Wreck of the EDMUND FITZGERALD

This song by Gordon Lightfoot tells the story of the 1975 sinking of the ore carrier ship, the Edmund Fitzgerald.  

The Great Lakes are often battered by storms in late autumn, especially in November.  Lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron tend to get the worst of these gales, which involve hurricane-force winds, 40-60 ft. high waves, and freezing rain and/or snow.

On November 10th, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald  was making her last voyage of the season on Lake Superior.  During the night, she sailed into a late-autumn storm.  Despite being equipped with the best state-of-the-art technology, she still went down with all hands on board.  She lies in two pieces at the bottom of the lake; her stern section is upside down.