The bell rang 29 times, 50 years since the sinking of Edmund Fitzgerald

[aicolainen]

I'm neither from the US nor Canada and I've never been to the great lakes, but this story has moved me since I first learned about it.

I've spent quite some time on the oceans and there's no shortage of maritime tragedies that are closer both time and distance, and should be much more relatable, but none really gets under my skin like this one does. It's reasonable to assume Mr. Lightfoot played a part in that process as well, with his evocative and brilliantly written song about the incident.



29 salutes

[Bolster]

Neat post! Thanks!!

[Capt'n Boatsalot]

Not sure exactly why, but this tragedy has always fascinated me. I grew up not near the Great Lakes, nor the Ocean, but similar for me once I learned of this I couldn't learn enough.

I think it's remarkable that since this tragedy, no large carrier has been lost on the Great Lakes. The changes since the loss of the Fitz clearly made a significant difference.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

I am glad you shared this. This leads to a question I have. Two, actually:

1 how safe are the American and Canadian Great Lakes from enemy submarines sneaking into them? Do the river locks stop thst?

2 if a person is aboard a ship and it is torpedoed or sinking, what is the best method of survival?

[Manixguy@1994]

Thanks for posting, this video was well put together and was very interesting. MG2

[ChrisinHove]

I am glad you shared this. This leads to a question I have. Two, actually:

1 how safe are the American and Canadian Great Lakes from enemy submarines sneaking into them? Do the river locks stop thst?

2 if a person is aboard a ship and it is torpedoed or sinking, what is the best method of survival?

Lock gates will certainly stop seagoing submarines! I imagine it would possible to transport midget submarines overland, though.

My father is 96. As a young merchant marine engineer he sailed with men who had been torpedoed, some on multiple occasions. The answer is “be lucky”, particularly if you’re in the engine/boiler rooms accessed only by ladders and watertight hatches.

[Doc Dan]

I didn't know about the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald until Lightfoot released the song and it is one of my favorites by him. He heard about the sinking on news and sat down and wrote the song.

[Aladinsane]

Fascinating! I think the National Geographic magazine had an article about this years ago.

[Aladinsane]

Yep, January 1996

[cabfrank]

Thank your posting this. I grew on the shores of Lake Michigan, and heard of this tragedy since my youth. The near miss aspect and question about the actual end make it haunting and mysterious. I think of it now and then, and am glad for a reminder on a milestone anniversary, to do more reading about it. I'll listen to the always chilling song too, a great one.