The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and The Giant Sturgeon in Lake Superior

The Ojibwa Indians had a legend of a great sturgeon living in the waters of Lake Superior. According to the legend whenever the sturgeon was disturbed he would slash his tail creating monstrous waves capable of sinking any boat on the lake. Although modern science refutes any legend about a great sturgeon there is ample evidence of great waves occurring on Lake Superior.

There are any numbers of tales about great waves on the lake these waves have been given credence in recent times because of their sighting at sea. Lake Superior is a large and deep body of water that still has many surprises in store for the mariners that ply the lake's waters in ships over 1,000 feet long. These ships go from Lake Superior via the Soo Locks at Sault St. Marie; twin cities both in Canada and the United States. These locks lower the ships from Lake Superior on a route paralleling the St. Mary's River.

Before they get to the Soo Locks they have to sail through White Fish Bay. On November 10, 1975 a ship named the Edmund Fitzgerald was beating its way down Lake Superior in a heavy November Gale. Until the 1970's she was the largest ship on the great lakes. She suddenly sank off Ontonagon Michigan without sending any signals with the loss of all hands in 530 feet of water. She was in the company of another ship trying to make it to shelter in Whitefish Bay that was only 15 nautical miles ahead of them.

The Fitzgerald had left Superior Wisconsin the previous day, November 9, 1975 under Capt. Ernest M. McSorley and crew. They had a load of taconite bound for a steel mill at Zug Island not too far from Detroit. She shortly met up with another ship the Arthur M. Andersen that accompanied her on her way to the Soo. Being the faster ship the Fitzgerald took the lead with the Andersen trailing not to far behind.