Page 73 - USA ROAD TRIP SUMMER of 2000

After the loss in 1975 of the ore ship Edmond Fitzgerald with all

hands, a group of local people formed an organization dedicated
to preserving the history of mariners in this area of the Great

Lakes. They have done a wonderful job in establishing and running

a maritime museum at the site of the lighthouse at Whitefish
Point.

The lighthouse is the oldest operating light on Lake Superior. It

was originally built in 1848 but has been replaced by more
modern facilities since. It like all other lights in the USA (except

the first light in Boston – thanks to Ted Kennedy) is remotely
controlled. The lighthouse “keeper” is in Sault Ste. Marie.

This lighthouse not only had the light on the tower, it also had a
foghorn. But what a surprise it was to learn that the horn was

placed underwater, far out from the shore at the Lake bottom. In
the dense fogs that could blanket the sea, a captain would place a

listening devise on the inside of his ship’s hull and listen for the
low pitched warning of shoals. The lighthouse keeper had a

listening devise in the shallow water at edge of the Lake through
which he could be sure that the horn was working!

We toured their museum that had stories of some of the most
spectacular local wrecks, examples of old and modern diving gear

used to explore those wrecks, and information plus an example of
a lighthouse lantern.

We then saw a 15-minute film on the sinking of the Fitzgerald. The

boat was in contact with another throughout the horrible night’s

storm. Shortly after the last communication that, “We are holding
our own”, the Fitz dropped off the radar of the trailing ship. They

have visited the wreck in 500 feet of water but still don’t know

73