Anatomy of a Song: "Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald"

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. The freighter Edmund Fitzgerald sank in 1975. Which of the Great Lakes claimed the vessel? Lake Eerie Lake Ontario Lake Huron Lake Superior

2. The lake that claimed the Edmund Fitzgerald is alternately known by what Native American name? Gitche Gumee Koochiching Onondago Kewaunee

3. What type of cargo was being carried aboard the Edmund Fitzgerald during the fateful voyage? Bauxite Rutile Gravel Iron Ore

4. According to the song, how much did the cargo on the Edmund Fitzgerald weigh? 26,000 tons 38,000 tons 28,000 tons 36,000 tons

5. "The ship was the pride of the American side Coming back from some mill in ______" Where was the ship returning from? Michigan Illinois Wisconsin Indiana

6. "Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms When they left fully loaded for ______" Milwaukee Toledo Cleveland Windsor

7. Which wind directions get mentioned in the song's lyrics? South and West None of these North and East North and West

8. In which month of the year did the disaster occur? September December November October

9. Apart from the Captain, which other member of the crew is specifically mentioned in the lyrics? Answer: ("Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya")

10. When the Captain sent a distress call, according to the lyrics, what message did he send? He had lost his bearings The hull had been breached He had water coming in The engines had lost power

11. Tragically, the Edmund Fitzgerald was close (in relative terms) to safety. The lyrics describe the location of that safety, which was? Six Fathom Shoals Superior South Breakwater Michipicoten Island Whitefish Bay

12. How many miles lay between the Edmund Fitzgerald and safety, according to the song? Sixteen Fifteen Eighteen Nineteen

13. Where is the "maritime sailors' cathedral" located? Toledo Superior Detroit Cleveland

14. What was the name of the Edmund Fitzgerald's Captain? (Before you go insane, no, this is not mentioned in the song!) Ransom Cundy Eugene O'Brien Ernest McSorely Robert Rafferty

15. How many times does "the church bell chime"? Twenty-six Twenty-nine Twenty-three Twenty