Did you know this is the 49th anniversary of the wreck of the Edmonton Fitzgerald? This tragedy happened on November 10, 1975. News10NBC’s Glenn Johnson was just a young lad at the time, but he remembers it very well.

This was a very large cargo ship measuring almost 730 feet long which is the equivalent of two and half football fields. It weighed 26,000 tons empty, unfortunately, it was also transporting iron ore pellets increasing the weight significantly. On that particular day, the entire crew of 29 lost their lives and the primary reason was the worsening weather. This ship was sailing out of northern Wisconsin, not far from Duluth, Minnesota after taking on the load from one of the steel mills.

The navigation took the ship from west to east across Lake Superior and then the ship sank not far from Whitefish Bay (which is on the eastern side of Lake Superior). 

On the weather map that day an intense area of low pressure was cutting across Lake Superior directly in the path of the Edmund Fitzgerald. This low-pressure system was rapidly strengthening as it moved from south to north over the eastern end of the lake. Sustained winds were in the range of 40 to 74 miles per hour, but it is believed that wind gusts may have been more than hurricane force (74 miles per hour or more).  This produced 35-foot waves, which is the equivalent of a three-story building.  A devasting storm for any ship to withstand.

Meteorologist Rich Caniglia suggested that Glenn sing the song from Gordon Lightfoot which immortalized the sinking of the S.S Edmund Fitzgerald. Glenn will decline, but he’s always remebers one line from that song.  It is, “with the gales of November remembered.”  And we remember.