happy? – Nov 10 ('Edmund Fitzgerald')

Subject: happy? – Nov 10 ('Edmund Fitzgerald')
From: Abby Sale
Date: 10 Nov 05 - 08:27 AM

The ore-hauler Edmund Fitzgerald and 29 crew vanished in a storm on Lake Superior 11/10/1975.

          In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
          In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral
          The church bell chimed, it rang 29 times
          For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
  
                  "The Edmund Fitzgerald," Gordon Lightfoot

Copyright © 2005, Abby Sale - all rights reserved
What are Happy's all about? See Clicky

Subject: RE: happy? – Nov 10 ('Edmund Fitzgerald')
From: GUEST,Nancy King at work
Date: 10 Nov 05 - 03:55 PM

There's a nice story about the song and the event on CNN, here

Subject: Origins: 30th Anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 10 Nov 05 - 08:18 PM

I don't know how well the UK Mudcatters are aware of such dates, but 30 years ago today, The Great Lakes freighter, The Edmund Fitzgerald sank in a storm while crossing Lake Superior. Shortly thereafter, Gordon Lightfoot wrote the very Trad-minded ballad which commemorated the ship and her crew.Lots of young kids who here the song for the first time assume that it describes a sinking which took place long ago.

I played it today for a group of kids ages 10 through 15. I asked them when they thought the ship had sunk and the answers ranged from the 1700s to 1935. They were quite surprised to hear that it sank in 1975. I then showed them an hour documetary on the subject and they were all quite moved when they sat through the song a second time. Having seen the relatives talk about the men during the documentary, it was harder to listen to the verses that described the worsening weatherand the approaching wreck.

I'd encourage any Mudcatters in a position to perform the song or share it with young people to mark this anniversary by singing the song or playing a recording of it. If you remember the event, you might want to share with your audience what you remember.

Here's a nice article on the subject:


Remembering shipwreck that inspired Lightfoot song

Thursday, November 10, 2005; Posted: 3:41 p.m. EST (20:41 GMT)
DETROIT, Michigan (AP) -- It's an evocative song that defies description: Haunting yet comforting, wistful yet powerful, mythic yet real.
30th Anniversary of Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Subject: RE: Origins: 30th Anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald
From: Peace
Date: 10 Nov 05 - 08:25 PM

Even in summer Superior's a chilly lake. They wouldn't have lasted long in that water before their hearts gave out.

'The Fitzgerald, a 729-foot freighter, was caught in a catastrophic gale Nov. 10, 1975, after taking on a load of taconite iron ore at Superior, Wis. Gusts exceeding 90 mph kicked up 30-foot waves as the ship struggled toward the safety of Whitefish Bay, in the lake's southeastern corner.

Capt. Ernest McSorley radioed the Arthur M. Anderson, a trailing freighter, that the Fitzgerald had topside damage and was listing. At 7:10 p.m., he told the Anderson's first mate, "We are holding our own." It was the last anyone heard from the Fitzgerald.'

from here.

Subject: RE: happy? – Nov 10 ('Edmund Fitzgerald')
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 10 Nov 05 - 08:25 PM

sorry - I posted a thread on this too. For some reason, this threa did not come up in my search. At first I thought it was because the words EDUMUD FITZGERALD were placed in Parentheses. However, it should have turned up because the term EDMUND FITZGERALD is in the body of a message.

I plead Mudcat Search defect.

IF anyone wants to commbine this thread with the one I started, please feel free.

Sorry sorry sorry

---

You are forgiven, and the threads have been combined.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Origins: 30th Anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 10 Nov 05 - 08:37 PM

Several years ago one of the cable channels -- Discovery or National Geographic it may have been -- did a documentary on the Fitzgerald tragedy. Complete with computor simulations, it showed how the ship never had a chance. Lightfoot really captured the horror of it all in his ballad.

