Edmund Fitzgerald November 10, 2010 Time Line of The Edmund Fitzgerald

The position of Fitzgerald relative to that of Anderson cannot be reconstructed. Information available is based on the recollection of the Master and Watch Officers on Anderson, since the relative position of Fitzgerald was observed intermittently on the radar, but not positions reports by officers of Anderson were not sufficiently accurate to allow the trackline of either Fitzgerald or Anderson to be reconstructed.

History of the S. S. Edmund Fitzgerald

1903
Great Lakes Engineering Works start slip construction at the new ship yard.

1957
1 February
A contract is signed between the Great Lakes Engineering Works (GLEW) and the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. GLEW is to design and build the largest ship on the Great Lakes.

7 August
River Rouge, Michigan
The keel of hull # 301 is laid. The ship is still unnamed.

1958
Early in the year, the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company issuesa press release. The company will "name its new Great Lakes bulk freighter the 'Edmund Fitzgerald,' for its newly-elected board chairman."

Edmund Fitzgerald's grandfather John was one of six Fitzgerald brothers who were Great Lakes captains.

7 June
River Rouge, Michigan
Hull # 301, the Edmund Fitzgerald, is launched on the River Rouge from
the Great Lakes Engineering Works (GLEW). Hull # 300 was launched in 1953, shorter but otherwise similar William Clay Ford. The Fitzgerald
becomes the largest ship to sail the Great Lakes, a title she will hold
for eleven years. She is owned by the Northwestern Mutual Life insurance company and placed under long-term charter to the Oglebay
Norton company of Cleveland.

13 September
Sea trials begin for the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald.

22 September
The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald is delivered into the hand of Olgebay-Norton.

24 September
Soo Locks Captain Bert Lambert takes the biggest and longest ship on her first voyage through the locks. On her return voyage, the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald will break the record for the largest load carried through the locks.

1959
Command of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald is assigned to Captain N.C. Larsen.

1966
Captain Peter P. (Pete) Pulcer takes command.

1969
Minimum required freeboard is reduced by the American Board of Shipping (ABS)

A diesel bow-thruster is installed.

1969
6 September
The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald runs aground near the Soo Locks, resulting in considerable internal and external damage.

1969-1970
Winter layup
Additional vertical stiffening is added to her keelsons to correct
a cracking problem.

1970
30 April
Collision with S.S. Hochelaga

4 September
She strikes a lock wall at the Soo and suffers damage.

1971
Freeboard is again reduced by ABS

1971-1972
Winter layup
Duluth, Minnesota
Converted from coal to oil.

1972
Captain McSorley assumes command.

1973
Freeboard is again reduced by ABS. The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald can now legally carry enough cargo to sit 3 feet 3 1/4 inches lower in the water than was considered safe when she was launched. (4,421.5 tons more.) The shipping industry standard for shipments of coal is the net ton (2,000 lbs or 907.2 kgs). Other bulk commodities use the gross ton (2,240 lbs / 1,016 kgs) or metric tonne (1,000 kgs / 2,204.6 lbs).

May
Soo Lock wall is hit with damage.

1973-1974
Winter layup
The cracking problem has reoccurred, corrected by welding.

1974
7 Jan
Detroit River
About one mile west of Belle Isle, the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald loses her bow anchor.

17 June
Again, the Soo Lock wall is struck with damage.

1975
31 October
Toledo, Ohio
The Coast Guard inspects the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald. Lt. William R. Paul of the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office notes the problems on Form CG 835. She is found to have damaged hatch coamings on three of her hatches. The ship will not be permitted to sail next spring unless
repairs are made. However, she is allowed to continue sailing without
repairs for the remainder of the shipping season.

1 November
The Coast Guard cutter Naugatuck, stationed at Sault Ste. Marie, is placed on maintenance status through November 16, 1975.

4 November
The Coast Guard writes Oglebay Norton a letter, informing them of the
damaged hatches. The Fitzgerald is considered seaworthy to face the
November weather but must have the repairs made before spring.

9 November

8:00 AM EST (All times in EST unless otherwise noted) Dearborn, Michigan
The William Clay Ford finishes unloading taconite at the Ford Rouge Dock.

