Fitzgerald Legend Overshadowing the El Faro

[pcolachap]

There is a Cedarville song too, "When a Shadow Came Out of the Fog". I think it was Lee Murdock who sang it. I think of the crew of the El Faro once in awhile these days. Even with all the modern gagettes sailing can still be dangerous. I respect and admire modern sailors and will remember those on the El Faro in my thoughts and prayers. Mike

[MattJ]

There is a song about the Morrell.
Wreck of the Daniel J. Morrell by Carl Behrend.
Albeit not as well known as Gordon Lightfoot's song.

[William Lafferty]

I confess I am in total agreement with Mr. Link. I was just pondering this yesterday. I think the bottom line here is one was celebrated by a gifted Canadian songwriter and singer, and the other not (at least not yet, though I think we realize it will never be recognized as such). I await the Daniel J. Morrell song, or even the Cedarville song.

No offense to those that went down on the Fitzgerald, but it seems the legend has become far more important that the incident itself.

Director John Ford confronted this point in the 1962 film The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. "History" addresses what it wants to address, in the terms in which it wants to address it.

[Jared]

Especially since the El Faro went down in our time with Radar, AIS, improved communications and weather forecasts along with modern survival gear. The Fitz only had radar and radio comms when she went under.

[Rob W]

I agree with the thought that the El Faro sinking should be more prevelant in discussion. What those crew members went through on both vessels makes me shudder with horror.

[wlbblw]

No. It was a huge event in the context of local (Great Lakes area) history. She was the largest ship to go down in the modern era with the greatest loss of life & the exact cause remains a mystery to this day.

There won't much to report on El Faro until they finish the investigation or when the court cases start to fly, probably in a year or so. The company is being quiet as a mouse for legal reasons & the media doesn't really have much to go on since the ship is 3 miles down & no one survived to talk about it. There'e nothing to say unless the Navy finds her with the DSRV.

[Mr Link]

Does anyone else find it troubling that a 40 year old wreck is currently getting more media coverage around the Lakes than a month old loss of an American-flagged commercial ship with 33 people on board?

No offense to those that went down on the Fitzgerald, but it seems the legend has become far more important that the incident itself.

Maybe that bell in Detroit's Mariners' Church should ring 33 times this year instead of 29.