Subject: RE: Origins: 30th Anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 10 Nov 05 - 08:47 PM

John.. there have been a number of documetaries on US TV about the Fitz as well as several books. I have one called 29 MISSING which isn't bad.

Unfortunately, there has been a political rift between two camps of historians who are bucking to be the "Go-To" man on info on The tragedy and lawsuits have flown back and forth. Most of that stuff has been settled now that the site of the wreck has been protected and classed as a No-Dive Zone. The families all pretty much side with one camp and the other side consists largely of potential profiteers masquerading as preservationists.

The History Channel has done two one-hour shows on The Fitz. One was a half-hour segement of HISTORIES MYSTERIES and the other was an hour long intensive reconstruction of the last voyage and wreck on DEAP SEA DETECTIVES. Both shows are available on DVD. The Learning Channel did a show as well, but that wasn't as thorough as the Deap Sea Detectives episode.


There are at least three other good threads here about the song and I'll try and post some links to them so new readers can get to them easily.

Subject: RE: happy? – Nov 10 ('Edmund Fitzgerald')
From: Abby Sale
Date: 10 Nov 05 - 08:56 PM

:-)

Subject: RE: happy? – Nov 10 ('Edmund Fitzgerald')
From: Beer
Date: 10 Nov 05 - 10:39 PM

My sister is a cook on one of the Lakers. She has told me some chilling stories about how quick the water can change.

Subject: RE: happy? – Nov 10 ('Edmund Fitzgerald')
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 10 Nov 05 - 11:12 PM

Beer - most people who've never seen the Great lakes assume they are placid, but large, bodies of water. In fact, they are inland seas with their own tides and weather systems. They are often MORE treacherous than oceans because of micro-systems that form out over wtaer and can't really be detected.

There have been literally thousands of wrecks on the Lakes and until recently, the frigid temperatures and fresh water preserved those wrecks almost as if they sank days ago. Unfortunately, The Zebra mussle has invaded most of the Great Lakes and has promptly begun to cover many wrecks, eating them away and collapsing them under their weight.

Back to the song, I believe it is haunting because it IS about a recent wreck. It wasn't until dives in 199 that any remains of the crew were ever seen - the water is that cold. the bodies don't come up. The fact thhat the crew was never found added to the weirdness of the tragedy. It happened on the cusp of the whole UFO culture in the USA and rumors abounded that the crew had been abducted by aliens. of course, we now know they are down there. Hopefully they won't be distrubed by profiteers.

Subject: RE: happy? – Nov 10 ('Edmund Fitzgerald')
From: katlaughing
Date: 10 Nov 05 - 11:28 PM

Well that's weird. I'd posted the second posting to this thread, this morning, noting that The Weather Channel did a segment on it and offers more info, plus the song, on their website, and thanking Abby for the thread, but it has disappeared. That's the second one, today!

Anyway, thanks, all,

kat

Subject: RE: happy? � Nov 10 ('Edmund Fitzgerald')
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 11 Nov 05 - 12:48 AM

Here is a link to an excellent reference page on the subject with photos, links, Midi files and more:


The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald


The link to the site about the restored Ship's bell is broken so I found the correct link. here it is:


Edmund Fitzgerald Bell Restoration Project

The bell was recovered and restored before any looters could get to it. A replacement Bell and memorial plaque were placed at the Wreck site.

Subject: RE: happy? – Nov 10 ('Edmund Fitzgerald')
From: Abby Sale
Date: 11 Nov 05 - 07:53 AM

Fine info & link, Dave's Wife. We thank you.

Subject: RE: happy? – Nov 10 ('Edmund Fitzgerald')
From: GUEST,me
Date: 12 Nov 05 - 11:09 AM

now, with the sun having risen, you can imagine the rescue operations, searching for even a trace of the ship.