8:30 AM
Superior, Wisconsin
The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald begins loading a cargo of taconite (iron ore
pellets) at the Burlington Northern Railroad Dock No. 1. She is
scheduled to take them to a steel maker on Zug Island in the Detroit
River. She is still chartered to Oglebay Norton of Cleveland. (This
is certainly the source of the incorrect lyric "When she left fully
loaded for Cleveland")

12:01 PM
Under the command of Captain Donald Erickson, the William Clay Ford
departs the Ford Rouge Dock. She is upbound for Superior, Wisconsin on
her 44th trip of the year, to carry another load of taconite back to
Ford Steel.

2:20 PM
The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald leaves Superior with a cargo of 26,116 long tons of taconite.
("Twenty-Six Thousand tons more than the good ship weighed empty")

2:30 PM
Two Harbors, Minnesota
The Arthur M. Anderson, 767 feet long, leaves harbor. She is also
carrying taconite, downbound for Gary, Indiana under the command
of Jesse "Bernie" Cooper.

2:39 PM
The Weather Service posts gale warnings.
On the Anderson, Captain Cooper radios to a freighter he sees behind
him.

"W4805, Arthur M. Anderson to the vessel northbound abeam Knife River. Do you read me?"
"Anderson, this is the Edmund Fitzgerald. Over"
"This is the Anderson. Have you picked up the gale warnings the Weather Service just posted? Over."
"This is the Fitzgerald, ah, roger."
"I'm thinking I will take the northern track; get over to the north shore for shelter in case it really starts to blow. Over."
"I've been thinking the same thing. I'm steering sixty-five degrees for Isle Royale."

4:15 PM
The Fitzgerald sights the Anderson.

10 November

1:00 AM
Weather report from the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald.
The Fitzgerald is a weather reporting ship, as is the Anderson. They
report four times a day, at 1 AM, 7 AM, 1 PM, and 7 PM. The report from
the Fitzgerald shows her position to be 20 miles south of Isle Royale.
Winds from 030 at 52 knots, waves of 10 feet.

2:00 AM
At some point early in the morning, the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald overtakes the Anderson.

7:00 AM
Weather report from the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald.
The report gives her position as 45 N of Copper Harbor, Winds from 050 at 35 knots, waves of 10 feet. This is the last weather report from
the Fitzgerald.

1:00 PM
Weather report from the Anderson
Her position is 20 miles northwest of Michipicoten Island, winds from 150 at 20 knots, waves of 12 feet.

Weather report from the M/V Simcoe
The Simcoe is only 15 miles away and reports winds from 270 at 44
knots, with waves of 7 feet.

No weather report is received from the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald.
Her estimated position is 11 miles northwest of Michipicoten Island.

1:40 PM
Radio traffic between the masters of the Anderson and the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald.

Captain Cooper states "I'm going to haul to the west for a while."
Captain McSorley replies "Well, I am rolling some, but I think I'll hold the course until I'm ready to turn for Caribou."

1:50 PM
Log of the Anderson
Winds NW by N at 5 knots, north of Michipicoten.

2:45 PM
Log of the Anderson
West of Michipicoten, winds from the NW at 42 knots.

3:15 PM
The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald rounds Caribou Island near "Six Fathom Shoals".
Captain Jesse Cooper onboard the Arthur Anderson watches on radar
and remarks to his first mate, Morgan E. Clark.

"Look at this, Morgan. That's the Edmund Fitzgerald; he's in close to that six fathom spot."
Morgan replies "He sure looks like he's in the shoal area."
"He sure does. He's in too close. He's closer than I'd want this ship to be."

3:20 PM
Log of the Anderson
South of Michipicoten, winds from the NW at 43 knots.

3:30 PM
Radio Transmision from Captain McSorley on the Fitzgerald to
Captain Cooper

"Anderson, this is the Edmund Fitzgerald. I have sustained some topside damage. I have a fence rail laid down, two vents lost or damaged, and a list. I'm checking down. Will you stay by me till I get to Whitefish?"
"Charlie on that Fitzgerald. Do you have your pumps going?"
"Yes, both of them."

The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald is equipped with four electric 7000 gallon-per-minute
main ballast pumps and two electric 2000 gallon-per-minute auxilary
pumps.

4:10 PM
The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald has two radar sets but both has it's own antenna.
The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald calls on the radio to the Arthur M. Anderson.

"Anderson, this is the Edmund Fitzgerald. I have lost both radars. Can you provide me with radar plots till we reach Whitefish Bay?"
"Charlie on that, Fitzgerald. We'll keep you advised of your position."

