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0t, Today is 46th anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald

Rob F.

Diamond
Joined
Aug 5, 2012
Location
California, Central Coast
For some reason I remember the anniversaries of 2 ships sinking, one is the Edmund Fitzgerald. I was to young to have known about when it happened but I think Gordon Lightfoot did a great job memorializing the ship...
Here is a link with some more info about the Split Rock ceremony to remember Edmund Fitzgerald, happening today.

Split Rock ceremony to remember Edmund Fitzgerald, crew on 46th anniversary of wreck | MPR News.

A very short 10 min documentary on the ship & the sinking:
The Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror - YouTube

The song with different/better pics than the song version in the first link. Same song just other pics:
Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial - YouTube

R.I.P. :(
 
I lived in Duluth, Mn at the time it sank. I certainly remember it. It was a big deal there. Used to do some sailing on the lake, swim in it, etc.

Lake Superior is a lake filled with a few hazards. Just about every year the coast guard had to rescue someone off the ice. People would walk out on the ice around the shore of the lake, then the wind would shift, and the ice would drift away from shore.

Duluth had an Air National Guard wing at the airport, with RF-4C's at the time I lived there. They had a corridor over the middle of the lake that they could use for supersonic flight, etc (Reserved airspace). The pilots were told that if they had to punch out over the lake, they had about 10 minutes before hypothermia resulted in drowning, in the middle of summer.
 
And to this day nobody knows what went wrong other than the weather forecasting.
This time of year is not the best on this location. Expect snow at the blink of an eye. This lake is cold for swimming in the middle of August but is just beautiful.
The documentary speaks of 10 footers. Certainly this not big enough against this boat. Not buying that.
The song made it famous but I remember it long before a song was written.
It is a big inland lake, what could go wrong? The lure runs deep.
While not all at once I think more that many more that 29 have had not good results in this little lake.
Nobody sings about them. The song brings tears and I all love it but..... good people all.
Bob
 
I have fished up in Lake Erie before and the weather can change at the snap of the fingers,
I remember I was fishing for Walleye about two miles out north from Erie PA with my uncle and father several years ago before he passed
We stopped trolling and were drifting because the waves had swelled up, but we were catching fish so we stuck it out with our lines in the water when my father screamed "REEL UM UP!"
I turned to look what the fuss was about and there was a water spout about a half mile from us, that was freaky.
Needless to say we got the hell out of there.
 
Nine Major Lake Superior Storms - Lake Superior Magazine

There have been storms much more violent than the one that sank the Fitz. If one happened this year it would be blamed on climate change.

While I greatly admire someone who can pen a ballad, Gordy did use a little poetic license. The Fitz was bound for Zug Island, but how do you rhyme that in a song? The church was the Mariners Church, no cathedral.
 








 
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