The SS Edmund Fitzgerald and a Fateful Night on Lake Superior

Built by Great Lakes Engineering Works in River Rouge, Michigan, and launched in 1958, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald was a marvel of Great Lakes shipping.

Measuring 729 ft (222 m) long, it was designed to carry taconite pellets from mines near Duluth, Minnesota, to iron works in places like Zug Island and Toledo.

Nicknamed the "Pride of the American Side," the Fitzgerald regularly sailed between ports in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. It was operated by Oglebay Norton Corporation and known for being a good ship, despite the rough weather common on Lake Superior.

On November 9, 1975, the Fitzgerald departed from Superior, Wisconsin, fully loaded with over 26,000 tons (23,587 metric tonnes) of taconite pellets. It was bound for a steel mill near Detroit. Aboard were Captain Ernest McSorley and a seasoned crew.

The weather forecast called for worsening conditions, but no one anticipated that they would encounter what Captain McSorley described as “one of the worst seas he had ever been in."

By November 10, winds were gusting over 70 knots, with waves reaching heights of 35 ft (10 m). The Fitzgerald was accompanied by another freighter, the Arthur M. Anderson.

The two ships stayed in radio contact as they battled gale-force winds and high waves in the Six Fathom Shoal area near Caribou Island.

As the storm intensified, the Fitzgerald reported issues, including a lost fence rail and vent covers, and the ship was listing. Captain McSorley radioed that "we are holding our own" near Whitefish Bay, but that was the last anyone heard. No distress signal was ever sent.

When the Fitzgerald failed to arrive, a search was launched by the Coast Guard, with support from other ships and aircraft. Wreckage was later found 17 miles (27 km) from Whitefish Point, near the Whitefish Point Light.

The entire crew was lost.

The exact cause of the ship's sinking remains debated.

Theories range from ineffective hatch closures and a compromised cargo hold to rogue waves and structural failure. Some point to issues with the spar deck, hatch covers or the main hatchway caving in due to water pressure. Others suggest crew error or design flaws.

The wreck lies in two large pieces on the lakebed. The bell was recovered and now rests at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum near Whitefish Point as a memorial.

Canadian folk singer Gordon Lightfoot immortalized the tragedy in his song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," referencing the Maritime Sailors Cathedral and the "musty old hall in Detroit."

The song brought the story to audiences worldwide, and live performances of it remain powerful tributes to the lost crew.

National Geographic Society documentaries and other research have kept the story alive, and the ship's name endures as a symbol of the power and danger of the Great Lakes.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.