Time Unknown
Whitefish Bay
The upbound saltwater vessel Avafors is piloted is a retired laker,
Captain Cedric Woodard. Woodard advises the Captain of the Avafors not to leave the shelter of Whitefish Bay. The saltwater captain gives his
reply. "This is just a lake. We go, pilot."
The Avafors departs Whitefish Bay.

about 4:39 PM
The Fitzgerald cannot pick up the Whitefish Point radio
beacon. Without radar operating and with no radio beacon,
the Fitzgerald is operating blind, totally dependent on
navigational assistance from the Anderson. The Fitzgerald
radios the Coast Guard station at Gran Marais on Channel 16,
the emergency channel. They reach Able-Bodied Seaman Gary
Wigen, who instructs the Fitzgerald to change channels,
to channel 22. The Fitzgerald reestablishes contact on 22.

"Gran Marais. This is the Fitzgerald. Is the Whitefish Point radio beacon operative?"
Standby. We don't have the equipment here to tell if it is operating properly. I will call you back

Wigen uses the teletype to query Sault Sainte Marie. The Soo tells
him that their monitoring equipment show the beacon and light are
out. He makes contact with the Fitzgerald.

"Fitzgerald. We've had a power failure. Both the Whitefish beacon and light are inoperative."
"Okay, thanks. We were just wondering, because we hadn't been able to get it for a while."

Wigen would later testify "Everybody sounded like they were in real
good spirits."

Between 4:30 - 5:00 PM
The Edmund Fitzgerald calls on the radio for "any vessel in the
vicinity of Whitefish Point" for information on the status of
the Whitefish beacon and light. They are answered by the
pilot, Woodard, on the upbound saltwater vessel Avafors.
Woodard knew McSorley but didn't recognize the voice.

"Who am I speaking to?"
"This is Captain McSorley."
"I didn't recognize your voice."

Woodard informs McSorley the neither the beacon nor the light
are operative.

4:52 PM
Log of the Anderson
NE of Caribou Island, winds NW at 52 knots

Just after 5:00 PM
The Fitzgerald radios the Anderson again, asking
for a position.

probably between 5:30 - 6:00 PM
Captain Cedric on the Avafors radios the Fitzgerald.

"Fitzgerald, this is the Avafors. I have the Whitefish light now but still am receiving no beacon. Over."
"I'm very glad to hear it."
"The wind is really howling down here. What are the conditions where you are?"
[shouted on the bridge of the Fitz, heard by the Avafors] "DON'T LET NOBODY ON DECK!" [unintelligible] "vents"
"What's that, Fitzgerald? Unclear. Over".
"I have a bad list, lost both radars. And am taking heavy seas over the deck. One of the worst seas I've ever been in."
"If I'm correct, you have two radars."
"They're both gone."

6:20 PM
The Anderson's first mate calls the Fitzgerald.

"What course are you steering? You are widening out a little to the left of our heading marker."
"We are steering 141."

It was the same course the Anderson was holding. Clark was puzzled
why the Fitzgerald was pulling to the left.

Sometime before 7:00 PM
The Anderson is struck by two huge waves that put green water on the
pilot house, 35 feet above the water line. The waves hit with enough
force to push the the starboard lifeboat down on its saddles, damaging
the bottom.

7:00 PM
Weather report from the Anderson
Winds from 300 at 50 knots, waves of 16 feet.

No weather report is received from the Fitzgerald.

About 7:00 PM
Clark calls the Edmund Fitzgerald again.

"I am picking up the highland at Crisp Point. We're twenty-five miles from it, and you are ten miles ahead; you are fifteen miles from Crips Point.
"We haven't got far to go; we will soon have it made."
"Yes, we will."
"It's a hell of a night for the Whitefish beacon to not be operating."
"It sure is."

7:10 PM The Anderson is still following the Fitzgerald, now at a distance of about 10 miles. Captain Cooper is momentarily off the bridge. The first mate of the Anderson radios Captain McSorley on the Fitzgerald to inform him of an upbound vessel.

"Fitzgerald, this is the Anderson. Have you checked down?"
"Yes we have."
"Fitzgerald, we are about 10 miles behind you, and gaining about 1 1/2 miles per hour. Fitzgerald, there is a target 19 miles ahead of us. So the target would be 9 miles on ahead of you."
"Well, am I going to clear?"
"Yes. He is going to pass to the west of you"
"Well, fine."
"By the way, Fitzgerald, how are you making out with your problem?"
"We are holding our own."
"Okay, fine. I'll be talking to you later."

