Gales of November, Recalling Fitzgerald Sinking, Now Cultural Phenomenon
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The Edmund Fitzgerald - The Winds of November Came Early
Three major ship disasters caused by November storms on the Great Lakes have been lifted into legend by video, story and song.
The disasters are, of course, the sinking of the steamships Carl D. Bradley in Lake Michigan Nov. 18, 1958; the Bay City built Daniel J. Morrell in Lake Huron Nov. 29, 1966; and the Edmund Fitzgerald Nov. 10, 1975 -- just over 30 years ago, in Lake Superior.
Amazingly, there have been no major ship disasters on the lakes in the past 20 years although many ships are now 1,000 feet long compared to 600-700 feet for most ships in the past.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) notes that mariners have long feared the intense storm systems that often move through the Great Lakes region in mid to late fall, and that November is the worst month for these storms.
Storms are most frequent and intense just when grain crops need to be shipped to market and coal and ore need to be stockpiled for winter.
At least 25 "killer" storms have swept the lakes in Novembers since 1847. More sailors have died this month than any other. The worst was Nov. 7-10, 1913 when 12 ships went down and about 250 men died. Winds were reported up to 86 miles per hour, accompanied bysnow, ice and frigid temperatures. Waves up to 35-50 feet high were said to have been experienced.
Lake Superior is known for strong winds that bounce storm waves off the shore and create "peak" waves of up to 39 feet that tower over normal storm waves. A pair of monster waves is suspected of having sent the Fitzgerald to the bottom of Lake Superior.
In the past two decades a new type of ship, the Great Lakes cargo vessel, called "laker," has evolved, according to the annual publication "Know Your Ships."
The laker, unique among the world's merchant vessels, is capable of carrying up to 70,000 tons of iron ore or 1.7 million bushels of grain.
We are almost through the most dreaded month in lore of the the Great Lakes -- November. More than a dozen lakers are still out there, making what doubtless will be their last runs of the season. Several vessels have called at Saginaw River ports in the last week or so.
The latest major sinking, the Fitzgerald, has been vaulted into the higher reaches of human recollection through the media: the ballad "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," made famous by Gordon Lightfoot, scores of videos, a hit play "Ten November" and now a new musical production, "The Galesof November," featured on Minnesota Public Radio and with a live show that debuted in St. Paul a couple of weeks ago and toured Minnesota.
The production features a trio of songsters rhapsodizing on love, life and loss on the lakes. A musical string quartet provides musical accompaniment as actor Kevin Kling delivers a narrative exploring reality and fantasy of lakes lore and tales of the tragedy.
A couple of weeks ago a Gales of November conference was held at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center. The event began as a few divers getting together for dinner to share shipwreck pictures and videos has grown to be a major event.
Last year 350 persons attended the Gales of November conference. This year topics included "Building Ships for the Great Lakes," by an executive of Bay Shipbuilding Co., Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, newly discovered shipwrecks, and new books on regional and maritime history.
The Fitzgerald went down with all hands, 29 men, Nov. 10, 1975 during a severe storm in eastern Lake Superior. The National Transportation Safety Board has determined cause of the sinking as massive flooding of the cargo hold due to the collapse of hatch covers. No distress call was heard by vessels or shore stations.
The Morrell sunk in Lake Huron while traveling on its last trip of the 1966 season. Of a crew of 29, only Dennis Hale survived. He spoke last year in Bay City in a program sponsored by the Saginaw River Marine Historical Society. The 60-year-old ship had been built in 1906 by the American Shipbuilding Co., successor to F.W. Wheeler Shipbuilding Co., a west side yard.
The Bradley sank with loss of 33 men in a violent Lake Michigan storm Nov. 18, 1958. The sole survivor, Frank Mays, accompanied divers who found and filmed the vessel in 1997. The Bradley rests in two sections in 360 feet of water. Its cargo of coal is scattered in a wide area on the bottom.###
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