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When the waves turn the minutes to hours (plus more)   Printer-friendly page   Send this story to someone
Wednesday, November 10, 2010 - 08:00 AM
Posted by: Karl

Karl

THE WRECK of the EDMUND FITZGERALD: The legend lives o­n from the Chippewa o­n down of the big lake they called Gitche Gumee. Today marks the 35th anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald -- 729 feet-long, 75 feet in breadth, 39 feet in depth, weighing 13,632 gross tons -- an ore bulk carrier with a capacity of 25,000 tons. When it was launched o­n June 7 1958, at the Great Lakes Engineering Works in River Rouge, Michigan, Fitzgerald was the largest ship o­n the Great Lakes. Here's misty, water-colored video of the launch.

The "Queen of the Great Lakes" sank in the eastern end of Lake Superior during a fierce storm -- including snow squalls -- that pounded the ship with 30-foot waves. The crew of 29 men perished; without witnesses, a definitive reason has never been determined. A Coast Guard report suggested that faulty hatches failed to keep water out of the ship's cargo holds, though others believe the ship struck an uncharted shoal and took o­n water. A documentary created and aired by the Discovery Channel concluded the loss was due to freak waves that overwhelmed the faulty hatches.

After the wreck, the Rev. Richard Ingalls went to Mariners' Church in Detroit and rang its bell 29 times, o­nce for each life lost. The church continues to hold an annual memorial, which includes reading the names of the crewmen and ringing the church bell. Here's video of Rev. Ingalls recounting that night. Ingalls will be performing this year's memorial service at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society.

At the request of family members surviving her crew, Fitzgerald's 200 lb. bronze bell was recovered by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society in 1995, as a joint project with the National Geographic Society, Canadian Navy, Sony Corporation, and Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. The bell is now o­n display in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. Here's a brief video from o­ne of the underwater explorations of the wreck. Throw in the 3-D animation, and you'll feel just like Bill Paxton.

The song by Gordon Lightfoot spent 21 straight weeks o­n the pop charts, peaking at No. 2. And there's a homemade video for it, which I highly recommend. Beats the tar of Celine Dion! (PS:  Ken King -- who has lived o­n the U.P. of  Michigan, says the gales of November are quite something.)

***

POMEGRANATES, who bring a touch of early U2 to their sound, did the four free songs thing for Daytrotter.

HERE WE GO MAGIC stopped by Morning Becomes Eclectic for a session.

MAVIS STAPLES stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and mini-set.

LAURA MARLING: Hear the Brit-folker cover Johnson C. Frank and Neil Young for a new single produced by Jack White.

THE FLAMING LIPS played "I Can Be a Frog" on Yo Gabba Gabba.

JOHNNY FLYNN, aspiring Brit-folker, talks to the Dallas Observer about driving through Appalachia and more... (Thx, Chromewaves.)

PREFAB SPROUT's Paddy McAloon answers The A.V. Club's questions by e-mail, asking about his career, his influences, and his philosophies of songwriting.

DRESDEN DOLLS and Amanda Palmer are profiled by Neil Gaiman for SPIN.

MATT & KIM: Matt Johnson talks to the NYDN about traipsing naked through Times Square and being called a hipster.

MAD MEL UPDATE: Oksana Grigorieva believes Gibson was cheating on her with multiple women during their relationship - and now she wants to take it a step further and ask the women if the actor ever attacked them.

RACHEL WEISZ & DARREN ARONOFSKY split after nine years of marriage.

HEIDI MONTAG & SPENCER PRATT were held at gunpoint by local police in a horrifying case of mistaken identity.

CONAN O'BRIEN got off to a strong start on TBS.

DAKOTA FANNING was named fer private school's homecoming queen for the second year in a row. Aw.

RACHEL BILSON & HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN are giving their romance another shot, after calling off their engagement in August.

THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS nominees are announced; Twilight, Iron Man 2, and Inception feature heavily.

TRON: LEGACY releases a third and final trailer.

AL QAEDA is being infiltrated by western intelligence agencies, with help from Islamic allies.

IRAN suggested resuming nuclear talks this month in Turkey, while slamming the UN's nuclear watchdog.

AFGHANISTAN: Nearly all Afghans want their government to make peace with the Taliban despite their growing dislike for the insurgency, according to a survey funded in part by the US government.

KUNG FU HAMSTER: Incredible footage shows the tiny ninja attacking two Russian youths as they walk through a cornfield.

A MOUSE was discovered in a naked arrestee in Oconee County, SC.

THE BHOOTBILI, a cat-dog-mongoose cryptid, terrorizes an Indian neighborhood.

A SMOKING CHIMP has been rescued from a zoo in Lebanon.

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