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Chapter 1: What led to the tragic sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald?
In 1975, a 729-foot steel Titan battled hurricane-force winds on the deadly Lake Superior. At 7.10 PM, the captain radioed, we are holding our own, only for the ship to vanish minutes later, taking all 29 crew members with it. Was it inclement weather, a fatal structural snap, or a phenomenon known as the Three Sisters? Today, we're discussing the tragic sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald.
This is Red Web. Welcome back, Task Force, to another episode of Red Web, the podcast all about unsolved mysteries, true crime, and the unknown. I'm your resident mystery enthusiast, Trevor Collins, and joining me hearing this case for the very first time, Alfredo Diaz.
And we're talking about typical weather or structural integrity of the ship or whatnot, and then all of a sudden, hold on, what is this Three Sisters thing? Here we go. It's never just the norm.
It's a cheeky little hint.
there's always a possibility of something real wild.
Yes, yes. Now we'll get into what the Three Sisters are. For those of you who live around the Great Lakes or might know of Lake Superior, you'll know what the Three Sisters are. But for Fredo, I'm going to titillate you with what that is, and we'll talk about it at the end. But yes, this is a tragic incident that happened back in the 70s. This was a freighter.
The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was enormous, right? We're gonna give you the entire background on this record-setting vessel there on Lake Superior. We're gonna talk about what happened that fateful evening. We're gonna talk about the discovery of the wreck, kind of the investigation as to what might have happened that night.
But ultimately, yeah, it remains technically unsolved as to what exactly happened, how it sank. We know all of the moving parts, and so there's a lot of confidence in each of the theories, but I think there is a reality that blends them all together. So at the end, we'll talk about those various theories and how they all overlap.
It's kind of a more interesting and unique take on our normal theories. You know, normally it's like Theory A and B and C. This one, they all kind of weave together. But Lake Superior is... Truly, I mean, any of the Great Lakes, they're enormous.
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Chapter 2: What were the weather conditions like during the final voyage?
And it's like, it's just showing like all around the world, people going to see the matrix for the first time. And like, you know, this is where people would line up and there'd be long lines outside the movie theater. So you're like, cool. I get my good seat, whatnot. And they're just going down. The camera's going down the line and the number of dudes that, Slick back hair, glasses, duster.
I'm just like, yeah, these guys are ready to just, you know, plug in. They're like, they are the Matrix, man.
That's awesome. Bring a keyboard and a katana or whatever else. Yeah, dude, the Matrix is awesome. I'm so glad we're covering it. It makes sense because Task Force, if you don't know, we recently covered Underworld, which is kind of the Matrix with werewolves and vampires. We also recently covered Sinners. So we're kind of in a vein right now. And Sinners, I should say, is free to everybody.
So if you want to listen to what you're maybe missing in Movie Club and you're not a member of our task force over at redwebpod.com, come hang out. Come listen to Sinners. What's going on with it? How is Movie Club? Do you like it? I bet you will. We also drop a whole bunch of other sneak peeks, bonus posts, and things like that throughout the year, just whenever we're feeling like it.
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Let's dive in to the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. This was submitted by Task Force member Connor Hastings. So thank you so much for submitting that. All right. So the SS Edmund Fitzgerald was a freighter that traveled the Great Lakes from the late 1950s until it sank in 1975. Now, of course, I like to start with a visual, so that way you know what we're talking about, the theater of the mind, Fredo.
So take a look at the first image, Task Force. It will be on screen on YouTube, Spotify, and our social media.
Oh, interesting shaped boat. Yeah.
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Chapter 3: How did the ship's structural integrity play a role in the sinking?
I want to say it was late 80s, maybe the 90s, where, you know, Brussels sprouts used to be extremely bitter. And so they were bred to completely change their flavor profile. And so now in a more modern time, they are actually palatable and they are cooked in oils, which soak up a lot of flavor, a lot of fats. And so with proper seasoning, they can taste incredible.
But just a few decades ago, this was not something mom grew up eating. You know what I mean? No, not at all. But yeah, I mean, taconite isn't too dissimilar in the sense that in the early days, they're like, what is this wasteful rock? Not enough iron. But then as time goes on, they figure out, oh, we've burned out all of the good mines. I guess we've got to figure out how to use this.
So when the ship made its debut, it was the largest ship to set sail on the Great Lakes. An estimated 15,000 people came just to see this ship break water and sail for the first time. So it's a pretty big deal. People like them ships. They like them ships. But also, like, I really can't... I don't know if you've been to the Great Lakes before, Fredo.
I've stood on the dunes of Indiana looking north into Lake Michigan. And there are spots where, yeah, you can see land across the other side, like Chicago into Michigan on a clear day. But there's a lot of angles where if you're looking out onto a Great Lake, you see the infinite horizon. I mean, these lakes are huge. And so...
you're going to see ships that can carry massive amounts because the water can carry massive ships. So seeing a ship like this for a landlocked state, for the most part, is a rare opportunity. And so, yeah, it's going to attract a lot of eyes because you're not near a major port in California or what have you. So you see this behemoth slide into the water.
