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SS Edmund Fitzgerald - Quiz
Contributed by: Ashcroft
  • 1. How long was the SS Edmund Fitzgerald?
A) 654 feet
B) 810 feet
C) 883 feet
D) 729 feet
  • 2. In which year did the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sink in Lake Superior?
A) 1991
B) 1982
C) 1968
D) 1975
  • 3. How many crew members were on board the SS Edmund Fitzgerald when it sank?
A) 38
B) 29
C) 45
D) 15
  • 4. Which famous musician wrote a song about the SS Edmund Fitzgerald?
A) Gordon Lightfoot
B) Willie Nelson
C) Bob Dylan
D) Johnny Cash
  • 5. What was the cargo of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald on its final voyage?
A) Crude oil
B) Iron ore pellets
C) Coal
D) Lumber
  • 6. Where was the SS Edmund Fitzgerald headed when it sank?
A) Detroit, Michigan
B) Cleveland, Ohio
C) Chicago, Illinois
D) Buffalo, New York
  • 7. What was the last communication from the SS Edmund Fitzgerald before it sank?
A) Unable to steer
B) We are holding our own
C) We're taking on water
D) Mayday, mayday, mayday
  • 8. What was the depth of Lake Superior where the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank?
A) 625 feet
B) 530 feet
C) 400 feet
D) 720 feet
  • 9. Who captained the SS Edmund Fitzgerald on its final voyage?
A) Robert C. Carlton
B) John G. McCarthy
C) David R. Boone
D) Ernest M. McSorley
  • 10. From which city did the SS Edmund Fitzgerald embark on its final voyage?
A) Duluth, Minnesota
B) Superior, Wisconsin
C) Toledo, Ohio
D) Detroit, Michigan
  • 11. What type of ship was the SS Edmund Fitzgerald?
A) Fishing vessel
B) Cargo liner
C) Great Lakes freighter
D) Cruise ship
  • 12. What was the SS Edmund Fitzgerald known for setting?
A) Seasonal haul records six times
B) Endurance records
C) Safety records
D) Speed records
  • 13. What was one of the changes in Great Lakes shipping regulations after the sinking?
A) Mandatory survival suits
B) Mandatory lifeboats
C) Mandatory fire extinguishers
D) Mandatory life jackets
  • 14. What was the cause of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald's sinking?
A) Collision with another ship
B) Fire
C) The exact cause remains unknown
D) Piracy
  • 15. What was Captain Peter Pulcer known for on the SS Edmund Fitzgerald?
A) Piping music over the ship's intercom and entertaining spectators
B) Writing ballads
C) Commanding the ship
D) Designing the ship
  • 16. Where was the SS Edmund Fitzgerald located when it was found after sinking?
A) In one piece
B) Intact
C) In two large pieces
D) Under a bridge
  • 17. What was the SS Edmund Fitzgerald's record-breaking performance related to?
A) Safety records
B) Seasonal haul records
C) Speed records
D) Endurance records
  • 18. What was the name of the article that inspired Gordon Lightfoot's ballad?
A) The Cruelest Month
B) The Cruelest Voyage
C) The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
D) The Storm of 1975
  • 19. In which year did Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company invest in the construction of the Edmund Fitzgerald?
A) 1969
B) 1957
C) 1972
D) 1959
  • 20. What was the value of the Edmund Fitzgerald at the time of its construction?
A) $10 million
B) $59.6 million
C) $15 million
D) $7 million
  • 21. Which ship took over the title 'Queen of the Lakes' from the Edmund Fitzgerald?
A) SS Seaway
B) SS Great Lakes
C) SS Edmund Fitzgerald
D) SS Murray Bay
  • 22. What was the deadweight capacity of the Edmund Fitzgerald?
A) 29,120 short tons
B) 25,000 long tons
C) 30,000 long tons
D) 26,000 long tons
  • 23. How many watertight cargo hatches did the Edmund Fitzgerald have?
A) 15
B) 21
C) 30
D) 25
  • 24. What was the thickness of the steel used for the cargo hatches on the Edmund Fitzgerald?
