Michigan legislative action thread
Posted on 11/10/2015 5:31:14 AM PST by Cletus.D.Yokel
40 years ago, a few hours after sunset...
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 outta sight came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
They still do, today. I've attended 2 of these memorials over the years
A favorite song and memorable event.
We have a lithograph of the Fitz hanging on our living room wall even though we now live one mile from the Chesapeake Bay.
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/2963351_jim-clary-lithograph-edmund-fitzgerald-342
That’s a link to an auction site that was selling a copy of the same painting. It’s pretty haunting. The artists image is as the Fitz is being carried up between two rogue waves and ready to crack in half.
Still as haunting as it was then.
Tonight http://boatnerd.com will do a live webcast
Lost Mariners Remembrance
November 10 2015 |
6:00pm to 8:00pm
Watch the live webcast at boatnerd.com! This annual program remembering lost mariners of the Great Lakes will feature renowned...
>more<
Starting at 6:20 p.m. the Lost Mariners Remembrance webcast will be streamed from the Dossin museum starting with a concert by Lee Murdock followed by a program featuring renowned marine artist Robert McGreevy tells the story of the brave lifesaving crews who patrolled the Great Lakes.
Visit http://detroithistorical.org/dossin-great-lakes-museum/events-calendar/events-listing
Bookmark
For later.
It is worth noting we had a similar event with over 20 dead from a U.S. crewed ship in the Bahamas this year. Maine Mariner knew at least one of them.
The rogue waves is probably the most likely cause of the event. The ship was fully loaded with iron ore pellets and a wave at the bow and a wave at the stern lifted the ship up and she broke in two. Also, I believe the Fitzgerald had been lengthen and that might have caused a weakness in the hull.
However, there are two other theories about the sinking:
first, after the sinking new soundings were taken of the bottom. The water was not as deep as previous thought and it is possible that with the storm the Fitzgerald scraped the bottom of the lake and torn its bottom out. Second, the hatches were not properly secured and water leaked in or the vents to the cargo holes took on water.
I have spoken to several now retired Coast Guard officers who were involved in the investigation. They don’t know for sure what the cause was.
Also, a few years ago, Gordon Lightfoot changed some lyrics when they found the main hatchway did not give in.
I met a guy once who dove the wreck. He thinks some of the hatch bolts weren’t tightened all the way and water came in to the hold, making the ship heavier and harder to control.
That ship, El Faro was one of the first ships I saw when I moved to Baltimore area. It moored in the harbor for months. I assume it was being refitted.
It’s pretty eerie. Every time I drive by the harbor, I expect to see El Faro at the dock.
I don’t know that I ever saw the Big Fitz, but when I lived in Michigan, I loved to watch the Freighters go bye.
I still remember being able to identify the William Clay Ford by the distinctive engine noise.
We were in Duluth visiting friends a few years ago, and I got to see an ore freighter go under the lift bridge into the harbor. It was pretty cool. Went to the maritime museum, where there is a large diorama of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
From my recollection, the memorial service begins at sunrise tomorrow.
170 E Jefferson Ave, Detroit, MI
Corner of Jefferson and Randolph; walking distance of RenCen and “The Joe”. Still, the most vibrant part (relatively) of downtown Detroit.
Watch the live webcast at boatnerd.com! This annual program remembering lost mariners of the Great Lakes will feature renowned...
Please excuse this foreigner, but what time zone would that be?
That seems to me to be the most likely cause.
However, anytime you cut a ship in half and add an extension, the hull weakens.
Oh, NO PROBLEM! Having worked steady overnights for 20 years I often get confused about time/days, LOL! Now being retired it’s worse!
Since Detroit is in the Eastern Time Zone it would be 6pm Eastern.
Thank you.
3pm to 5 pm PST
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.