GREAT LAKES FURY
Ships: Henry Steinbrenner, Cedarville, Daniel J.
Morrell, Edmund Fitzgerald,
Carl Bradley. These ships all were wrecks of the Great Lakes.
HENRY STEINBRENNER
After leaving the ore docks on May 10, 1953 the
Steinbrenner was caught
up in an unsuspecting gale. It grew worse as the cold front moved in.
Winds
were reported to have reached 70 mph. with waves running in excess of 20
feet.
All night she fought her way through the mountainous
seas. Then on the
morning of the 11th, she was hit by an enormous wave which sealed her fate.
There were 14 men rescued by the Joseph H. Thompson.
Wilfred Sykes, and
the D.M.Clemson. Unforunately, 17 men including seven officers were lost
forever
in Lake Superiors frigid waters.
CEDARVILLE
While navigating through thick fog on the morning of
May 7,1965, the Cedarville
collided with the Norwegian freighter "Topdalsford". A decision was made
to beach.
However, she rolled over and sank to the bottom. Ten sailors lost
their lives in this
unsuspecting disaster. There were 23 survivors to live to tell of the
Cedarville's
misfortune. The wreck is located near Mackinaw City and is a very popular
dive
site. Divers should be extremely cautious because of the strong currents and
unforeseen dangers that have caused this wreck to be known as the graveyard.
DANIEL J. MORRELL
On Nov.29th, 1966. the Daniel J. Morrell broke in two
with the loss of 28 lives
There was one sole survivor. The Morrell was upbound without any load. This was
probably one of the major problems she had to contend with in this ferocious
storm
that sent her to the bottom of Lake Huron off Harbor Beach. She must have
gone
down extremely fast for there was no distress signal sent.
EDMUND FITZGERALD
On Nov. 10,1975 the news of the Edmund Fitzgerald's
loss rocked the nation and
soon became one of the nations most talked about shipwrecks of the Great Lakes.
Were her hatch covers battered off? Did she hit the Caribou shoals? Did she
succumb
to a mountainous wave? Or did she simply break in two? Anyone can
wonder
what really happened. The seas were up to 31' and wind gusts were have
been
reported to reach 90 mph! Also, the Anderson reported that she went off
the radar
screen in a matter of minutes. There was no time to even for a SOS to be
sent. All
29 men aboard the Fitz lost their lives in this, one of the Great Lakes worst
marine
disasters. Such disasters remind us of the Lake Superior's Fury, that is
unleashed
with forces incomprehensible to mankind.
CARL BRADLEY
Built in 1927, the new Bradley was the largest self
unloading steamer of it's time.
She was a proud ship who served her owners well. On Nov. 18th 1958 she
left Gary,
Indiana, bound for Roger's City, when she was caught up in heavy seas in a
fierce gale
on Lake Michigan. When she wad almost to Gull Island, she could take no
more. She
broke in two and went down fast. Luckily a distress signal was sent and
was answered
by a German Freighter and Coast Guard ship. Only two of the crew were
rescued. (In
all, 33 lives were lost including the captain.) In memory, let us not
forget those sailors
who lost their lives in the fight for progress for our great nation. It is
evident, that even
in these modern times, we can not tame "The Great Lakes Fury".