, so she's no longer under her own power, but yeah.
I'm a fucking nerd about this stuff.
They recently refitted and recommissioned the Author M Anderson. We live off the great lakes and are hoping to catch a sight of it. I think it's crazy it's still seaworthy.
On the Great Lakes there are not the same rigors that saltwater ship faces. The hulls have been known to last 80+ years, with a few lasting beyond 100 years. There is still one in use that was built in 1907.
I helped fit it out lol
That boat it fuckkkked up tho. The engineers straight blacked the boiler out on accident. Glad I was switched to the Clark.
Alpena is still kicking
Does anyone know how many ships are still working the great lakes, is the shipping business there still thriving?
I whole heartedly believe that she dove deep and smashed into the bottom of the lake. Look at the damage on the bow and wheel house, I also believe that the impact with the bottom is what broke her back. This would also explain why there was never a distress signal sent.
That theory also fits with the fact that the wreck is in relatively shallow water. Less that the length of the Fitzgerald herself. Along with the very high waves and troughs at the time, would mean some of those troughs could have put the bow of the Fitz much closer to the bottom than “normal”.
I was living is Saskatchewan at the time of this disaster. It was very big news in Canada at the time. A few months earlier in the summer of ‘75, I had travelled west from Toronto to Sask. Taking a few hours out to watch the freighters through the massive locks at Sault-Ste-Marie. That I had learned about in school. One of those was the Fitz. Just fitted the lock with a couple feet to spare. Was an awesome sight. Made the tragedy of the wreck even more poignant. (From UK).
I agree too. Even though I wasn’t born during the time the Edmund Fitzgerald was lost, I’ve researched it over and over again. I do truly believe that the Fitzgerald took a nose dive as well. It would explain why no distress call was made and why the bow section has more noticeable damage. Captain Cooper of the Arthur M. Anderson believed they were going down but they thought it was a big wave. But then they just plunged to the bottom of the lake.
My personal hope is that the wreckage of the Edmund Fitzgerald is never disturbed again in the future. The 29 man crew are still down there in the wreckage. Its a grave and we should leave it alone.
Rest In Peace Crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald. You will not be forgotten.
>700 foot boat in ~530 ft of water. You could very well be right… and it’s horrifying if you are.
Can you imagine what that event looked like?
Yikes
Do you mean that it would have sank quickly, and that was why no distress signals were sent; they just simply didn't have the time to send it?
@@jacobthompson8007
Canadian Government officially marked the site as grave yard and any diving to the wreck is strictly prohibited. There is a 500m buffer zone around the wreck in which no one is allowed to dive. I was very happy when they announced that as I too believe this is a grave site not tourist or film making attraction. We saw enough footage of the ship at the bottom already.
Only way I'd support any future dives is if they had very good reasons to believe they can solve the mystery. But even then, not sure it matters now, and it's unlikely they'll figure it out anyway.
Cheers 🍻
It bears mentioning --
The Arthur M. Anderson is NOT the Edmund Fitzgerald's sister ship!!!! They were built to different designs!!!
Anderson has 5 watertight-bulkheads. Edmund Fitzgerald had 3 cargo holds but no water-tight bulkheads!!! Very critical difference. It meant the Fitzgerald could NOT take damage as well and would tend to flood with damage.
The actual sister ship of the Fitzgerald was the Arthur B. Homer which was virtually identical. It was modified in 1975 (lengthened; same plan for the Fitzgerald had it survived) BUT abruptly decommissioned in 1980 and scrapped 7 years later.
WHY would they scrap the sister ship? They were trying to hide the structural issues and design flaws she shared with her doomed sister ship!
Maybe it was her adopted sister
I've always been infatuated with maritime disasters yet remaining; humbled, respectful, and empathetic to their plight. May all be at peace whom lay in the murky night.
While I was a kid in school in Michigan one of our teachers played “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot one day and told us about the story. That should give you an idea of what the tragedy of the Edmund Fitzgerald meant to the people of Michigan. I've always had a fascination with the ship since then and the song is both chilling and beautiful.
Me too. We learned all about it
I remember my teacher playing it for my class too. Wonder if I went to school with you.
our music teacher played the song for us in middle school. I grew up in the Cleveland Ohio area.
