The article is about the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a Great Lakes freighter that sank in a storm on November 10, 1975. The article discusses the events leading up to the sinking and the role of Captain Ernest McSorley and his crew.
The article begins by describing the weather conditions on the night of the storm, with high winds and heavy rain. The Fitzgerald was traveling from Superior, Wisconsin to Detroit, Michigan with a cargo of iron ore, and was carrying 29 crew members.
As the ship approached the Straits of Mackinac, it encountered severe storms that caused damage to its hull and propeller. Despite efforts by the crew to make repairs, the ship continued to take on water, and at around 7:10 pm, the ship lost contact with the Anderson, a nearby freighter that was acting as a lookout.
The last transmission from the Fitzgerald, received by the Anderson, was a confused message from First Mate Morgan Clark, who claimed to have seen the lights of the Fitzgerald fading into the distance. The article suggests that McSorley may have been aware that the ship was in trouble, but chose not to warn his crew or take action to try and save the ship.
The article goes on to discuss the circumstances surrounding McSorley's decision not to warn his crew, with some historians suggesting that he may have been trying to avoid embarrassment by not taking drastic action. However, others argue that this theory is speculative and that there is no clear evidence to support it.
Despite the controversy surrounding McSorley's actions, the sinking of the Fitzgerald remains one of the most infamous shipwrecks in American history. The incident led to a number of changes in maritime safety regulations and practices, including the implementation of new weather forecasting systems and improved navigation equipment.
The article concludes by noting that the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald is still remembered and commemorated today, with many people visiting the wreck site on Lake Superior each year to pay their respects. The incident has also inspired a number of books, films, and songs, including the 1979 song "Ain't That Lovin' No Fun Anymore" by Pete Seeger.
Overall, the article provides a detailed and nuanced account of the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, and highlights the complexities and controversies surrounding this tragic event.
The article begins by describing the weather conditions on the night of the storm, with high winds and heavy rain. The Fitzgerald was traveling from Superior, Wisconsin to Detroit, Michigan with a cargo of iron ore, and was carrying 29 crew members.
As the ship approached the Straits of Mackinac, it encountered severe storms that caused damage to its hull and propeller. Despite efforts by the crew to make repairs, the ship continued to take on water, and at around 7:10 pm, the ship lost contact with the Anderson, a nearby freighter that was acting as a lookout.
The last transmission from the Fitzgerald, received by the Anderson, was a confused message from First Mate Morgan Clark, who claimed to have seen the lights of the Fitzgerald fading into the distance. The article suggests that McSorley may have been aware that the ship was in trouble, but chose not to warn his crew or take action to try and save the ship.
The article goes on to discuss the circumstances surrounding McSorley's decision not to warn his crew, with some historians suggesting that he may have been trying to avoid embarrassment by not taking drastic action. However, others argue that this theory is speculative and that there is no clear evidence to support it.
Despite the controversy surrounding McSorley's actions, the sinking of the Fitzgerald remains one of the most infamous shipwrecks in American history. The incident led to a number of changes in maritime safety regulations and practices, including the implementation of new weather forecasting systems and improved navigation equipment.
The article concludes by noting that the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald is still remembered and commemorated today, with many people visiting the wreck site on Lake Superior each year to pay their respects. The incident has also inspired a number of books, films, and songs, including the 1979 song "Ain't That Lovin' No Fun Anymore" by Pete Seeger.
Overall, the article provides a detailed and nuanced account of the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, and highlights the complexities and controversies surrounding this tragic event.
I dont think its fair 2 blame Captain McSorley for what happened 2 the Edmund Fitzgerald. He was just doin his job & followin the rules as he knew them. It sounds 2 me like they had pretty bad luck w/ that storm - it was a real bummer 4 everyone on board 
Still, it's a shame we'll never know for sure what really went down... 
. I mean, what if he knew there was gonna be a storm and still wanted to push it out to sea? Or maybe he had some personal agenda going on? The fact that his crew went down with the ship is just too much of a coincidence... 
And don't even get me started on those weather conditions – it's like the gods were trying to send a message, but what did they want us to know? 
. The discussion is getting nowhere because people keep spamming links to old forum threads 
. And don't even get me started on how long it takes to load... my internet is slower than a ship in a storm 
#Shipwreck #GreatLakes #Tragedy
#SafetyAtSea
Still, it's a sad day when lives are lost over politics 
. I mean, come on, 29 lives lost in a storm? You'd think someone would've wanted to save those lives, you know? But nope, apparently McSorley's ego got the better of him. Or maybe he was just plain old incompetent. Either way, it's not like we're going to know for sure what really happened 
. And what about all these "historians" who are speculating about his motives? Can't they just stick to the facts for once? I need some sources, you know? Otherwise, it's just speculation and hearsay 
anyway its crazy how the weather conditions were so bad that night, like a straight-up storm 
what was going through mcSorley's head at that point? did he really not think anyone would notice they were sinking? 
but honestly its all so unclear now
The more I think about it, the more I'm like "what was goin' on with Captain McSorley that night?" 
I mean, I get it, it's a tough situation, but you'd think someone would take charge and try somethin' 
. And what's with the "may have been aware" thing? It's like, either he was or he wasn't, ya know? 
. Can't believe we have to navigate through all these paragraphs just to get to the good stuff. And what's up with the font size? It's like they're trying to make us squint to read. 
. Can someone please update this site to make it more user-friendly? 
. And it's awesome that the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald lives on, even 50+ years later 
.
. The thing is, as captain of the ship, he's supposed to be the leader who makes tough decisions, so it's gotta be more than that