Fifty years ago, early nov, 29, 1966, the freighter daniel j. Dennis hale reached the dock just in time to see the daniel j. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias. Inland seas torn in two is a remarkable book and does a masterful job of closely focusing on the human element of. The freighter was used to carry bulk cargos such as iron ore but was running with only ballast when the 60yearold boat sank. He also wrote a book and contributed to another on the morrell. The twentysixyearold watchman had, quite literally, missed the boatwhich meant scrambling to rejoin the morrell at its next stop or forfeiting a. Morrell disaster, was keynote speaker at the great lakes shipwreck historical societys annual edmund fitzgerald memorial ceremony. Morrell on lake huron in 1966, and the aftermath of rescue and emergency management. Dennis, now a very popular professional author and lecturer about his experience on lake huron in november of 1966, has developed a. Dennis hale, 75, was the sole survivor of the daniel j. Morrell 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.
After waiting out the weather in the detroit river the evening of november 27, she entered lake huron late afternoon the next day proceeding upbound. Morrell that sank november 29, 1966 in lake huron passed away on wednesday. Fifty years ago, in the early morning hours of november 29, 1966, the 600long great lakes freighter daniel j. Morrell about the author in addition to deadly voyage, kantar has also authored black november. Cris kohls multimedia presentation on the history of the morrell.
The true and tragic story of the disappearance of the s. Wtip with michael schumacher the author of torn in two talks shipwreck with wtip. It is his thirteenth published book, and the fourth in his series on great lakes shipwrecks. Morrell freighter sank in a terrible storm on lake huron, taking many lives with her except for one. None sinking detail this big steamer broke in two and foundered in 25foot. 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. Morrell was caught in a deadly storm on lake huron. Author dennis hale shipwrecked reflections of the sole. The coast guard was advised to undertake structural overhauls on pre1948 vessels. Morrell and to schumachers growing list of great lakes shipwreck publications. Dennis hale, center, smiles broadly as he shows the lifejacket that saved his life in the wreck of the daniel j. Morrell is the story of two sixhundredfoot shipsthe morrell, and its sister ship, the edward y. Video of june 2017 dives on the stern section of morrell. Morrell, which sank on lake huron in late november 1966.
Morrell sank in lake huron, killing 28 of its 29 crew members. Inland seas torn in two is a remarkable book and does a masterful job of closely focusing on the human element of the overall disaster. 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. Sep 21, 2016 fifty years ago, in the early morning hours of november 29, 1966, the 600long great lakes freighter daniel j. While she was passing harbor beach, mi, some radio communications were made between the morrell and her sister ship, the edward y.
Morrell, which sank in a storm with a feared loss of 28 lives. This video documents the entire evening program, which includes. Try searching on jstor for other items related to this book. On november 30th, 1996, the 30th anniversary remembrance of the sinking of the s. Owned by the cambria steamship company and under operational charter to the bethlehem steel company, the daniel j. Hale went on to write a popular book in 2010 about his survival and rescue titled. 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. The michipicoten 2 was launched as the henry c frick one year prior to the morrell by the same shipyard in august 1905. Dennis hale, the sole survivor of the 1966 sinking of the freighter daniel j.
Most remains were found in the days soon after the sinking of the daniel j. Morrell was a steel freighter of the 600 foot class, built in 1907. Morrell was a great lakes bulk carrier that sank with only one survivor. The shipwreck trilogy, published by michigan state university press, has a combined sale of more than. This story is that of a behemoth great lakes boat brought down by the gales of november only this. Morrell capsized during a storm, taking 28 of its 29 crewmen to the bottom of lake huron. Edmund fitzgerald memorial ceremony great lakes shipwreck. This is the harrowing story of one of the worst shipwrecks in great lakes history in the early morning hours of november 29, 1966, the s. Morrell sank, hale and three of his crewmates climbed into a. Waves higher than the ship crested over it, and winds exceeding 60 miles per hour whipped at its hull, splitting the 603foot freighter into two giant pieces. 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. A gripping tale of one of the worst shipwrecks in great lakes history and of.
