The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald facts for kids
The song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" tells the sad story of a real ship, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, that sank in a huge storm. This famous song helps us remember the ship, its crew, and the mystery of what happened on that stormy night. It also talks about what the ship used to do and some ideas about why it sank.
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The Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald Song
The song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" was written and sung by the Canadian artist Gordon Lightfoot. He released the song in 1976, just a year after the ship sank. The song became very popular and helped many people learn about this tragic event. Lightfoot wrote the song after reading a news article about the sinking. He wanted to tell the story in a way that people would remember.
What Was the SS Edmund Fitzgerald?
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was a very large ship called a "laker." This means it was built to travel on the Great Lakes of North America. It was one of the biggest ships on the lakes when it was launched in 1958.
A Giant on the Great Lakes
The Fitzgerald was 729 feet (about 222 meters) long. That's longer than two football fields! Its main job was to carry taconite pellets, which are a type of iron ore, from mines in Minnesota to steel mills in Detroit and Toledo. It made many trips across the lakes, carrying thousands of tons of cargo each time. The ship was known for its strength and reliability.
The Final Voyage
On November 9, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald left Superior, Wisconsin. It was heading for Detroit, Michigan, with a full load of taconite. Another ship, the Arthur M. Anderson, was traveling nearby. As they sailed across Lake Superior, a huge storm began to form. The weather quickly got much worse, with strong winds and very high waves.
The Storm's Fury
The storm on Lake Superior was one of the worst in years. Winds reached over 70 miles per hour (110 km/h), and waves were reported to be as high as 35 feet (11 meters). The Edmund Fitzgerald was in the middle of this terrible storm. The crew reported some problems, like a damaged radar and a slight list (tilting) to the ship. However, they did not seem to be in immediate danger.
The Mystery of the Sinking
Late in the evening of November 10, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald suddenly disappeared from radar screens. The last message from the ship was around 7:10 PM. The captain reported, "We are holding our own." Just minutes later, the ship was gone. All 29 crew members on board were lost. No distress signal was ever received.
What Happened?
To this day, no one knows exactly why the Edmund Fitzgerald sank. Many investigations have been done, and several theories exist.
- Rogue Waves: Some believe the ship was hit by one or more massive "rogue waves." These are unusually large and unpredictable waves that can appear even in rough seas.
- Structural Failure: Another idea is that the ship might have broken apart due to stress from the storm.
- Cargo Shift: It's also possible that the heavy taconite cargo shifted inside the ship, making it unstable.
- Hitting the Bottom: Some theories suggest the ship might have hit a shallow part of the lake bottom, even though it was in deep water.
The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald was later found in two pieces at the bottom of Lake Superior, about 530 feet (162 meters) deep. Even with the wreck found, the exact cause of the sinking remains a mystery. The song helps to keep the memory of the ship and its crew alive.
