The legend lives on...

nutmeg · Post by **nutmeg** » November 10, 2008 11:39 am

The Edmund Fitzgerald sank on this day in 1975. This song by Gordon Lightfoot gets a lot of airplay in Michigan...and I still get the chills every time I hear it.

Thoughts today to the wives and the sons and the daughters...

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy.

With a load of iron ore - 26,000 tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early

The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconson
As the big freighters go it was bigger than most
With a crew and the Captain well seasoned.

Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ships bell rang
Could it be the North Wind they'd been feeling.

The wind in the wires made a tattletale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the Captain did, too,
T'was the witch of November come stealing.

The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
When the gales of November came slashing
When afternoon came it was freezing rain
In the face of a hurricane West Wind

When supper time came the old cook came on deck
Saying fellows it's too rough to feed ya
At 7PM a main hatchway caved in
He said fellas it's been good to know ya.

The Captain wired in he had water coming in
And the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when his lights went out of sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the words turn the minutes to hours
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd fifteen more miles behind her.

They might have split up or they might have capsized
They may have broke deep and took water
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters.

Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the ruins of her ice water mansion
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams,
The islands and bays are for sportsmen.

And farther below Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the gales of November remembered.

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

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
Superior, they say, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early.

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springparrot · Post by **springparrot** » November 10, 2008 11:42 am

chippewa · Post by **chippewa** » November 10, 2008 11:47 am

...and RM is playing "Lighthouse" right now

The ship's bell:

Frank4 · Post by **Frank4** » November 10, 2008 11:51 am

I thought about that today as I was coming into work. Sad day.....

I do love the story of them finding the bell a few years ago and some of the crew's families were out there. One lady tells the story that has they pulled the bell from the water that a butterfly appeared and flew around her. She took it as a sign.

Sail on Crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald....

nutmeg · Post by **nutmeg** » November 10, 2008 12:01 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_8s2zsNhSM

Just found this on utube....

Wow!

springparrot · Post by **springparrot** » November 10, 2008 12:09 pm

nutmeg wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_8s2zsNhSM

Just found this on utube....

Wow!

very powerful video
Thanks Nancy

nutmeg · Post by **nutmeg** » November 10, 2008 12:14 pm

It's hard to imagine how big those ore carriers are.

We were on a sunset cruise on Lake Superior summer before last off Copper Harbor. Our boat captain radioed a passing ore carrier and asked for permission to approach and circle her. I had never before appreciated the sheer size of those things.

I got some pictures...but they don't even come close to showing the awesome size....

C-Dawg · Post by **C-Dawg** » November 10, 2008 12:17 pm

Sail on Crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

tikitatas · Post by **tikitatas** » November 10, 2008 4:17 pm

Sail on. Always remembered.

z-man · Post by **z-man** » November 10, 2008 4:52 pm

we were up at the Soo Locks this summer (connect Lakes Superior and Huron in northern Michigan), and our tour boat went through the locks as a 1000 footer was going through the adjacent lock. You just can't imagine how big those freighters are.

We went from the Locks up to Whitefish Point and toured the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
http://www.shipwreckmuseum.com/
The Edmund Fitzgerald ship's bell, and additional memorabilia from the MANY shipwrecks in that area are on display there.

nutmeg · Post by **nutmeg** » November 10, 2008 5:02 pm

z-man wrote:we were up at the Soo Locks this summer (connect Lakes Superior and Huron in northern Michigan), and our tour boat went through the locks as a 1000 footer was going through the adjacent lock. You just can't imagine how big those freighters are.

We went from the Locks up to Whitefish Point and toured the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
http://www.shipwreckmuseum.com/
The Edmund Fitzgerald ship's bell, and additional memorabilia from the MANY shipwrecks in that area are on display there.

I've been to that museum a few times....It's a fascinating place.

msu#1 · Post by **msu#1** » November 10, 2008 6:12 pm

longlinergirl · Post by **longlinergirl** » November 10, 2008 6:17 pm

The fisherman listen to this song at the bar sometimes and it freaks me out. Sad...very sad. (Thinking of the wives and the sons and the daughters)...

popcornjack · Post by **popcornjack** » November 10, 2008 6:19 pm

one of my all time favorite songs. Too bad it had to really happen to inspire the song.

SharkOnLand · Post by **SharkOnLand** » November 10, 2008 6:50 pm

From the thread title, I figured Larry had his picture taken with another hot babe.

Phin power to the families.

Glorfindel7 · Post by **Glorfindel7** » November 10, 2008 8:48 pm

I did this in Karaoke on Wednesday... the crew sailed on doing what they loved

That reminds me... I have it on my iPod...

Snowparrot · Post by **Snowparrot** » November 10, 2008 8:57 pm

Thanks for reminding us. I heard Gordie doing the song this spring; poweful as always.

Post by **SMLCHNG** » November 10, 2008 8:59 pm

popcornjack wrote:one of my all time favorite songs. Too bad it had to really happen to inspire the song.

Amen to that, Bro.