The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald has made its last radio transmission.

7:15 PM

The Fitzgerald enters a squall. The squall obscures the vessel from radar observation by the Anderson.

7:25 PM

The squall clears. The crew of the Anderson can see the lights of three
upbound vessels, the Navafors, the Avafors, and Benfri. There is no sign
of the Fitzgerald, either visually or on radar.

They try to locate the Fitzgerald by radar and by vision. They
think they have the Fitzgerald on radar but the signal disappears.
They see and it again, and lose it again. They attribute it to sea
return. Wheelsman Robert L. May thinks he saw a white light. But
no one else can see it. May decides he had observed the phenomenon
known as light flare, caused by straining the eyes to see at night.

They try to make contact by radio. No answer from the Fitzgerald.
Cooper thinks that the Anderson's radio may have failed. They call
for the William Clay Ford. They receive an immediate answer.

7:39 PM

The Anderson calls the Sault Sainte Marie Coast Guard station on channel 16, the emergency frequency, to alert them of the situation. The Coast Guard replies:

"Switch to Channel 12, Anderson, and leave Channel 16 clear"

The Anderson does. There is no reply from the Coast Guard on Channel 12.

7:47 PM
The Naugatuck is ordered to upgrade its readiness to standby status.

7:55 PM
The Anderson calls again and informs the Coast Guard that they'd
lost the Fitzgerald visually and on radar. The Coast Guard replies:

"Anderson, there is a sixteen-foot outboard missing in that vicinity. Could you keep an eye out?"

8:32 PM
"Soo Control, this is the Anderson. I am very concerned about the welfare of the streamer S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald. He was right in front of us, experiencing a little difficulty. He was taking on a small amount of water and none of the upbound ships have passed him. I can see no lights as before and I don't have him on radar. I just hope he didn't take a nose dive!"
"This is Soo Control. Roger. Thank you for the information. We will try and contact him. Over."

8:40 PM
Cleveland, Ohio
The Coast Guard Great Lakes Rescue and Coordination Center (RCC) is
notified.

9:00 PM
Sault Sainte Marie
The Coast Guard has no ships available to search. They radio the
Anderson.

"Anderson, this is Group Soo. What is your present position?"
"We're down here, about two miles off Parisienne Island right now ... the wind is northwest forty to forty-five miles here in the bay."
"Is it calming down at all, do you think?"
"In the bay it is, but I heard a couple of the salties talking up there, and they wish they hadn't gone out."
"Do you think there is any possibility that you could ... ah ... come about and go back there and do any searching?"
"Ah... God, I don't know... ah... that... that sea out there is tremendously large. Ah... if you want me to, I can, but I'm not going to be making any time; I'll be lucky to make two or three miles an hour going back out that way."
"Well, you'll have to make a decision as to whether you will be hazarding your vessel or not, but you're probably one of the only vessels right now that can get to the scene. We're going to try to contact those saltwater vessels and see if they can't possibly come about and possibly come back also . . . things look pretty bad right now; it looks like she may have split apart at the seams like the Morrell did a few years back."
"Well, that's what I been thinking. But we talking to him about seven and he said that everything was going fine. He said that he was going along like an old shoe; no problems at all."
"Well, again, do you think you could come about and go back and have a look in the area?"
"Well, I'll go back and take a look, but, God, I'm afraid I'm going to take a hell of a beating out there.... I'll turn around and give 'er a whirl, but God, I don't know. I'll give it a try."
"That would be good...."
"Do you realize what the conditions are out there?"
No reply from the Coast Guard. Captain Cooper tries again.
"You do realize what the conditions are out there, don't you?"
"Affirmative. From what your reports are I can appreciate the conditions. Again, though, I have to leave that decision up to you as to whether it would be hazarding your vessel or not. If you think you can safely go back up to the area, I would request that you do so. But I have to leave the decision up to you."
"I'll give it a try, but that's all I can do."

One sailor aboard the Anderson tape records his last will and testament,
seals it in wax, and puts it in a jar so the world will know what happened
to the Anderson.

9:15 PM
Traverse City, Michigan
The Coast Guard Air Station is notified by RCC to dispatch search
aircraft. The aircraft are on 30 minutes alert notice but are
delayed while flares are installed on the aircraft.

