Whitefish Point bell ringing honors Edmund Fitzgerald
Whitefish Point, MI – The ship’s bell rang 30 times, once for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald and once more for all lost mariners, at an annual remembrance ceremony Wednesday evening at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point.
The event, which takes take place every Nov.10 at Whitefish Point, was closed to the public. Due to current COVID conditions in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, only Fitzgerald surviving family members, bellringers, USCG and GLSHS personnel were in attendance. One by one, family members and bellringers stepped up and gave the bell rope a pull as the names of those lost with vessel were read by Chief Boatswain’s Mate Kyle Rice, USCG Sector, Sault Ste. Marie.
Bob Baxter, first engineer on the steamer L.E. Block, which was anchored in Whitefish Bay on the night of Nov 10, 1975, talked about his experience. He said many of the aft-end crew was gathered in the galley after 8 p.m. that night when the captain made an appearance and told the men the Fitzgerald had been lost. One man exchaimed “I know someone on the Fitzgerald!” “You knew someone on the Fitzgerald,” the captain replied, his words bringing the news home.
Mike TenEyck, retired U.S. Navy nuclear submarine engineer, Great Lake maritime historian and shipwreck researcher, also spoke, reminding the nearly 50 attendees that other ships and crews lost on the lakes should also be remembered, even though Gordon Lightfoot didn’t write a song about them.
Mike Fornes, leader of the Michigan-based Gordon Lightfoot Tribute Band, performed Lightfoot’s anthem “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”
A moving invocation and benediction were offered by the Rev. Bob Aldrich, from St. James Episcopal Church in Sault Ste. Marie.
As the event was unfolding, the National Weather Service was posting storm warnings forecasting strong winds and waves for Lake Superior (see story below). Waves could be heard crashing ashore as guests were climbing into their cars heading for home, the dark night punctuated by flashes from the Whitefish Point lighthouse beacon.
Roger LeLievre
Storm warning, up to 19-foot waves expected on anniversary of Fitzgerald wreck
A Gales of November storm will crank up over the Great Lakes and make very large waves. A storm warning is in effect for much of Lake Superior for Thursday. A gale warning is in effect for a smaller portion of western Lake Superior. A storm warning implies stronger winds and higher waves than a gale warning.
This first part of the storm will have southeast winds. That’s a somewhat odd direction for such a storm wind. Normally we see the strongest winds over the Great Lakes blow from the west or northwest. This strong southeast wind means the low pressure center is rapidly strengthening west of Lake Superior.
While we have a great handle on this now with accurate weather models that forecast this dynamical wind speed increase, this was not the case the day the Edmund Fitzgerald sunk. At that point we did have two weather models. The models were certainly nowhere near as accurate as our current models. At that stage in weather modeling, an historic storm like the Fitzgerald storm was probably not forecasted accurately by the two computer models.
Waves are expected to be as large as 19 feet on Lake Superior. Lake Michigan and part of Lake Huron have a gale warning for waves as high as seven feet.
Read more and view weather charts at this MLive link: https://www.mlive.com/weather/2021/11/storm-warning-up-to-19-foot-waves-expected-on-anniversary-of-edmund-fitzgerald-wreck.html
Gales of November: Would today’s weather forecasts save the Edmund Fitzgerald?
Read an analysis from Minnesota Public Radio at this link: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2021/11/09/gales-of-november-would-todays-weather-forecasts-save-the-edmund-fitzgerald
Memorial service held to remember crew of Edmund Fitzgerald
Traverse City, MI – A memorial service was held Wednesday in Traverse City for the crew lost in the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. 30 tolls of the bell: 29 for the crew members who lost their lives on this day 46 years ago on Lake Superior, and one toll for all mariners lost on the lakes.
The Great Lakes Maritime Academy holds a ceremony every year to remember. The service was held in person Wednesday. Last year’s ceremony was virtual.
“The cadets, everybody needs to be aware of the people who came before them,” said Jerry Achenbach, Great Lakes Maritime Academy Superintendent. “Really the academy was built on the shoulders of the individuals of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy industry who came before them and remember those who we lost along the way. It’s a great way of life, but it’s still fraught with danger.”
The ceremony was attended by Maritime Academy cadets, military veterans and members of the public. View the report from 9&10 News here: https://www.9and10news.com/2021/11/10/memorial-service-held-to-remember-crew-of-edmund-fitzgerald/
Lakes limestone up 8.3 percent in October
Cleveland, OH – Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 3.6 million tons in October, an increase of 8.3 percent compared to a year ago. Limestone cargos were also above the month’s 5-year average by 1.6 percent.
Loadings from U.S. quarries totaled 2.9 million tons, an increase of 13.2 percent. Shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 638,517 tons, a decrease of 9.9 percent.
Year-to-date the limestone trade stands at 24.6 million tons, an increase of 9 percent compared to 2020. Loadings from Michigan and Ohio quarries total nearly 19.4 million tons, an increase of 8.3 percent. Shipments from Ontario quarries total 5.2 million tons, an increase 11.6 percent.
Lake Carriers’ Association
