Edmund Fitzgerald anniversary

[skyl4rk]

In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed

[Meddle]

Can you tell us oh wise one, the reason Superior never gives up her dead? And why does legend refer to Lake Superior as female?

Also remember that the ballad refers to folklore and Native American legend.

[Meddle]

When suppertime came the old cook came on deck sayin'.
"Fellas, it's too rough t'feed ya."
At seven P.M. a main hatchway caved in; he said,
"Fellas, it's bin good t'know ya!"

[Detroitej72]

Dead bodies only rise to the surface after bacteria within them creates enough gas to produce buoyancy. Lake Superior is too cold for these bacteria to live, due to her depth and northerly latitude.

In a book I have about the Fitz, they discuss a picture taken during one of the diving explorations. In the picture, there can be seen a body[[most likely one of the crewman) wearing a life vest lying close to the wreckage and that was the explanation given for why it never floated to the surface.

[Johnlodge]

The captain wired in he had water comin' in
and the good ship and crew was in peril.
And later that night when 'is lights went out of sight
came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

[lilpup]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgI8bta-7aw

I remember seeing that newscast while sitting at the dinner table.

We saw her lock thru upbound at the Soo when we were on vacation that August.

[jbd441]

As far as I know, it has to do with the water temperature. And why the 'oh wise one' crap? I'm quoting a song lyric. Go ask Gordon Lightfoot.

My thanks to jcole, blue, and retroit for answering my questions. I never would have guessed about Lake Superior's water temp having to do with bodies never floating. The gender issue of Lake Superior makes sense in reference to Mother Nature. Oh and jcole, "oh wise one" to me was meant as a term of respect. My apology if I offended you.

[douglasm]

Every time the sinking hits the headlines on Nov. 9th, I end up thinking of the sinking of the Carl D Bradley in 1958 and the Daniel J Morrell in 1966........

[downtown_racine]

That video lilpup posted is the best one on the youtubes IMO.
I get a shiver down my spine and goose pimples every time I hear that song, probably one of my all time favorite songs.
Seems many powerful things are regarded as female, big surprise there.

[Downriviera]

I remember that night well. I stayed awake all night with my transistor radio under my pillow, praying for word of survivors.

[lpg]

Several years ago the wife and I were on our way to the lighthouse in Split Rock, MN for a relighting of the light in honor of the Fitzgerald. We stopped at a motel in Superior, WI. When we got to the room, we turned on the radio and the station was alternating playing the Gordon Lightfoot song and the Navy Hymn [[Eternal Father).

[jcole]

My thanks to jcole, blue, and retroit for answering my questions. I never would have guessed about Lake Superior's water temp having to do with bodies never floating. The gender issue of Lake Superior makes sense in reference to Mother Nature. Oh and jcole, "oh wise one" to me was meant as a term of respect. My apology if I offended you.

That's okay. I'm so used to smart asses around here that I jumped to a conclusion. Sorry that I snapped

[PeachLaser]

We lived in Duluth '74-'75 overlooking the harbor.

I realize that we may have seen the EF but can't say for sure. Still, the tragedy makes me wonder? Did I see the crew somewhere walking along the streets or in a store? It is a haunting memory for me. And, it makes me appreciate the source of the iron that built Detroit's cars and the power of the lake they call Superior.

[jcole]

Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the words turn the minutes to hours...

[Jimaz]

waves, not words...

Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the words turn the minutes to hours...

Those are the most haunting lines in the whole song. It really conveys the gravity of the situation.

People around here who had absolutely no connection with the incident were completely preoccupied with the situation at that time. Life went on as usual but everyone sensed that there was something amiss. It was as if there were a mysterious shroud hanging over all of Michigan.

[gibran]

remember the Fitz...when living in Marquette, We used to remember that night with a vigorous drinking party ...[[with our fraternity) since many of the members actually met some of the crew on an earlier voyage. We must of played Gordon Lightfoot until there was a groove in the record...at Midnight we toasted the crew...Brez where ever you are thanks for the memories.