A) 5/16-inch
B) 1/4-inch
C) 3/8-inch
D) 1/2-inch
  • 25. In which year was a diesel-powered bow thruster installed on the Edmund Fitzgerald?
A) 1969
B) 1971
C) 1972
D) 1967
  • 26. What type of fuel did the Edmund Fitzgerald originally use for its boilers?
A) Coal
B) Oil
C) Diesel
D) Natural gas
  • 27. During which winter layup were the Edmund Fitzgerald's boilers converted to burn oil?
A) 1971–72
B) 1970–71
C) 1969–70
D) 1972–73
  • 28. What company designed the luxurious interior furnishings of the Edmund Fitzgerald?
A) Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company
B) Great Lakes Engineering Works
C) Saint Lawrence Seaway Authority
D) J. L. Hudson Company
  • 29. What feature extended to the crew quarters on the Edmund Fitzgerald?
A) Air conditioning
B) Ventilation
C) Insulation
D) Heating
  • 30. What was one of the proposed names for the ship by Edmund Fitzgerald?
A) Soo Locks
B) Edmund
C) Northwestern
D) Centennial
  • 31. How many board members voted to name the ship the SS Edmund Fitzgerald?
A) 50
B) 36
C) 27
D) 45
  • 32. Who suffered a heart attack during the launch ceremony?
A) Captain Peter Pulcer
B) Jennings B. Frazier
C) Elizabeth Fitzgerald
D) Edmund Fitzgerald
  • 33. How long did the delay last after the heart attack during the launch ceremony?
A) 15 minutes
B) 45 minutes
C) 36 minutes
D) 60 minutes
  • 34. How many round trips had the SS Edmund Fitzgerald logged by November 1975?
A) 748
B) 500
C) 600
D) 800
  • 35. What was the distance covered by the SS Edmund Fitzgerald equivalent to?
A) 60 trips around the world
B) 30 trips around the world
C) 44 trips around the world
D) 50 trips around the world
  • 36. What organization represented Great Lakes fleet owners and opposed watertight subdivision regulations?
A) NTSB
B) USCG
C) Maritime Safety Board
D) LCA
  • 37. What was the nickname given to the captain known for playing music on the ship?
A) DJ captain
B) Music captain
C) Radio captain
D) Singing captain
  • 38. What hindered the efforts of the SS Hilda Marjanne?
A) Technical difficulties
B) Lack of fuel
C) The weather
D) Communication issues
  • 39. How did the increased load line affect the Edmund Fitzgerald's buoyancy?
A) Improved buoyancy
B) Increased critical reserve buoyancy
C) No effect on buoyancy
D) Decreased critical reserve buoyancy
  • 40. What was the age of the youngest crew member, Karl A. Peckol?
A) 50
B) 30
C) 20
D) 63
  • 41. Who was the youngest crew member of the Edmund Fitzgerald?
A) The wiper
B) Karl A. Peckol
C) The cook
D) Ernest M. McSorley
  • 42. What did Frederick Stonehouse suggest about the design of lake carriers?
A) Use lighter materials
B) Reduce their size
C) Design them more like ships rather than 'motorized super-barges'
D) Increase their cargo capacity
  • 43. What was the name of the first ship lost in the Whitefish Point area?
A) Arthur M. Anderson
B) Nanfri
C) Edmund Fitzgerald
D) Invincible
  • 44. Who theorized that something broke loose from the ship's deck, leading to the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald?
A) Captain Paquette
B) Captain McSorley
C) The USCG
D) Mark Thompson
  • 45. When was the SS Edmund Fitzgerald's ship's bell recovered from the wreck?
A) July 4, 1990
B) July 4, 2000
C) July 4, 1985
D) July 4, 1995
  • 46. Which support vessel did Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution provide for the 1994 dives?
A) Delta
B) RV Grayling
C) Celia
D) Edwin A. Link
  • 47. Who led the first manned submersible dive to Edmund Fitzgerald in 1980?