The ship was nicknamed the Queen of the Lakes. It was 729 feet long, 75 feet wide and 39 feet tall.
Did they do the whole breaking champagne on it or something? I don't know, to be honest. Or is that for like cruises and stuff? I don't know.
It could be for cruises, could be for passenger vehicles. But every time I think of that, I think of one viral video where somebody tried to do that and the bottle just kept banging off the side.
Do the amount. I'll just be like, Don, it's OK.
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Chapter 4: What is the significance of the 'Three Sisters' phenomenon?
So either way, though, they're still massive.
The way that like, man, cruises are just a thing. They have everything on there. It's like almost like you'll have a whole theme park on the damn cruise itself.
Yeah, you could have like a little city inside. You could go see a live performance, a live show somewhere else. You could ride a roller coaster. You could swim in multiple pools. Yeah, man, I don't know. It's just a traveling state at that point. Yeah, it really is. Now, although the ship was the largest on the water at the time, it was not oversized in the context of Lake Superior.
Again, these lakes are huge, and to give you some context to that enormity, Lake Superior is 31,700 square miles, or just north of 82,000 square kilometers. It is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. And if you want a better comparison, Fredo, this is about the size of South Carolina, or about the size of Ireland.
So now on November 9th, 1975, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald set sail from the port in Superior, Wisconsin around 2.30 PM. She was captained by Master Captain Ernest M. McSorley, who I do have an image of because we're going to talk a lot about McSorley. I want a face for the name. Thanks to the Sun Times News for this image.
And the ship had a full cargo of taconite ore pellets, resulting in an astounding 26,116 long tons. Not normal tons, these are, I think, a British unit. One long ton is equivalent to 2,240 pounds, or just over a thousand kilograms. So we're talking hefty. In other words, this is 58.5 million pounds or 26.5 million kilograms.
The scientists that go behind just having such a big brain to just figure out like, all right, we're going to have this giant boat and this giant boat that's on water that's floating is going to be able to hold this much weight.
dang man how you come up with that stuff how you figure that stuff out that's wild to me buoyancy is wild when i was a kid i'm thinking titanics i was obsessed with the titanic titanics made out of metal metal sink and bathtub how metal fly across ocean you're like my hot wheels don't float My wheels don't float. My Power Rangers figures don't float. What? Titanic don't sink. Yeah, dude.
The buff minds necessary to invent and develop such a massive behemoth capable of carrying such immense weight. I feel like they're so buff of their minds that they could probably pick up this ship one-handed.
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Chapter 5: What were the immediate actions taken after the ship disappeared?
And so if you don't know, I'll show you at the end kind of the route that they were intending to take, but ultimately going across Lake Superior, then heading into the southeast corner where they would take rivers that connect the Great Lakes, and that's how they would make it to Detroit.
Now, typically this would be a five-day journey, but on the second day, weather conditions worsened and concerns began to arise. Following closely behind the SS Edmund Fitzgerald was actually a different lake freighter, the Arthur M. Anderson. This was led by Captain Bernie Cooper.
Now, just so you have an image for his name, we do have a picture of him, thanks to Wood TV, but this is Captain Cooper.
Okay. Yeah. Looking like a captain. This guy's suit on, his tie and everything. He's holding the pipe.
I mean, that's a sophisticated man right there.
Yeah. He's got all the stripes and everything.
Yeah. Little captain hat. Very proud man. I do believe he's standing actually at the bow, the front of the Anderson there.
yeah you can see just all the rows of where everything would go so this is a smaller freighter but ultimately captain cooper's vessel had departed from two harbors minnesota which is about 30 miles away from superior so their route is going to be pretty similar hence why they ended up being not too far behind
You know, ultimately the ship did catch up and the two captains were in contact with the Fitzgerald taking the lead on this journey. It's unclear where the Arthur M. Anderson was headed, but they were following the same path as the Fitzgerald across Lake Superior. And the Anderson stayed specifically about 10 to 15 miles behind the Fitzgerald during this journey.
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Chapter 6: What theories exist regarding the cause of the sinking?
But I don't know. I mean, it is a lake, so it's not the big open sea, right? There could, I don't know, be things in your, in your path. You also have to think about how like shallow the water can get too. Yeah. Yep. Like I've never driven a limo before, but I assume it'd be an experience that you'd have to adjust to when you're driving around, you know? Right.
I mean, imagine you can only see so far ahead of you, you know, and try to follow another limo who then starts going off roading. And you're like, well, that doesn't. Yeah, that doesn't add up. No, this is not adding up.
Yeah, I want you to hold on to what's happening here, because this is a huge part that paints a picture for some of the theories as to why is the captain ending up in some of these shallows? What is Captain Cooper, the captain of the Anderson? What is he seeing on the radar? And are there false positives? Are there other things happening that kind of complicate this read?
