This day in history: November 10, 1975 - The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was launched in 1958, and for several years was the largest vessel to sail the Great Lakes. The freighter left Wisconsin on November 9, 1975, with a cargo of low-grade iron ore, bound for Zug Island near Detroit; a violent winter storm developed over Lake Superior that same day, producing winds close to 60 mph and waves 35 feet high. On November 10 Captain McSorley of the Fitzgerald radioed to report the ship was listing in the water and had lost the use of its radar. Another freighter tried to help by sending the Fitzgerald directions to a local bay and by giving warnings of rogue waves headed in their direction; when asked how they were doing, McSorley replied “We are holding our own.” It was the last anyone heard from the Edmund Fitzgerald.

The wreck was located a few days later by the Navy and Coast Guard; all 29 crewmen had perished. The cause of the wreck was debated for many years, with some blaming poorly designed hatches which let in water that gradually filled the ship, whereas others suspected the Fitzgerald had damaged her hull while blindly seeking shelter from the storm. The Discovery Channel investigated the incident in recent years, concluding that massive swells had damaged the hatch covers, which allowed water to infiltrate the cargo hold. The accumulation of water put stress on the hull, which broke in half when struck by the next rogue wave.

The tragedy was famously commemorated by Gordon Lightfoot:

Sources: US Coast Guard, Detroit News, Wiki