@Dark Humor Guy So much of our history should be in the curriculum. It's amazing how much more I learned when I got out of school through pure interest and curiosity.
"With a load of iron ore 26,000 tons more than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty..."
That line was always chilling to me.
The fact that this happened in fairly recent history proves just how dangerous the Great Lakes are. This sinking is so well known here and a constant source of interest. Thank you for acknowledging this!!
RIP to the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Well narrated, FH.
My understanding, if I may put some reason to the "random rogue waves" theory, is there is a widely held idea that she went over a large set of waves that put the bow under the leading wave as she came over a crest. She was then struck by the mother of all waves and the pressure differential between the swamped bow and the forces slamming over the ship drove her deep down in a single terrifying moment. The end was fast and unimaginably terrifying.
Believe it's theoretically possible that in the trough of a serious rogue wave in this process that she actually would have been pushed almost to the bottom in a single moment.
Also... a lot of the relatives of the deceased do not consider the recovered objects to be a memorial but rather totems to the desecration of a grave their family rest in.
This story always brings me back to when I was camping with my parents in MN. My mom and I were looking out on Lake Superior, and she showed me the song. Just sitting out there above the water, listening to the music and wind.
Aww. Sounds serene. Bet you know of John Denver too then.
You could do one of these on the sinking of the MV Derbyshire.
Good one!
Agreed! The MV Derbyshire is another incident that changed the Merchant Marine.
A terrible tragedy, I remember watching a program on channel 4 years ago about it.
At least 3 other documentaries on this already though, not any more to learn
@@stewbarr8640 True, but meanwhile almost nothing on the Alexander Kielland. That was more recent 1980 and massive death toll almost as high as the Piper Alpha, but practically nothing on it anywhere.
On the 47th Anniversary of the disaster of the Edmund Fitzgerald, we remember the 29 crew members - lost, but never forgotten. May they rest in peace, and all those who know the pain of losing their loved ones that terrible evening find peace and solace. We remember them.
I live in Wisconsin, and the ship is oddly legendary here. This was very well researched, and fascinating as always
As a Canadian, this is one of our haunting and most famous stories. GREAT song by Gordon Lightfoot, please look it up.
Everything Gordon sang was great. He had a haunting voice. Didn't he sing "Sundown" too. Great talent.
@@ladydeerheart1 BBC 4 Saturday, 03. July • 01.30 - 02.35
In Concert: Gordon Lightfoot
I’m pretty sure we have Gordon Lightfoot to thank primarily for this being the most famous shipwreck in history after the Titanic.
The best true-storytelling song!
@@cocoono11 Breaking "design load capacity" records caught up with the ship. The ss Arthur Anderson followed behind that day with no problem.
Between you and Coffeehouse Crime, I am getting my fill of soft-spoken English guys telling me about terrible things in a soothing, satisfying manner.
My grandma's father actually worked on this ship so my grandma was allowed on the ship before it's departure. She has some cool stories about it.
Ernest was my great Uncle. RIP to everyone who perished and respect to all the families
From everything I've heard about him, he was a good man, and a good captain.
Your great uncle was the only master helmsman to ever receive the master badge while still an active captain. So no matter what anyone may say Ernest P. McSorely was the best and most seasoned of captain's on the water that day and he did everything possible to save that vessel and the 28 deck hands with him.
As a captain this tragedy and others brings me nightmares. I almost lost a vessel once and all I could think about was saving my crew, thankfully we managed to keep the situation under control until we got help. Working on any waterway is dangerous and things can go bad quickly.
How did you become a captain?
@@thereisnosanctuary6184 I can only explain how in the field that I work because it's all I know. I'm a towboat Captain and we push barges containing petroleum products other companies move grain, coal and other things just to give you an idea and it's all inland waterways. First you need to get a TWIC card because you can't work without it, then put applications to any of the towboat companies for a deck hand position "we're desperate for people". Depending on the company, your work ethics and learning curve you'll be a deck hand for about two years, then you can become a tankerman with more training and about a month of classes and passing a test "most companies pay for it". I recommend about two years of doing that, then with more training and schooling as before you can become an apprentice and after about six months or longer you can be a pilot "that's what we call the lowest Captain position ". Most companies require about five years to be the Captain. This isn't an easy life and definitely not for everybody but it's one of the last places a person can make a nice living without a college degree. On a side note we get drug tested a lot so unfortunately weed and even CBD is out of the question.
