Observing the 50th anniversary of the date on which the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior, and remembering the 29 lives lost in one of the worst storms ever recorded on the Great Lakes.

Observing the 50th anniversary of the date on which the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior, and remembering the 29 lives lost in one of the worst storms ever recorded on the Great Lakes.

Whereas, on November 9, 1975, the Fitzgerald left the port of Superior, Wisconsin, captained by Ernest McSorley with a crew of 28 men;

Whereas Captain McSorley had 44 years of experience and a crew of men from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, and California;

Whereas the SS Edmund Fitzgerald measured 729 feet long and, at the time of construction, was the largest ore freighter on the Great Lakes, earning it the nicknames “The Pride of the American Side,”“The Mighty Fitz,” and “The Titanic of the Great Lakes”;

Whereas the Fitzgerald set multiple records, often beating its own records for the most cargo carried in a single shipping season and was the first ship to carry 1,000,000 tons of iron ore through the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan;

Whereas the SS Edmund Fitzgerald hauled 26,116 tons of iron ore pellets destined for steels mills to be used in the production of automobiles;

Whereas the storm on November 10, 1975, was named “the storm of the century,” with gales of 100 miles per hour and 50-foot waves;

Whereas the Great Lakes region is the third largest economy in the world, and its maritime system is the backbone of the region’s economy, supporting the livelihoods of farmers, fishers, iron ore miners, steelworkers, shippers, and manufacturers;

Whereas the investigation of the wreck by the Coast Guard led to policy changes that continue to improve the safety of shipping on the Great Lakes, including the deployment of buoys to monitor lake conditions, an effort which later grew into the Coastal-Marine Automated Network; and

Whereas the final voyage of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald was immortalized in Gordon Lightfoot’s famed ballad “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” helping to ensure that the ship and its crew are never forgotten: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) recognizes the 50th anniversary of the wreck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald;

(2) expresses its support to the families of those who lost their lives;

(3) commends the courageous work of the rescue crews, the Coast Guard, and the commercial vessels and their crews that assisted in the initial search for survivors;

(4) recognizes Gordon Lightfoot and all those who reside in the Great Lakes region who carry on the legacy of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald every day; and

(5) reaffirms its commitment to ensuring safe shipping on the Great Lakes.