Why the Edmund Fitzgerald Sank

By Timothy J. Thompson M.A.

On the night of November 10, 1975, shortly after seven fifteen, the 729-foot long iron ore freighter, Edmund Fitzgerald, nose-dived to the bottom of Great Lake Superior. The end was so sudden and catastrophic that not a single mayday was transmitted. All hands were lost. There weren’t any survivors. Ever since that tragedy took place, countless theories have been advanced as to why this happened. Some were credible; others were absurd. Emotional elements hampered underwater investigations and tied the hands of subsequent explorations. As a result, the truth was prevented from being told—not anymore.

In the book Why the Edmund Fitzgerald Sank, brilliant author Timothy J. Thompson has unveiled the reasons behind this entirely avoidable tragedy. Drawing upon both primary and secondary sources, Mr. Thompson retells the incredible story of the Edmund Fitzgerald in the most dynamic way. He vividly describes the questionable hull construction, the constant overloading, the poor maintenance, the industry-wide negligence, and the faulty navigation that all worked in unison to create the perfect recipe for disaster.

Once you, the reader, are finished reading this phenomenal book, you will know exactly what caused the loss of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. Moreover, you will realize that it was not a mystery as so many others have described it but rather a tragedy just waiting to happen.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 10, 2018
• ISBN: 9781984563392

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 by Timothy J. Thompson M.A.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2018912996

ISBN:              Hardcover                978-1-9845-6341-5

                        Softcover                  978-1-9845-6340-8

                        eBook                       978-1-9845-6339-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 12/03/2018

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CONTENTS

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1   Launching Of A Leviathan

Chapter 2   Great Lake Superior

Chapter 3   Gale/ Storm/Nor’ Easter

Chapter 4   The Lifeblood Of American Industrial Power: IronOre

Chapter 5   Fitzgerald’s Glory Days: 1958-1972

Chapter 6   The Price Of Fame And Glory

Chapter 7   The Final Voyage

Chapter 8   Conclusions

Bibliography

End Notes

I’ve got a little problem. I have two vents missing, and my fence rail is down, and I’ve taken a starboard list.

Direct quote from Ernest McSorley, Captain of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, to Jesse Bernard Cooper [Bernie Cooper], Captain of the Iron ore freighter, Arthur Marvin Anderson, at precisely 3:10PM C.S.T. Monday afternoon, November 10th 1975.

I’ve lost both radars. Can you assist me in Navigation?

Direct quote from Fitzgerald Captain Ernest McSorley to Morgan Clark, First Mate on the Arthur Marvin Anderson, 4:10PM C.S.T. Monday afternoon, November 10th 1975.

Don’t allow nobody on deck!

Off the mike statement by Fitzgerald Captain, Ernest McSorley, overheard by Captain Cedric Woodard of the Swedish Vessel, Avafors as she was leaving Whitefish Bay and heading out onto Great Lake Superior, 5PM C.S.T. late Monday afternoon, November 10th 1975.

"This is the Anderson. I am very concerned with the welfare of the steamer Edmund Fitzgerald. He was right in front of us, experiencing a little difficulty. He was taking on a small amount of water, and none of the upbound ships have passed him. I can see no lights as before, and I don’t have him on radar. I just hope he didn’t take a nose dive."

Direct quote from Captain Jesse Bernard Cooper [Bernie Cooper] of the iron ore freighter, Arthur Marvin Anderson to the U.S. Coast Guard station at Whitefish Point, Michigan at 8:35PM C.S.T., Monday evening, November 10th 1975

AUTHOR’S NOTE

I HAVE ALWAYS DISPLAYED an insatiable appetite for both history and writing. I would have to say that it is in my blood. Reading, researching and writing about a major historical event gives me a thrill that I cannot adequately describe. The thirst for knowledge is the cornerstone of my life.

