Today in labor history Nov 10 The ship Edmund Fitzgerald lost in a storm on Lake Superior

November 10

November 10, 1933 - Members of the Independent Union of All Workers occupied the Hormel meatpacking plant in Austin, Minnesota, in what some historians consider the first sitdown strike of the 1930s. Workers held the plant for three days, demanding a wage increase. Governor Floyd B. Olson mediated an agreement between owner Jay Hormel and the union.

The ship Edmund Fitzgerald – the biggest carrier on the Great Lakes – and crew of 29 are lost in a storm on Lake Superior while carrying ore from Superior, Wisc. to Detroit. The cause of the sinking was never established - 1975

Tile, Marble, Terrazzo Finishers, Shop Workers & Granite Cutters International Union merges into United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners - 1988

I don't know why. I've seen a pretty good documentary on the E.F. Incredible storm. Most people just don't realize how fierce the Great Lakes can be.

Great Lakes Shipyard in River Rouge, Michigan. My neighbor's father was a steelworker who helped build the boat. This is always a sad day around these parts. Mariner's Church in downtown Detroit holds a commemorative service every year to honor those lost.

As an aside, the Arthur M. Anderson (the last vessel in contact with the Fitzgerald the night she was lost) still does the iron-ore route. I saw her (the Anderson) four times this summer. She is still a beautiful vessel and well-kept. You can keep track of Great Lakes shipping vessels during (and off season) here, if you are interested:

http://www.boatnerd.com/

And yes, people think of lakes and think "no big deal." However, anyone who has been near or on Lake Superior (or any of the Great Lakes) during gale-force weather can tell you how frightening it really is.

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the Great Lakes. NEver even seen them. But I have sailed in a relatively small bay in bad weather. And I understand what "storm surge" is from hurricanes, etc. One captain of a boat I sailed on used to sail on one of the GL. Said it was like a f#*king ocean in bad weather. I can only imagine how bad the GL can get.

The Great Lakes are misunderstood by so many...when most people think of lakes, they think of placid waters and swimming beaches. The reality of he Great Lakes is far different. They really are like inland oceans. They are basins of a HUGE amount of water that get over-agitated under conditions that oceans can absorb due to their size. Obviously, the Great Lakes can't absorb such turbulence; they become a huge wave feedback mechanism. There are many who believe that two rogue waves actually sunk the Edmund Fitzgerald; the Captain of the Arthur M. Anderson warned the Fitz of two such impending waves (the Anderson was about 15 miles behind the Fitz, experienced the waves, and radioed ahead as warning). The Fitz by that time was already listing, had lost her radar, and was at the mercy of the sailing gods, so to speak. We know the final outcome. :-(

I love the boatnerd site because, well, I am a boat nerd now that I live here LOL. The boatnerd site is great, because you can see the locations of the freighters as they make their way through the GL channels. I live along the channel, so I check in quite often during the summer to watch the freighters come through my neighborhood. It's funny; I hear freighter horns all night long through the summer (yes, I sleep through them now, it's normal for me), and I always find it odd NOT to hear them. It takes a little getting used to in the winter months when the freighters are silent!

I'm glad for your observations - they are a very interesting thing, the GL. Obviously, I am a huge fan of GL shipping. I know that spring has arrived when I see my first freighter. :-)

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...Superior is my fav of the great lakes...but I wouldn't want to be caught out in a storm on her. I've vacationed on the North Shore and driven by Duluth (big port there) and it's scary to see how tiny that Great Lake can make those ships seem.

sr

...in Michigan's Upper Peninsula region. Copper Harbor, Eagle Harbor, Houghton...beautiful country. Those boats look like toys in a bathtub out there, don't they? Beautiful lake, though.

Saw the museum on the wharf with the Edmund photos etc...