Dennis hale reached the dock just in time to see the daniel j. On the night of november 29,1966 while upbound on lake huron, the morrell broke in half off the tip of michigans thumb. Morrell sank, hale and three of his crewmates climbed into a small life raft hoping to be rescued but it would end up being. Memorial ceremony emotional ceremony remembers the edmund fitzgerald dennis hale, sole survivor of the daniel j. The bow sank into 200ft of water and the stern motored another 5 miles away before finally plunging into the depths. Future podcasts store here are the topics were working on. Her stern remained under power after the loss of the bow and continued on for another 6 miles before settling into 218 feet of water.
Michael schumachers latest book is tragic, gripping, and hard to put down. Morrell encountered a gale on lake huron that was generating winds up to 57 knots. Sep 21, 2016 fifty years ago, in the early morning hours of november 29, 1966, the 600long great lakes freighter daniel j. It had left buffalo a few days earlier and was upbound. Morrell, on the evening of wednesday, november 29, 2017. Morrell was making its last haul of the season when it broke apart in a heavy storm on lake huron in november. In deadly voyage, andrew kantar takes his reader through a tale that is, in turns, harrowing, tragic, frustrating, uplifting, suspenseful, and, ultimately, historically important. Sole survivor of 1966 great lakes shipwreck that claimed 28.
A gripping tale of one of the worst shipwrecks in great lakes history and of. Fifty years ago, early nov, 29, 1966, the freighter daniel j. Morrell was an imposing sight, especially for the time. The survey of the wreck found the shipwreck in 220 ft 67 m of water with the two sections 5. Great lakes shipwreck 50 years ago today brought tragic loss. He was the lone survivor of the shipwreck of the daniel j morrell, a 600 foot long ore carrier which split in half during a violent storm on lake huron 11291966. Bay city, mi dennis hale, the lone survivor of the 1966 sinking of the freighter daniel j. Sole survivor of 1966 great lakes shipwreck that claimed. Morrell, which sank in a storm with a feared loss of 28 lives. Five crew have never been found and dennis hale the only surviver endured 37 hours in freezing cold water.
On the night of november 2829, 1966 while sailing inballast from buffalo, ny to taconite harbor, mn the daniel j. Morrell, and his survival on the stormtossed waters of lake huron for 38 hours. Click on the photos below to see an enlarged version, with detailed description. Bradleytells the story of the life and death of the morrell, with an emphasis. Launched in 1906, as a bulk freighter, the daniel j. It had left buffalo a few days earlier and was upbound, empty, toward taconite harbor, minn. Events for the 2017 season great lakes shipwreck historical. Reflections of the sole survivor, the ship made a sound like a dying prehistoric creature, creating a scene that will be. The freighter was used to carry bulk cargoes such as iron ore but was running with only ballast when the 60yearold ship sank. Morrell and one mans survival on the open sea, concerns a sailor who survived the sinking of a freighter in yet another mighty storm. Dennis hale reached the dock just in time to see thedaniel j. Morrell disaster, was keynote speaker at the great lakes shipwreck historical societys annual edmund fitzgerald memorial ceremony. Morrell was bound for taconite harbor when broke up and sank.
At 2am on november 29, 26 miles northeast of harbor beach, mi the daniel j. The sole survivor of a great lakes shipwreck tells his tale. On the night of november 29,1966 while upbound on lake huron, the morrell broke in. Morrell was a steel freighter of the 600 foot class, built in 1907. Dennis, now a very popular professional author and lecturer about his experience on lake huron in november of 1966, has developed a. Author dennis hale and his sole surviving experience upon the daniel j. Morrell was a 600foot long ore carrier that split in two on lake huron during a storm on nov.
May 01, 2017 the great lakes shipwreck historical society and the thunder bay national marine sanctuary will remember the sinking of the 600. Morrell and one mans survival on the open sea by michael schumacher 2016, hardcover torn in two. Dennis will not be attending any future events due to his death on wed. Her stern remained under power after the loss of the bow and continued on for. The book is a worthwhile addition to historical study of the wreck of the daniel j. He would later recount his survival and write a book. That afternoon the hatch covers of the noble were found washed up on the beach near duluth. The sinking of the edmund fitzgerald is one of the most famous and mysterious shipwreck stories in great lakes history. Morrell sank, hale and three of his crewmates climbed into a small life raft hoping to. Edmund fitzgerald, designated a michigan notable book. Morrell on lake huron in 1966, and the aftermath of rescue and emergency management. In the trial of the edmund fitzgerald, michael schumacher mines the controversial final report that came from the investigation into the wreck, producing the firstever documentary accounta companion to his narrative mighty fitz. John steele loaned me an old 16mm camera and i began learning to make films. Pictorial history of the great lakes freighter daniel j.
Morrell was a 603foot 184 m great lakes freighter that broke up in a strong storm on lake huron on 29 november 1966, taking with it 28 of her 29 crewmen. Nov 30, 2016 fifty years ago, early nov, 29, 1966, the freighter daniel j. In the early morning hours of november 29, 1966, the s. Author dennis hale shipwrecked reflections of the sole. Reflections of the sole survivor, the ship made a sound like a dying prehistoric creature, creating a scene that will be with me for the rest of my life.