[1KielsonDrive]

I remember the Fitz being launched, as well as the Herbert Jackson and Arthur B.Homer. I posted a picture here last spring, of the Jackson at dock - probably winter lay-up, at Nicholson Terminal. They were all basically the same hull designs according to two of the engineers that worked on them at Great Lakes Engineering Works, the yard in River Rouge where they were built. I'm sure if anything I say is inaccurate, Billybrew will correct me. He's our resident tugger and Captain.

[BillyBBrew]

Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the words turn the minutes to hours...

I thought maybe JCole was referring to reading posts on here :-)

It is true that during rough weather the waves can and do turn minutes to hours.....

[1KielsonDrive]

There will also be a service tonight at the Mariner's Memorial Lighthouse located inside of Bellanger Park in River Rouge. Starts around 6:30 if I remember correctly. The Fitz was built there and they are very proud of the shipbuilding heritage.

I'd like to clarify what Billybrew said in his last sentence. The Fitz wasn't built there - Belanger Park, it was built in River Rouge at the GLEW about a half mile south of the present Belanger Park. Oddly enough the Fitz was built next to Belanger Park - the old Belanger Park. When Great Lakes Steel built their then brand new, state of the art, 80 inch mill in Rouge, they swapped the land for the new park for the old park, which was next to GLEW and a great place to watch shipbuilding.

[1KielsonDrive]

Launch days in River Rouge were like a festival. They put flags up on light poles, closed Great Lakes Avenue partially or completely from Jefferson to the gates of the shipyards. Traffic was severely curtailed, except deliveries, celebrities, politicians, etc. My uncle/godfather owned a diner/hamburger stand near the shipyards. He often had as much orders as he could handle for delivery to the yards. I'd watch him load up a bicycle's baskets and peddle the couple of blocks to the river to deliver the food orders and return to cook and repeat the cycle. My dad often helped. In the yard, stands were set up and chairs were placed inside of gondola railroad cars for the crowd. There were hundreds, if not thousands of spectators. I was busted more than once for sneaking down to the yards to watch something extraordinary - including launchs. It was a really big deal.

[jjaba]

In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral
The church bell chimed 'till it rang 29 times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.

[1KielsonDrive]

[quote=jjaba;88358]In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
If I'm correct, Lightfoot is referring to the sailor's Union Hall in that lyric. If so, he's incorrect about the location of the hall. The Union Hall was in River Rouge, not Detroit. It was located in the former Kramer-Eberts Pontiac Dealership building on West Jefferson Avenue between Cicotte and Anchor Streets. It had a glass showroom where the sailors watched teevee and lounged, back rooms used to put up for a few days between jobs and the former service garage in the rear used to park sailor's automobiles while on the lakes. I had a number of friends who shipped out of there. Being in my neighborhood, I was in and out of the building. The Rouge Hotel [[restaurant and lounge) was across the street and a hangout for the sailors and the union guys. Years later, the Union Hall moved to Algonac. The head of the union was my neighbor in Allen Park and his wife was an elected official.

[lilpup]

I thought that whole stanza referred to Mariners Church because the rector said he went to pray and, seemingly on impulse, rang the bell once for each soul.

[John]

The song does not refer to a Union Hall.

The song refers to “The Maritime Sailors’ Cathedral,� better known as Mariners' Church. http://www.marinerschurchofdetroit.org/

Rev. Ingalls, who rang the bell at Mariners 29 times, passed away on April 24, 2006.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/11/us/11shipwreck.html

[the rock]

A few years before she sank, the Fitz lost an anchor in the Detroit River. The Dossin Museum, as a fund raiser, convinced local WWJ-TV to show a half-hour live production of the raising of the anchor, the narration and diving conducted by local divers and Mal Sellars who was then the weatherman of Channel 4 and an experienced diver himself.. I am fortunate to have a VHS of the raising, and the anchor is now resting in the area next to the museum with a fitting plaque.