National

Ceremonies mark 40th anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald sinking

FILE- A 1959 file photo shows the Great Lakes freighter Edmund Fitzgerald, which disappeared Nov. 10, 1975, in a storm on Lake Superior. The Great Lakes have claimed some 6,000 ships since European explorers began navigating the waters in the 1600s, but few have captured the publics imagination as has the Edmund Fitzgerald.
FILE- A 1959 file photo shows the Great Lakes freighter Edmund Fitzgerald, which disappeared Nov. 10, 1975, in a storm on Lake Superior. The Great Lakes have claimed some 6,000 ships since European explorers began navigating the waters in the 1600s, but few have captured the publics imagination as has the Edmund Fitzgerald. Associated Press

DETROIT — Events in Michigan are observing the 40th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior.

A sculpture by Timothy P. Schmalz titled "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is being revealed Tuesday afternoon at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum in Detroit.

The sculpture will be on display through the spring, when it will be moved to its permanent location at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Memorial ceremonies are Tuesday night at both museums.

The freighter went down Nov. 10, 1975, killing 29 crewmen. The sinking spawned a well-known song by Gordon Lightfoot, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."

On Sunday, a service at Mariners' Church in Detroit included family members of some of those who died in the sinking.

___

Online:

http://www.detroithistorical.org

http://www.shipwreckmuseum.com

This story was originally published November 10, 2015 at 10:17 AM with the headline "Ceremonies mark 40th anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald sinking."

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