Arthur M. Anderson, Last Ship To Hear From Edmund Fitzgerald

The Arthur M. Anderson will always be a part of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, it was the boat that followed the Fitz that fateful night.

It was the ship that followed the Fitz into the harbor and the one that followed the ship out of the harbor. According to the Edmund Fitzgerald website it had constant communication with the doomed boat. The Anderson called the Coast Guard to begin a search for the ship once they lost radio communication with it.

The Great Lakes Shipping Museum with documented radio transmissions and interviews tell the story that the pumps were working but eventually broke so that the Fitz couldn't get rid of the water fast enough. In the story, the Edmund Fitzgerald wired the Anderson to say some of the railings and popped, which means it's taking on water and is starting to buckle under the weight and pounding of the water.

The story goes on to say, that was it, the Fitz was under. The Arthur M. Anderson then became one of two boats that said they would search for the ship. The Coast Guard asked all the ships that were docked that night to go look because none of the Coast Guard ships were in working order. The Anderson and another boat were the only two that said they would go look.

Except for this year. The Arthur M. Anderson comes into Duluth on November 9th every year and leaves on November 10th. Which is kind of creepy to me.

Here is a video of the Anderson.