The Tragic Fate of the Edmund Fitzgerald

On the brilliant fall afternoon of November 9, 1975, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald

glided out of Superior, Wisconsin, loaded with 26,000 tons of taconite pellets bound for

Detroit. The vast expanse of Lake Superior—larger than Ireland—lay placid before the

massive 729-foot ore freighter. Captain Ernest McSorley, a seasoned mariner with 45 years sailing

the Great Lakes, knew better than to trust the lake’s deceptive calm. Its glassy surface

masked a mercurial nature that could quickly turn deadly. The “Mighty Fitz,” once the largest

ship on the lakes, was making its last run of the season. Retirement awaited the 63-year-old

McSorley and five others at journey’s end. The captain boasted a sterling reputation