A) Chris Nicholson
B) Fred Shannon
C) Joseph B. MacInnis
D) Jean-Michel Cousteau
  • 48. What is the radius around protected sites where the updated regulations apply, according to the January 2006 regulations?
A) 1,640 feet
B) 1,000 feet
C) 1,000 meters
D) 500 meters
  • 49. Which organization contracted Seaward, Inc. to conduct a second survey of the wreck?
A) The U.S. Navy
B) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
C) The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society
D) Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution
  • 50. What did Mark Thompson criticize the USCG for?
A) Overzealous inspections
B) Excessive budget
C) Inadequate training
D) Complacency
  • 51. What did the USCG and NTSB conclude about the Edmund Fitzgerald's breakup?
A) The ship broke apart due to rogue waves
B) The ship broke apart upon hitting the lake floor
C) The ship broke apart due to hatch cover leakage
D) The ship capsized on the surface
  • 52. What did the NTSB investigation note about Great Lakes cargo vessels?
A) Always faced severe storms
B) Could not avoid severe storms
C) Could normally avoid severe storms
D) Avoided all storms
  • 53. Which river did Captain Peter Pulcer entertain tourists with music while navigating?
A) Soo Locks
B) Niagara River
C) Detroit River
D) St. Clair River
  • 54. What type of depth measurement device was the Edmund Fitzgerald equipped with?
A) A radar system
B) A fathometer
C) A hand line
D) A sonar system
  • 55. What type of industry has evolved around the Edmund Fitzgerald's image and narrative?
A) A manufacturing industry
B) A cottage industry
C) A fishing industry
D) A shipping industry
  • 56. What type of equipment is installed on all Great Lakes vessels for disaster location?
A) Life rafts
B) Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs)
C) Lifeboats
D) Flares
  • 57. Which city was incorrectly stated as the destination of the Edmund Fitzgerald in Lightfoot's original lyrics?
A) Detroit
B) Cleveland
C) Chicago
D) Sault Ste. Marie
  • 58. What problem with the Edmund Fitzgerald's keel surfaced as the USCG increased her load line?
A) Engine malfunction
B) Propeller damage
C) Hull cracking
D) Keel-welding problem
  • 59. When did the Canadian Hydrographic Service conduct a survey of the area surrounding Michipicoten Island and Caribou Island?
A) 1976
B) 1974
C) 1977
D) 1975
  • 60. How many crew members perished with Captain McSorley on the SS Edmund Fitzgerald?
A) 28
B) 35
C) 25
D) 30
  • 61. What was the highest wind speed logged by Arthur M. Anderson on November 10?
A) 50 knots
B) 58 knots
C) 70 knots
D) 35 knots
  • 62. Who composed the piano concerto titled 'The Edmund Fitzgerald'?
A) Eric Peltoniemi
B) Gordon Lightfoot
C) Steven Dietz
D) Geoffrey Peterson
  • 63. What technology did the U.S. Navy use to discover the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald?
A) Magnetic anomaly detector
B) Side scan sonar
C) 3-D stereoscopic cameras
D) GPS coordinates
  • 64. What did Captain Paquette believe caused the Edmund Fitzgerald to founder?
A) Negligence
B) Mechanical failure
C) Structural damage
D) Poor weather forecasting
  • 65. What did Petty Officer Philip Branch testify about the situation?
A) He considered it serious, but at the time it was not urgent
B) He did not comment on the situation
C) He considered it urgent
D) He considered it not serious
  • 66. Who piloted the U.S. Navy Lockheed P-3 Orion aircraft that discovered the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald?
A) Fred Shannon
B) Lt. George Conner
C) Jean-Michel Cousteau
D) Joseph B. MacInnis
  • 67. What did the lack of a draft-reading system prevent the crew from determining?
A) The depth of the water
B) The exact location of the ship
C) Whether the vessel had lost freeboard
D) The speed of the ship
  • 68. In what year was a further amendment to the Ontario Heritage Act made to impose licensing requirements on any type of surveying device?