But nothing could prepare him for his tragic ordeal on the steamship daniel j. Morrell on lake huron, poses for a photo in duluth in 2002. Dennis will not be attending any future events due to his death on wed. Nov 30, 2016 dennis hale, the sole survivor of the 1966 sinking of the freighter daniel j. Morrell, on the evening of wednesday, november 29, 2017. Edmund fitzgerald, designated a michigan notable book. This book serves as his autobiography, not only relating the sad story of the shipwreck and its aftermath, but also delving into hales troubled childhood and his life as. By now, many folks who follow the great lakes know that dennis hale was the only survivor of the steamer daniel j. This large freighter was lost in a storm on november 29, 1966. The ship was named for daniel johnson morrell, a u. The freighter was used to carry bulk cargoes such as iron ore but was running with only ballast when the 60yearold ship sank. Morrell sank, hale and three of his crewmates climbed into a small life raft hoping to be rescued but it would end up being. Morrell a november gale claimed the great lakes freighter and all but one of its crew by chuck pomazal september 21, 2016. The morrell departed buffalo, ny for taconite, mn november 26, 1966, running in ballast.
This is the harrowing story of one of the worst shipwrecks in great lakes history. Morrell heading 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. Launched in 1906, as a bulk freighter, the daniel j. Morrell and to schumacher s growing list of great lakes shipwreck publications. 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. Only one of her twentynine man crew survived her loss. Morrell launched in 1906, as a bulk freighter, the daniel j.
Marine historical collection in the 20th century, numerous ships called lakers carried bulk cargo to the sixtythree commercial ports along the great lakes. In deadly voyage, andrew kantar takes his reader through a tale that is, in turns, harrowing, tragic, frustrating, uplifting, suspenseful, and, ultimately, historically important. Hale and three shipmates got into a life raft, over time they froze to death as hale barely hung onto life. Great lakes writer tackles tale of survival 50 years after. Morrell tragedy by andrew kantar, narrated by todd curless, is produced by university press audiobooks. Nov 27, 2016 when it sank on the great lakes on nov. One sailor miraculously survived the great lakes worst disaster in eight years. The sole survivor of a great lakes shipwreck tells his tale. Memorial ceremony emotional ceremony remembers the edmund fitzgerald dennis hale, sole survivor of the daniel j. The story of its sinking, and the exploration of the wreck, is the subject of a documentary video by detroit free press filmmaker eric seals. On the night of november 29,1966 while upbound on lake huron, the morrell broke in half off the tip of michigans thumb. Dennis hale, the lone survivor of the 1966 sinking of the freighter daniel j.
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. On the night of november 29th, 1966, the steamship daniel j. The freighter was used to carry bulk cargos such as iron ore but was running with. Morrell was a 603foot 184 m great lakes freighter that broke up in a strong. 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 books title clung to life on. Morrell, these six photos show the sinking of the michipicoten 2 in 1972 6 years after the loss for the morrell while on scrap tow in the gulf of st lawrence. 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. Every one of my shipwreck books seems to have a theme, schumacher said. For illustrative purposes of the sinking of the daniel j. Michael schumachers latest book is tragic, gripping, and hard to put down. Sole survivor of 1966 great lakes shipwreck that claimed 28.
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. Owned by the cambria steamship company and under operational charter to the bethlehem steel company, the. It had left buffalo a few days earlier and was upbound, empty, toward taconite harbor, minn. Morrell when it sank with 25 men on board on november 29, 1966 in lake huron. Morrell and one mans survival on the open sea, concerns a sailor who survived the sinking of a freighter in yet another mighty storm. Morrell was carrying 28 sailors eight of them western new york natives. One man dennis hale survived 36 hours in a life raft before getting rescued by a coast guard helicopter after the raft washed ashore 15 miles north of harbor beach. Morrell sank, hale and three of his crewmates climbed into a small life raft hoping to.
The great lakes shipwreck historical society and the thunder bay national marine sanctuary will remember the sinking of the 600. Events for the 2017 season great lakes shipwreck historical. Waves higher than the ship crested over it, and winds exceeding sixty miles per hour. Morrell however bodies continued to be found into the spring of 1967. In the early morning hours of november 29, 1966, the ss daniel j. In the early morning hours of november 29, 1966, the s. Reflections of the sole survivor, the ship made a sound like a dying prehistoric creature, creating a scene that will be. The book is a worthwhile addition to historical study of the wreck of the daniel j. Morrell, steaming in ballast from lackawanna, ny for taconite harbor, mn, broke in two and sank while fighting through a ferocious november gale on lake huron. The morrell is famous for having broken into two sections with her bow coming to rest in 200 feet of water. Her stern remained under power after the loss of the bow and continued on for. Underwater video of both halves of the sunken wreck.
May 01, 2017 the great lakes shipwreck historical society and the thunder bay national marine sanctuary will remember the sinking of the 600. Sole survivor of 1966 great lakes shipwreck that claimed. Morrell was a 603foot 184m 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. Morrell broke in two and sank in lake huron, off the tip of michigans thumb. 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. Morrell was an imposing sight, especially for the time. Hale is holding the life jacket that was cut off of him.