Edmund Fitzerald Sinks

November 10, 2008

You may Listen or download this story in .mp3 format. or as a .wav file

Profile America — Monday, November 10th. The big Great Lakes ore carrier the Edmund Fitzgerald sank 33 years ago today — and the event will be marked by observances at both the Mariner’s Church in Detroit and at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point, Michigan. The Edmund Fitzgerald sank in a sudden storm only a few miles from safety. It was the largest of the ships on the lake, carrying 26,000 tons of iron ore. The tragedy sparked an immensely popular song by Gordon Lightfoot. Now, nearly 170 million tons of cargo crisscross the Great Lakes each year, part of the more than 2.5 billion tons of freight carried on the nation’s waterways. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2008, p. 550
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2008, t. 1051
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2008edition.html