A) 2010
B) 2006
C) 2009
D) 2005
  • 69. In which year did the Whitefish Point Preservation Society accuse the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society of conducting an unauthorized dive to Edmund Fitzgerald?
A) 2005
B) 2002
C) 2009
D) 2006
  • 70. What did Paquette say about Edmund Fitzgerald's foundering?
A) Caused by weather conditions
B) Caused by negligence
C) Caused by mechanical failure
D) Caused by structural damage
  • 71. From where did the USCG send the buoy tender Woodrush?
A) Duluth, Minnesota
B) Sault Ste. Marie
C) Whitefish Bay
D) Traverse City, Michigan
  • 72. What system replaced LORAN-C for navigation on the Great Lakes in the 1990s?
A) VOR
B) INS
C) Global Positioning System (GPS)
D) ADF
  • 73. What unmanned submersible did the U.S. Navy use in May 1976 to dive on the wreck?
A) CURV-III
B) Mini Rover ROV
C) Celia
D) Delta
  • 74. Which organization established a beach patrol along the eastern shore of Lake Superior?
A) Ontario Provincial Police
B) Canadian Coast Guard
C) USCG
D) Arthur M. Anderson
  • 75. Who moderated the 1990 panel review of the video footage from the 1989 dive?
A) Jean-Michel Cousteau
B) Fred Shannon
C) Frederick Stonehouse
D) Joseph B. MacInnis
  • 76. What amount did Oglebay Norton seek to limit their liability to?
A) $500,000
B) $2 million
C) $1 million
D) $817,920
  • 77. What was used to retrieve the bell from Edmund Fitzgerald in 1995?
A) CURV-III
B) Celia
C) Mini Rover ROV
D) Phil Nuytten's atmospheric diving suit, known as the Newtsuit
  • 78. What did the USCG Marine Casualty Report suggest as the cause of the Edmund Fitzgerald sinking?
A) The ship ran aground on a submerged reef.
B) The ship collided with another vessel.
C) The ship was hit by a rogue wave that caused it to capsize.
D) Ineffective hatch closures that allowed waves to inundate the cargo hold.
  • 79. Which vessel did Captain Cooper contact after being instructed to call back on channel 12?
A) Nanfri
B) William Clay Ford
C) Hilda Marjanne
D) Arthur M. Anderson
  • 80. What was discovered by a Michigan family on the Keweenaw Peninsula in 2007?
A) A ship's bell
B) A lone life-saving ring
C) A lifeboat
D) A piece of the ship's hull
  • 81. At what angle was the stern section of the Edmund Fitzgerald capsized?
A) 90-degree angle
B) 0-degree angle
C) 50-degree angle
D) 30-degree angle
  • 82. What did the USCG Marine Board examine after testimony about Edmund Fitzgerald's proximity to shoals?
A) The crew's testimonies
B) The ship's logbook
C) The relevant navigational charts
D) The weather reports
  • 83. What was the full speed of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald on its final voyage?
A) 20 miles per hour
B) 26.2 km/h
C) 16.3 miles per hour
D) 14.2 knots
  • 84. Did the Edmund Fitzgerald have a system to monitor water in its cargo hold?
A) Yes, but it was only for monitoring during loading
B) No
C) Yes, but it was only for detecting minor leaks
D) Yes, it had a sophisticated monitoring system
  • 85. How many ships had been lost in the Whitefish Point area between 1816 and 1975?
A) 50
B) 300
C) At least 240
D) 100
  • 86. Which channel did the USCG responders instruct Captain Cooper to call back on?
A) Channel 16
B) Channel 8
C) Channel 12
D) Channel 10
  • 87. What was the age of the oldest crew member, Captain Ernest M. McSorley?
A) 50
B) 63
C) 20
D) 30
  • 88. What did the April 2005 amendment to the Ontario Heritage Act allow the government to impose?
A) A ban on all underwater activities
B) A restriction on sonar scans only
C) A license requirement on dives, submersibles, side scan sonars, or underwater cameras
D) A fine for unauthorized diving
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