@@Jacob-ed1bl
Why CBD though when it doesn’t get you high?
@@Jacob-ed1bl I wish you good luck with your many towings
@@Jacob-ed1bl
My only guess is that it will still show up with an EXTREMELY minor amount of THC, which can be wrongly interpreted as someone having consumed marijuana weeks ago or something.
So, let me ask you: If you have an accident or minor surgery that requires pain medicine, you can no longer be a captain (even though taking opiates responsibly doesn’t impair someone’s ability to drive safely, for example)?
And are you allowed to drink alcohol on your days/nights off (I know that alcohol can show up on a urine test 3 days after you’ve consumed it)?
It seems like very strict rules for being a captain! One would essentially need to be straightXedge to do it! I know I couldn’t hang lol.
I remember WJRT in Flint telling us to pray for the sailors on the lakes. It was 1975.
Damn.
Lightfoot’s song is the best song ever to tell a sad story. Ever.
Brian Burns does an awesome version
All you need to know about SS Edmund Fitzgerald: th-cam.com/video/NjtHZFB9JcY/w-d-xo.html
But he did get the part about heading for Cleveland wrong.
My Father in Law did welding on the Edmund Fitzgerald months before her sinking, when she was docked in Sturgeon Bay Wis. Every year we go visit the ship yard there and pick up some cherries which the area is also known for. He would listen to the song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" and talk a bit about it.
McSorley was , in fact, the master of the Fitzgerald at the time of her sinking. However, the picture is one of Bernie Cooper, who was the captain of the Arthur M Anderson at the time.
Glad you caught that too👍💯
I was just checking the comments to see if anyone else caught that.
Beat me to it
Glad to see I wasn't alone on that.
Fascinating Horror: you should do the Eastland Disaster, a terrifying event where the SS eastland rolled on its side in the Chicago River and over 800 drowned. It was meant to take factory workers and their families across Lake Michigan for a company picnic in Michigan City, Indiana.
You can email the suggestion to him. The email is in the description :)
I agree.
@@daffers2345 Thank you, will do.
I’m surprised that he hasn’t done that one already. I thought I must have it missed it somehow. It’s definitely a horrific story.
That’s my home area
Few people know the Anderson too suffered serious structural damage that night. I think what made the difference was the Fitzgerald was loaded heavier and had a lower draft in the water than the Anderson. Even so, they almost made it, just 15 miles from safety.
According to those who knew the ship: The ship wasn’t seaworthy because so many of its rivets had sheared over the years without being replaced. It was a riveted construction and not welded. Even the Captain had misgivings about how the weakened ship would stand up to rough weather. The only ones who argue that she didn’t break up on the surface are those responsible for monetary settlements for negligence. Listen to the interviews of the people who really had firsthand experience and knowledge of the ship’s condition leading up to its sinking. There’s not much mystery according to them. There’s just a coverup to protect the wallets of those responsible. That’s why there’s been so much effort to blame everything but the seaworthiness of the vessel itself.
As always, it’s all about the money.
As always the real horror was capitalism all along.
No offense but "the only ones"?
How about those who look at the facts we have on hand, such as the previous time a laker broke up on the surface...and it's stern was found miles away from the bow...
Or perhaps Cpt. Cooper of the Anderson, who encountered rogue waves that night?
I know I'm responding to a comment 5 months after the fact, but I feel I should point out that both the Edmund Fitzgerald and her sister ship, the Arthur B. Homer had a fully welded hull design -- no rivets. In fact, they were the first non-riveted ships constructed by the GLEW shipyard. So if anyone is telling you stories about sheared rivets, they're just making stuff up.
@@Stathol
Excellent comment. Thank you for correcting the B.S.
I’m surprised didn’t talk about how they thought it would have broke in two.
That’s truly the scary part of it
He does mention it briefly at 7:35
@@EnterAName5573 I had never heard of this before.