Prior to this work, I have researched and written four books in the course of my lifetime. They are: Grit And Valor: The Story Of Swale, Wacht Am Rhein, Magicians On Ice, and The Ardennes On Fire. Grit And Valor was my very first, and details the life and winning career of one of the immortal Seattle Slew’s greatest sons; a son named, Swale. Magicians On Ice describes the rise of the great Soviet hockey dynasty from its inception through its first of 20 World Championships in 1954. It is a great read. Both Wacht Am Rhein and The Ardennes On Fire, describe, in great detail, the planning and preparation in the weeks and months leading up to the massive German counter offensive through the Ardennes Forest of southern Belgium commencing on December 16th 1944, that is known to history as, The Battle of the Bulge. Both books I am very proud of; with one of the few differences being that, The Ardennes On Fire includes every aspect of day one of the German assault, and the incredible American defense in the face of enormous odds.

I have three separate websites that patrons may visit to learn even more about myself and these great books. The domain addresses are: seattleslew.net, soviethockey.net, and booksamillion.net.

The following work, Why The Edmund Fitzgerald Sank is the culmination of years of exhaustive research that actually began when I was an undergraduate student at the University of Missouri St. Louis. I began reading everything I could on the Edmund Fitzgerald. I was fascinated by her life and career and all the tonnage and speed records that she set, broke, and set again and again throughout the 1960’s. As I read more and more about this great ship, I felt that she should have lasted almost forever. In every photograph taken of her, even a famous one just 11 days before her death, she looked sound and strong. Seemingly, there were never any major mishaps; only normal wear and tear throughout the years. So, as I was reading more and more about her, I became quite confused as to how and why she could possibly have sunk; and foundered so quickly without so much as a mayday. That is something that weighed upon my mind for years and years.

Now, I am convinced I have answered that nagging, nearly philosophical question. And will provide that answer in the following work.

Timothy James Thompson

July 30th 2018

FOREWORD

W E ARE HOLDING our own. Captain Ernest McSorley told Morgan Clark, First Mate of the iron-ore freighter, Arthur Marvin Anderson at 7:10PM CST on Monday evening, November 10 1975. A short time later, perhaps only a couple of minutes, the Edmund Fitzgerald , one of the largest and most famous Iron ore freighters running the Great Lakes since 1958, sank to the bottom of Great Lake Superior. It was one of the worst maritime disasters in United States’ history.

Ever since, there has been an endless debate about why the Fitzgerald foundered. The great ship’s remains have been dived upon and photographed countless times. However, each subsequent investigation has always led to more questions than answers. After exhaustive research, I, Timothy J. Thompson, will explain just why this horrible tragedy occurred. As an historian, my only goal in writing this or any of my previous books, is an unrelenting determination to uncover the truth. I will leave no stones unturned and state the facts no matter who becomes offended. That is my duty and responsibility as an historian and I take that very seriously.

I believe that one of the biggest mistakes historians have always made is trying to explain the reason why a significant event took place with just a simple explanation. This is hardly ever the case; and is sometimes so absurd, it can even be amusing. Take for instance the time long after the American Civil War had ended when former Major General George Pickett was asked why he thought his infamous charge had failed during the climatic Battle of Gettysburg. His reply was, I always thought that the Yankees had something to do with it. This, not too subtle explanation, was clearly as succinct as it was sarcastic; and Pickett always brooded about the destruction of his division on that hot afternoon in 1863, which obviously led to his acrimonious wisecrack. There can be no doubt that he knew there was more to it than that; much more. Beginning with General Robert E. Lee’s over confidence in his belief that his army was invincible, to the Confederate artillery way over shooting the Union position because of the poor fuses on many of their shells, to the utter lack of coordination on the part of the Confederate attacking units, to the lack of follow-up support, to the inspired leadership of Union Brigadier General Winfield Hancock, not to mention the total repulse of Jeb Stuart’s cavalry by 23 year-old Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer, thus, securing the Union rear. All of these events, in rapid succession, resulted in the catastrophic defeat of Pickett’s, Pettigrew’s, and Trimble’s ill-fated charge.

The same mistake has often been made when people discuss the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. More times than not, they fall into the trap of trying to explain the loss of that massive ship as a result of a tremendous storm on Great Lake Superior. Once again, this is far too simplistic of an explanation and wrong. There were several ships out on Lake Superior the very evening the Fitzgerald sank, including the Anderson, which was right behind her, barely 9.5 miles astern. Yet, she, and all the other vessels survived. So, therefore, to blame the loss of the Fitzgerald simply on the ferocity of Superior is not accurate and is proven so. There were many reasons for the