The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

If you know me very well, you know of my love for maritime history. I should have been a sailor. I love the water and I love being on and around it. I am particularly interested in shipwrecks and maritime disasters.

As a huge Titanic buff, I can tell you almost everything you could ever want to know about it. (Interesting Fact: One of the victims aboard the Titanic was from St. Bernard. His name was Anthony Abbing. His body was never recovered, yet there is a gravestone with his name on it in St. Mary's cemetery).

On our walk along the riverfront today, we saw a plaque commemorating the worst maritime disaster in U.S. history. The steamship Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River (just north of Memphis) in 1865, Over 1700 people died on that fateful night. I didn't know until today, but the Sultana was actually built in Cincinnati. Interesting!

About 15 years ago, Tami and I visited a maritime history museum in Newport News, Virginia. Aside from being completely fascinated by everything, I remember being practically dragged out of the place. I wanted to read everything and study every display. Tami wanted to give everything a cursory glance and get out of there. Grudgingly I left the museum wondering what I had missed.

Why this post today? Check out the video above. Yesterday was the 37th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. If it weren't for the famous song by Gordon Lightfoot (The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald), most people would probably have no idea this tragedy ever occurred. This particular shipwreck interests me because it happened on Lake Superior. The Great Lakes hold a special place in my heart because I ran walleye charters on Lake Erie for quite a long time. I understand first hand how wicked the Great Lakes can be when storms come up. In his song, Gordon Lightfoot sings, "Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?" I remember being 30 miles out on Lake Erie when a storm blew up really fast. Trying to get back to port in 8-10 foot waves really did turn the minutes to hours. It was one of the few times I was ever scared on the lake. I have great respect for the water. It can turn deadly in the blink of an eye.

Today I remember the brave souls who lost their lives at sea (The Great Lakes are inland seas). Shipwrecks have been a part of history for as long as mankind has traveled by water. I continue to be captivated by the peril sailors have faced on the high seas and by the shipwrecks that have brought their ultimate demise.