@@EnterAName5573 the corpse
@@EnterAName5573 I don't know where your other reply went, but I wanted to say thanks for sharing the link to the documentary. I had never heard of the body being found, either, despite doing a bit of research on the Fitzgerald a few years ago.
That was an early theory. However, by the way the wreckage ended up in final rest on the lake bottom, it's been pretty much established that the ship broke up as it was descending, and not on the surface before it sank.
oh yes Lake Superior never gives up her dead. The ship still lays at the bottom to this day and has been classed as a graveyard for those who went down with the ship and due to just how cold the water is below the surface their bodies are practically perfectly preserved including the captain
Bodies aren’t going to be perfectly preserved being in water for 45+ years, goober.
@@thefonzkiss It´s too late for CPR, but Caitlin Doughty made a video about it:
th-cam.com/video/u0Lg9HygEJc/w-d-xo.html
@@thefonzkiss You don't know anything about lake Superior. "Goober" a while back a torso washed up they thought was a recent murder victim. It was over 100 years old. Near freeing temps and nearly no oxygen has caused a lot of incredible preservation. Read about the corpse of "Old Whitey" still there when people dive on the Kamloops.
I've seen the picture of the body found next to the ship, it doesn't look like a person, more like skelital remains without exposed bones
You can see videos of "old whitey" hardly looks like a person
“Does anyone know where the love of god goes when the waves turns the minutes to hours.” This song is a true classic.
They probably died quickly , so this lyric irritates me the most
One of its life rings (lifesaver) washed ashore far north at a former WW2 POW camp near Marathon On. Its still on display at the Provincial Park. it has an eerie energy every time i see it.
I think Gordon Lightfoot donated every penny from his song...
Yes he did. My brother was named after the Edmond Fitzgerald. Born November 28, 1978 Edmond Fitzgerald Jordan.
@Seven Inches of Throbbing Pink Jesus
That is true but I refuse to let it change who I am or what I do. They will get theirs in the end. Things have a way of coming full circle whether we like it or not. That is just the way life goes. Bless you and yours.
@Seven Inches of Throbbing Pink Jesus
Sadly, you are RIGHT!!! It hasnt ALWAYS BEEN THIS WAY EITHER!!! THE END TIMES ARE UPON US!!! For they will call good evil, and evil good! We ARE THERE FOR SURE!!! They will GET THEIRS IN THE AFTERLIFE TRUST ME, IT IS REAL!!! I KNOW I HAVE SEEN IT!!! I died after a bad accident I had.
@Seven Inches of Throbbing Pink Jesus man walk above the trash! Don't let the selfishness of others dictate who you are! Just saying!
@Seven Inches of Throbbing Pink Jesus if it were easy or rewarding to be charitable or good then it wouldn’t be much of a virtue. The whole idea of Christianity in the end is to live this life being as good to your fellow man as you can, when you can. Those of us who choose to try to at least make an effort to live this way don’t expect what we do to come with any reward or reciprocation in this life. The whole idea is that this life is short and the eternity that awaits after is impossibly long so giving up some of what we have, even if we’re not thanked or even hated for it is not that big of deal considering the reward after we die.
I was only 7 when The Mighty Fitz went down I remember how excited we got when we heard her coming. We could hear the music miles away and we would always run to the Lake Erie so we could see her. She was a beauty.
An excellent, concise, yet thorough presentation about the legendary ship and incident.
A month to the day after her sinking, I started my 20 + year career in the U.S. Navy. I experienced many challenging times at sea and always the memory of the Edmund Fitzgerald came to mind in those hours.
In his younger days, my father worked on Great Lakes freighters - from the late 1930s until 1950. He had some stories about foul weather on the lakes, like seeing the bow dig in the water, water splashing on the wheelhouse window and lifeboats torn from davits. In early December of 1944, he was aboard CSS Sarnian which was carrying a load of barley to Toronto when it was blown onto a reef in Lake Superior. Fortunately, no one was lost. They were stuck for the better part of a day until help arrived. The only injury was one guy who broke his leg jumping onto the rescue boat. Between his stories and growing up near Lake Ontario, I've gained a great respect for the Great Lakes and how nasty they can get.