Runs With Needles: When the gales of November came early

Runs With Needles

Thursday, November 10, 2005

When the gales of November came early




November 10th is a date that's burned into my memory.

30 years ago today, the Edmund Fitzgerald sank.

If you're not a Michigander I'm sure you're staring at your screen right now thinking "huh?".

Since I moved to Colorado, I have not found one person who's ever heard of the Fitz.

At first, this was odd to me. When I lived in Michigan, November 10th was always marked with at least a brief news story and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald was always heard on the radio.

If you've never heard of the Fitz, it's a mysterious and haunting story.

Or, maybe you have to be from Michigan to feel this way.

Regardless, here are some links about the Fitz and what happened 30 years ago tonight.

Overview from CNN.

The best detailed site I've found about the Fitz .

This site takes the lyrics of the song and uses them to describe what actually happened. .

Another good overview of the shipwreck, as well as information on recovery of the ship's bell.

posted by Kathy at 11/10/2005 11:27:00 AM

7 comment(s):

I'm from Minnesota, and trust me, everyone here knows the Fitz. The anniversary made the front page of the paper today, and there are several memorials planned throughout the state.

By Anonymous Anonymous, at November 10, 2005 3:37 PM  

*hand up*
Michigander here. Vacationed all over the Great Lakes as a kid, went to the shipwreck museums, swam in Lake Superior (which now they think caused narrowing of my ear canals, but I digress).

I'm glad you posted though, because with all of the election results, and the extortion/blackmail accusations, etc., this anniversary wasn't on the radar.

By Anonymous Anonymous, at November 10, 2005 5:37 PM  

I've always loved the song, tho I sing it quite badly!

It took me quite a few years to make the connection that the song was referencing an actual historic event!

Thanks for the good reading on the subject! It is nice to step away from all the *stuff* the news has us mired in these days and read about something else.

By Anonymous Anonymous, at November 13, 2005 2:09 AM  

I heard of it! OK, I was born in MI, so maybe that's cheating. Anyhew, I'm now gonna have that song in my head all day, thankyewveddymush.

By Anonymous Anonymous, at November 15, 2005 11:08 AM  

I remember sleeping through an entire English class in high school where the teacher did was lecture on the Fitz. He really shouldn't have played the song to a bunch of sleep-deprived teenagers.

By Anonymous Anonymous, at November 15, 2005 3:27 PM  

I'm from the South, but the haunting song compelled me to check out the story years ago....

By Anonymous Anonymous, at November 16, 2005 12:53 PM  

Hey, I am from California, and know a fair amount about the Fitzgerald. It's not important enough for me to have actually known the actual date, but I know what it is and what happened to it and such. And I have the song...

And, I have never even been to Michigan, I barely know where Michagan is.

By Anonymous Anonymous, at November 19, 2005 1:05 PM  

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