But ultimately, around this time, it was estimated that the Fitzgerald was still only about 17 miles ahead of the Anderson. And so it gives you an idea of how windy it was. The sea breeze is kicking up. The snow is coming down. Very difficult to see. Now, for some more specifics on this situation, I actually want to quote a passage from one article by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
Here it is, quote, Captain Cooper maintained that he watched the Edmund Fitzgerald pass far too close to Six Fathom Shoal to the north of Caribou Island. He could clearly see the ship and the beacon on Caribou on his radar set and could measure the distance between them.
and his officers watched the fitzgerald pass right over the dangerous area of shallow water by this time snow and rising spray had obscured the fitzgerald from sight visible 17 miles ahead on radar end quote so even then you know i guess it's because we know what's about to happen this feels extra terrifying but regardless
As a, not me, as a non-seasoned captain of a vessel, listen, I'm playing with Hot Wheels in my bathtub still. Right. Having these conditions settle upon your ship, I feel like is deeply haunting and kind of unnerving.
I completely agree. I always wonder, like, is it just best to just... just stall, drop the anchor, and then just hang out. You know what I mean? Like, why keep pushing forward in these dangerous conditions when the outcome could be so devastating? As opposed to just, you know, hey, let's just wait until the weather clears up.
I would say... On one hand, I mean, you make a great point. It's a great question. On one hand, these are veteran captains. They've been through things like this before. And so they know the confidence of their instruments. They know to push forward, make it to a designated safe spot where then they could do exactly that. Maybe anchor to wait some stuff out.
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Chapter 7: How did the sinking of the Fitzgerald impact maritime regulations?
The number favorite lake. It's a river. It's a river that gets wide at some points over in the West. But like there are spots where it's definitely like 12 to 16 feet deep, you know. And so it's definitely wild to think about waves on a lake just passively. Like again, the Great Lakes are wildly huge. It's really hard to fathom unless you've been there.
Okay, so at this point, Captain Cooper sees them go over the shallows. It's a bit concerning. Again, this plays into some of the theories. But now, around 3.30 p.m. that afternoon, Captain McSorley made contact back with the Anderson. He radios Captain Cooper stating, quote, Anderson, this is the Fitzgerald. I have a fence railed down, two vents lost or damaged, and a list. I'm checking down.
Will you stay by me till I get to Whitefish? End quote. So he's saying he's taken some damage and his ship is listing, leaning to a side. This might indicate that maybe the ship has taken on water, that the cargo has moved in a way to kind of upset the balance when it's stored in lockdown. So a few raising orange flags here. He's basically saying, I'm going to slow down, but stay with us.
until we get to safer waters. Now, at this point, Captain McSorley does indeed slow down the Fitzgerald to then allow the Anderson to catch up, close that 17 mile gap a bit, and the pair continue sailing together. No alarms are reported or made by Captain McSorley as he only radioed to clarify navigation. So right now it feels like everything is OK. Then the storms continue to worsen.
Captain Cooper reported winds measuring between 58 and 70 knots, now recording waves between 18 and 25 feet tall.
How tall is the shortest side of the boat? It's a good question. At this point, are the waves crashing onto the boat as opposed to the side of the boat?
It's very likely on the shorter parts, that long middle stretch you talked about, it's very likely that the waves can now crest into that territory because I believe the maximum height of the ship, probably from bottom to top, I don't know if it's sea level to top, but the data I have is about 38 feet for the SS Edmund Fitzgerald.
So, yes, we are definitely approaching a territory where the waves are high enough to crest over the railings.
Yeah, I mean, and then you got all that big cargo, which is probably going to get, I mean, with the wind, right? The wind is pushing the waves. And so the waves are hitting the cargo with the pressure of the water and the wind. And then so at that point, you might get like side heavy.
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Chapter 8: What is the legacy of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald today?
I watched those two waves head down the lake towards the Fitzgerald, and I think those were the two that sent her under."
So we're assuming that he saw it go under then?
He's surmising, right?
That he saw the waves that would have taken her out.
Right. He knows how his ship responded to those. He's guessing that of all the things he saw and felt that night, that maybe those were the two waves big enough to create an oomph strong enough to take that behemoth down. Two different ships, two different conditions. Again, we'll talk about the cargo, some of the theories, structurally what might be going on with the Fitzgerald.
But ultimately, you know, it paints a very vivid image of what happened that night. And I'll kind of continue with the timeline because things go on for at least another 15, 20 minutes before... we really start to know that the Fitzgerald is probably gone, but it's never seen going down, I think.
So while all this is happening, first mate on the Anderson named Morgan Clark, he's keeping a watch on the Fitzgerald via radar during this entire journey. So regardless, to your point, if they see it or lose sight of it again, someone's keeping an eye on the Fitzgerald on radar.
But he seems to keep losing her, again, looking at the radar due to what's called sea return, or sometimes sea clutter. This happens when waves get so tall that they can interfere with the reflection of the radar, and it creates essentially unwanted random signals on the display, random pings that you would trust would be a ship. But because the...
waves coming up so high they catch and reflect things and so now he's struggling to really honestly track the ship itself then around 7 10 pm clark radioed the fitzgerald to help them navigate to whitefish point clark asked quote by the way fitzgerald how are you making out with your problems end quote
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