Morrell and to schumachers growing list of great lakes shipwreck publications. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. Torn in two by michael schumacher goodreads share book. Morrell was a sixty year old ore carrier sailing for bethlehem steel when she encountered the dreaded witch of november in a ferocious storm on november 29, 1966 while sailing on lake huron. Morrellheading out to open waters, a 600foot freighter that had plied the waters for sixty years, carrying ore from minnesotas iron range to steel firms around the great lakes. Nov 03, 2015 ralph polovich recalls wreck of the daniel j. Our agency, magnum investigations plus, is volunteering our services for a project headed up by john debeck. Morrell was a 603foot 184 m great lakes freighter that broke up in a strong storm on lake huron on 29 november 1966, taking with it 28 of its 29 crewmen. Fifty years ago, in the early morning hours of november 29, 1966, the 600long great lakes freighter daniel j. Morrell and one mans survival on the open sea by michael schumacher 2016, hardcover 2. Morrell and one mans survival on the open sea university of minnesota press, veteran author michael schumacherwho has written about the sinking of the edmund fitzgerald and the loss of the carl d. Try searching on jstor for other items related to this book. Dennis hale, center, smiles broadly as he shows the lifejacket that saved his life in the wreck of the daniel j. Every one of my shipwreck books seems to have a theme.
The open sea is lake huron, as bad a place to be in a wintry gale as the north atlantic, where that one sailor of the book s title clung to life on. Dennis hale, 75, was the sole survivor of the daniel j. Morell was lost in a fierce storm on lake huron in 1966. Morrell noticed the lights of one of the ships suddenly disappeared. Morrell was the secondtolast shipwreck on the great lakes, torn apart by a fierce blizzard on nov. Schumacher has done a decent job telling the story of the daniel j morrell s final voyage, her breaking up in heavy seas in lake huron, and the dramatic survival of watchkeeper dennis hale. The freighter was used to carry bulk cargos such as iron ore but was running with only ballast when the 60yearold boat sank. Great lakes writer tackles tale of survival 50 years after lake huron. On the night of november 29,1966 while upbound on lake huron, the morrell. Bradleytells the story of the life and death of the morrell. Nov 27, 2016 when it sank on the great lakes on nov. At a heavyweight 608 feet in length and weighing in well north of 7000 tons, the morrell was designed to haul the largest loads on the great lakes. Morrell, steaming in ballast from lackawanna, ny for taconite harbor, mn, broke in two and.
He also adequately covers the investigation and the coast guard inquest. Morrell bow section on the night of november 29th, 1966, the steamship daniel j. The shipwreck trilogy, published by michigan state university press, has a combined sale of more than. Morrell when it sank with 25 men on board on november 29, 1966 in lake huron. Dennis hale signs a book for a customer at the great lakes. This large freighter was lost in a storm on november 29, 1966. Morrell broke in two and sank in lake huron, off the tip of michigans thumb. The book was his account of the foundering of the ss daniel j. Morrell was a 603foot 184 m great lakes freighter that broke up in a strong. The great lakes shipwreck historical society and the thunder bay national marine sanctuary will remember the sinking of the 600. Feather star beacon dennis hale of rock creek holds the life jacket he was wearing when he was rescued from a raft in lake huron following the sinking of the daniel j. This is the harrowing story of one of the worst shipwrecks in great lakes history. Great lakes shipwreck 50 years ago today brought tragic loss, incredible survival duluth fifty years ago tuesday, in the early morning hours of nov, 29, 1966, the freighter daniel j. Download monty halls and s01e04 the ghost ship thunder bay webrip tyygn wso wso mp4 flv duration.
Mike kohut introduced me to grace garland, who was a professional film editor. Morrell met her final storm in november 1966, dennis hale had the hard to imagine horror of seeing the steel deck of the ship tear apart like paper. Marine historical collection in the 20th century, numerous ships called lakers carried bulk cargo to the sixtythree commercial ports along the great lakes. Morrell heading out to open waters, a 600foot freighter that had plied the waters for sixty years. Morrell capsized during a storm, taking 28 of its 29 crewmen to the bottom of lake huron. Jan 20, 2019 bay city, mi dennis hale, the lone survivor of the 1966 sinking of the freighter daniel j. Great lakes shipwrecks and the intriguing stories behind. Barry stutesman of michigan magazine tv interviews dennis hale the sole survivor of the daniel j morrell that sank during a november storm on lake huron in 1966, dennis relives the moments of the. This steel freighter broke in half during a storm in november 1966. He also wrote a book and contributed to another on the morrell.
Former times herald photographer is featured in shipwreck documentary. Morrell was carrying 28 sailors eight of them western new york natives. The morrell is famous for having broken into two sections with her bow coming to rest in 200 feet of water. The freighter was used to carry bulk cargos such as iron ore but was running with.
The author of torn in two talks shipwreck with wtip. Morrell and one mans survival on the open sea michael schumacher on. Michael schumacher, author of torn in two, on the 1966 sinking of the sixhundredfoot morrell, which broke in half during a storm on lake huron. While the 1975 sinking of the edmund fitzgerald is the disaster people from outside the midwest know, the witches of november posed a serious danger to many other vesselsthis is the reconstruction of the sinking of the ore ship daniel j. The morrell was built in 1906 along with her sister ship the edward y. Morrell, along with dennis hales remarkable survival on a life raft on a stormravaged lake huron, comprises one of the most compelling shipwreck stories in great lakes history.
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