9:25 PM
The 110-foot Coast Guard cutter Naugatuck is ordered out to search, but
she is not permitted to go in the open waters of Superior due to the
storm. Instead, she is to proceed no further than the entrance of
Whitefish Bay and wait for better weather. Shortly after she gets
underway, an oil line breaks.

9:30 PM
Duluth, Minnesota
The Coast Guard cutter Woodrush, approximately 300 miles away from the
scene, is ordered underway. She is on six hours standby alert, meaning
she can get underway with six hours notice.

10:06 PM
Traverse City, Michigan
The first Coast Guard aircraft, a fixed-wing HU-16 search arcraft, is
launched.

10:30
Sault Sainte Marie
The Coast Guard contacts the following vessels at anchor in Whitefish Bay:
The William Clay Ford, William R. Roesch, Benjamin F. Fairless, Frontenac,
Murray Bay, Hilda Marjanne and Algosoo, requesting that they get underway
and assist in the search. Only the William Clay Ford and the Hilda
Marjanne answer yes. After about 20 or 30 minutes, the captain of the
Marjanne determine that the weather conditions are too severe and turns
back. The William Clay Ford, with Captain Erickson in command, continues.

10:53
The first aircraft arrives on the scene, a fixed-wing HU-16 from
Traverse City.

11 November

12:08 AM
Duluth, Minnesota
The cutter Woodrush gets underway, barely two and one-half hours after
getting the order. Captain James Hobaugh was in command, with bm3 Craig
Collins and Robert Ravina at the helm.

2:00 AM
The William Clay Ford arrives at the scene of the loss.

4:00 AM
Log of the William Clay Ford

Search Operations for Str Edmund Fitzgerald.
From W.F. Stmr. Arthur M. Anderson followed Strm, Edmund Fitzgerald and was keeping visual and Radar contact with the Fitz. At 1910 on 11-10-75, the Anderson lost sight of the Fitz visually and radar contact. They were unable to
contact Fitzgerald on the radio. Search Operations started. We were
unable to continue search assistance because of heavy sea condition, being in ballast. Anderson, Sykes, Blough and Firthhenry continued search. We were released by U.S. Coast Guard and continued on course at reduced speed at 0400 on 11-11-75.

9:00 AM
Repairs to the Naugatuck are finished and she gets underway.

12:45 PM
The Naugatuck arrives at the scene of the loss.

Afternoon
Sault Sainte Marie
In the afternoon, from the Soo locks, Captain Cooper has a recorded
telephone conversation with his office. Some quotes from Captain Cooper:

"He went in close to the island and I am positive in my own mind -- we had him on radar -- we never had him visually, but we had him on radar all the time, and I am positive he went over the six-fathom bank."

"And I know damn well he was in on that 36-foot spot and if he was in there, he must have taken some hell of a seas."

"I swear he went in there. In fact, we were talking about it. We were concerned that he was in too close, that he was going to hit that shoal off Caribou. I mean, God, he was about three miles off the land beacon."

14 November
A Navy aircraft equipped with a magnetic anomoly detection unit locates
an especially strong contact.

14-16 November
A search is conducted from the cutter Woodrush using side scan sonar.
Wreckage is located at a position of 46 59.8 N, 85 06.7 W.

22-25 November
A second search is performed from the Woodrush, using similar equipment.

1976
12-16 May
A third side-scan survey was taken from the Woodrush.

20-28 May
The wreckage is inspected by the U.S. Navy CURV III (Controlled Underwater
Recovery Vehicle), operating from the Woodrush. The survey takes 43,255
feet of video tape and 895 color photographs. The official identification
of the wreck is on May 20, when television cameras picked up the name
"Edmund Fitzgerald" upside down on the stern.

The wreckage is in two major pieces. The bow section is 276 feet long
and upright. The stern section is 253 feet long and upside down. The
sections are 170 feet apart. About 200 feet of the midsection is
disintegrated.

1980
24 September
The Calypso explores the wreck.

1992
20 July
The anchor of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald is recovered from the Detroit River, about one mile west of Belle Isle. It is placed on display at the
Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle.

2006
September
Any archaeological fieldwork permits in Ontario (including sidescan survey) requires a licence issued under the Ontario Heritage Act. (for the proposed survey near Cariboo Island).