"[85] Shannon concluded that "massive and advancing structural failure" caused Edmund Fitzgerald to break apart on the surface and sink. The simulation indicated such a rogue wave could almost completely submerge the bow or stern of the ship with water, at least temporarily. [43] Woodard testified to the Marine Board that he overheard McSorley say, "Don't allow nobody on deck,"[50] as well as something about a vent that Woodard could not understand. SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American Great Lakes freighter that sank in Lake Superior during a storm on November 10, 1975, with the loss of the entire crew of 29 men. I detected undue stress in the side tunnels by examining the white enamel paint, which will crack and splinter when submitted to severe stress. [40] Arthur M. Anderson and Edmund Fitzgerald altered course northward seeking shelter along the Ontario shore[37] where they encountered a winter storm at 1:00 a.m. on November 10. [107] This meant that Edmund Fitzgerald's deck was only 11.5 feet (3.5 m) above the water when she faced 35-foot (11 m) waves during the November 10 storm. 8 and the deck plating was ripped up from the separation to the forward end of hatch No. One had speeds in excess of 43 knots (80 km/h; 49 mph) and the other winds in excess of 40 knots (74 km/h; 46 mph). [77] The same year, longtime sport diver Fred Shannon formed Deepquest Ltd., and organized a privately funded dive to the wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald, using Delta Oceanographic's submersible, Delta. Shortly after 7:10 p.m., Edmund Fitzgerald suddenly sank in Canadian (Ontario) waters 530 feet (88 fathoms; 160 m) deep, about 17 miles (15 nautical miles; 27 kilometers) from Whitefish Bay near the twin cities of Sault Ste. [36] Around 5 p.m., Edmund Fitzgerald joined a second freighter under the command of Captain Jesse B. They found that the Canadian 1973 navigational chart for the Six Fathom Shoal area was based on Canadian surveys from 1916 and 1919 and that the 1973 U.S. Lake Survey Chart No. [105] This hypothesis postulates that the "three sisters" compounded the twin problems of Edmund Fitzgerald's known list and her lower speed in heavy seas that already allowed water to remain on her deck for longer than usual. A large galley and fully stocked pantry supplied meals for two dining rooms. [16] Originally coal-fired, her boilers were converted to burn oil during the 1971–72 winter layup. [5] The vessel ran aground in 1969, and she collided with SS Hochelaga in 1970. Great Lakes Grand Discovery, French Canada and Great Lakes and more! [81] Shannon determined that based on GPS coordinates from the 1994 Deepquest expedition, "at least one-third of the two acres of immediate wreckage containing the two major portions of the vessel is in U.S. waters because of an error in the position of the U.S.–Canada boundary line shown on official lake charts. The USCG replied that their monitoring equipment indicated that both instruments were inactive. [103], At the time of the sinking, the ship Arthur M. Anderson reported northwest winds of 57 mph (50 kn; 92 km/h), matching the simulation analysis result of 54 mph (47 kn; 87 km/h). Stonehouse called on ship designers and builders to design lake carriers more like ships rather than "motorized super-barges"[149] making the following comparison: Contrast this [the Edmund Fitzgerald] with the story of the SS Maumee, an oceangoing tanker that struck an iceberg near the South Pole recently. [94] On the basis of the amended law, to protect wreck sites considered "watery graves", the Ontario government issued updated regulations in January 2006, including an area with a 500-meter (1,640 ft) radius around Edmund Fitzgerald and other specifically designated marine archeological sites. The simulation also showed one in 100 waves reaching 36 feet (11 m) and one out of every 1,000 reaching 46 feet (14 m). The Hampshire, reportedly owned by English billionaire Andrew Currie, has been making … The USCG cited topside damage as a reasonable alternative reason for Edmund Fitzgerald sinking and surmised that damage to the fence rail and vents was possibly caused by a heavy floating object such as a log. Edmund Fitzgerald was the first laker built to the maximum St. Lawrence Seaway size,[11] which was 730 feet (222.5 m) long, 75 feet (22.9 m) wide, and with a 25 foot (7.6 m) draft. Although, there are 13 that stand out from the crowd for their sheer goliath-like size. [203], A piano concerto titled The Edmund Fitzgerald was composed by American composer Geoffrey Peterson in 2002; it premiered by the Sault Symphony Orchestra in Sault Ste. James R. Barker – This beauty was the third vessel built to this impressive scale. The May 4, 1978, NTSB findings differed from the USCG. Interlake Steamship Company, with headquarters in Ohio, is the largest privately-held U.S. flag fleet on the Great Lakes. The largest and longest ships ever to be laid down per original plans. [101], Edmund Fitzgerald sank at the eastern edge of the area of high wind[102] where the long fetch, or distance that wind blows over water, produced significant waves averaging over 23 feet (7.0 m) by 7:00 p.m. and over 25 feet (7.6 m) at 8:00 p.m. American Spirit – Originally the George A. Stinson, she was renamed in 2004 to honor the spirit of the American Steamship Company’s workers as well as the spirit of America. [135] He stated that planning Edmund Fitzgerald to be compatible with the constraints of the St. Lawrence Seaway had placed her hull design in a "straight jacket [sic?]. They are up to 1,013.5 feet long and 105 feet wide with a hull depth of 56 feet. The intensity of the November 10 storm would have made it difficult, if not impossible, to access the hatches from the spar deck (deck over the cargo holds). The flooding occurred gradually and probably imperceptibly throughout the final day, finally resulting in a fatal loss of buoyancy and stability. No, your eyes don't deceive you — that is a 217-foot, $125-million super yacht cruising the Great Lakes. [5] The vessel's record load for a single trip was 27,402 long tons (30,690 short tons; 27,842 t) in 1969. Marie, Ontario—a distance Edmund Fitzgerald could have covered in just over an hour at her top speed. Constructed for Interlake Steamship Company, the new self-unloading bulk carrier is believed to be the first U.S. flagged freighter being built for the Great Lakes … [5] For 17 years, Edmund Fitzgerald carried taconite from Minnesota's Iron Range mines near Duluth, Minnesota, to iron works in Detroit, Toledo, and other ports. SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American Great Lakes freighter that sank in Lake Superior during a storm on November 10, 1975, with the loss of the entire crew of 29 men. The towed survey system and the Mini Rover ROV were designed, built and operated by Chris Nicholson of Deep Sea Systems International, Inc.[72] Participants included the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Geographic Society, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS), and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the latter providing RV Grayling as the support vessel for the ROV. Charles S. Price (Lake Huron) Of several ships … [208], "Edmund Fitzgerald" redirects here. They are up to 1,013.5 feet long and 105 feet wide with a hull depth of 56 feet. [68], From May 20 to 28, 1976, the U.S. Navy dived on the wreck using its unmanned submersible, CURV-III, and found Edmund Fitzgerald lying in two large pieces in 530 feet (160 m) of water. All of the 14 other clamps were undamaged and in the open position. The event was plagued by misfortunes. , though many books, studies, and she collided with SS Hochelaga 1970... Bottom without warning ship he described as a `` traditional '' all-cabins-aft `` footer '' example. Sinking remains unknown, though many books, studies, and proponents of theories. A half hours, while welded joints are more likely to break stood on vertically! Flag fleet on the No Harbor – she can haul either iron ore or coal, Instagram... Gm diesel engines equipment and a beautiful map room Fitzgerald investigation concluded that the accident caused! 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