Subject: RE: happy? – Nov 10 ('Edmund Fitzgerald')
From: GUEST,saulgoldie
Date: 13 Nov 05 - 10:16 AM

"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is Gordon Lighfoot's favorite Gordon Lightfoot song. I won a trivia quiz on Music Americana with that answer.

Subject: RE: happy? � Nov 10 ('Edmund Fitzgerald')
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 14 Nov 05 - 08:50 PM

Darnit - I posted to the wrong thread. I meant to post my comments here. Forgive the cross-post



In THIS THread:

RE: Origins: Puzzle:Edmund Fitzgerald and Bobby Sands

It was stated that the antecedent for the tune may have been a song called 'Spancil hill'. Anybody know anything more about that?

Lots of folks assume that 'Back Home in Derry' preceded TWOTEF but in other threads, people have shown that Lightfoot's song came first. Still and all, the melody seems too traditional to be original.

Subject: RE: happy? � Nov 10 ('Edmund Fitzgerald')
From: Abby Sale
Date: 15 Nov 05 - 08:12 AM

"Spancil Hill" is frequently used but I'm not sure it is in this case.
See Clicky

Subject: RE: happy? – Nov 10 ('Edmund Fitzgerald')
From: GUEST,Phil Nuytten
Date: 30 Nov 05 - 01:12 AM

Hi, All:
Stumbled on this thread by chance. Interesting to read your thoughts on the 'Fitz'. On July 4th 1995, I spent 6 hours on the wreck of the Fitzgerald. 'Newtsuit' pilot Bruce Fuoco recovered the ships bell while I watched and filmed from the port of the submersible 'Pisces 4' - I had taken my Nagra with me and played Gordon Lightfoot's paen as we closed on the forward section with sonar - half way thru' the song we made the first visual and the large black letters that spelled out EDMUND FITZGERALD filled the whole viewport. . . an incredible moment! The bell was raised at the request of the families of the 29 men lost during the Armistice day storm. They made it a memorial to their lost husbands, brothers, and sons. We put down an exact replica cast in the original mold - and engraved with the names of the lost men. The depth was 535 feet.
    Something you may get a kick out of . . . The Fitz will be the cover story on the December/January issue of 'DIVER' magazine - I'm writing the feature and will do a side-bar on the Gordon Lightfoot song which has endured these many years - In connection with this, I'll call lightfoot next week and ask if he would like to actually see the 'Fitz' as she lies . . .If his health permits and the answer is yes ( and if his biz manager Barry Harvey doesn't have a stroke!) I'll offer to take him down in our 3 place sub 'Aquarius' ( see www.nuytco.com) next spring. Wouldn't that be something?
Phil Nuytten SOCAN/BMI

Subject: RE: happy? – Nov 10 ('Edmund Fitzgerald')
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 08:08 AM

GUEST,Phil Nuytten - wow. How nice to hear from you. It would great if you would register as a member and talk with us some more about The Fitz. I atched several of the Tv shows that covered the rasing of the bell and it was very moving. Eery how the bell rang so clear almost as soon as it was out of the water!

I only just now came across your reply, but hopefully, you'll come on back here at some point before or around the next anniversary.

Subject: RE: happy? – Nov 10 ('Edmund Fitzgerald')
From: Beer
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 08:52 AM

Thanks for sharing Phil. I never get tired of playing or hearing the song.
Beer

Subject: RE: happy? – Nov 10 ('Edmund Fitzgerald')
From: Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 12 Apr 06 - 09:11 AM

There is a shoal off Caribou Island in Lake Superior called Six Fathom Shoal, in the 1970's the chart showed the shoal slightly off it's true position. The most likely situation was that the Fitz hit bottom going over that shoal, and the waves aggravated the damage finally causing the hull to break up before she made the shelter of Whitefish Point.

Gordon Lightfoot wrote the song about the wreck, he captured the rhythm and soul of a laker in it. There is no doubt he has captured and preserved a moment in Great Lakes history in music. Great song, great musician too.

Yours, Aye. Dave