Fitzgerald In Silver Bay

[ML3]

Rolled up hose....

[Guest]

In reference to the object located on the forward cabin of the Edmund Fitzgerald in this blowup from a photograph of the ship taken during the late 1960s the item in question is surely not either a hole or a lifering. It is dark in color and is mounted right next to a firefighting axe. I would assume that it is either a coiled line or hose, I'm inclined to believe it is the latter.

[Guest]

There is a photo of the Edmund Fitzgerald winding at the Reserve ore dock in Silver Bay on October 29, 1958, and taken by Wesley Harkins. It's in the book, "The Lakers: Volume II" by Eric Hersimaki. It's not orange in colour and it's much thicker than any life ring.

[Guest]

Thanks for the responses - looking at the picture again I can see that it is a life ring with some shadows. I'm sure in color it would be obvious, just looked really odd, and out of scale, in this black and white photo.

[Guest]

Photos from the Minneapolis Star Tribune of April 29, 1956.

[Guest]

What is that in the picture that looks like a large, irregular shaped hole in the front of the deck level under the Pilot House? (Straight to the left of the steering pole in the photo.)

Firehose, I think.

After looking at a clearer picture of the Edmund Fitzgerald at Silver Bay on its maiden voyage, I agree it looks like a firehose or hose of some type coiled up. It looks too thick to be a cable, but it is definitely not a hole.

[Guest]

I think what you are seeing is a life ring.

Initial reports from the day said the twin conveyors could load up to 3550 tons/hour. Not sure if that ever changed.

After the bankruptcy and shutdown in 1986, Cyprus Amax was awarded ownership and started production again in early 1990.

[Guest]

What is that in the picture that looks like a large, irregular shaped hole in the front of the deck level under the Pilot House? (Straight to the left of the steering pole in the photo.)

Firehose, I think.

[guest]

yes the iron ore dock in picton had a conveyor loader but it was stationary. you had to move the ship from hatch to hatch. one good thing about that dock it wasnt too far to go "up the street" on the other hand the valley camp dock had a couple of conveyor loaders that could move from hatch to hatch so you only had to shift a few times. only it was in the middle of know where, long taxi ride to go "up the street" thunder bay had to ore docks a high dock {pocket dock} the newest one on the lakes, built 1943. the edward l. ryerson use to load there. still standing but not in use. the valley camp conveyor dock was on mission island. closest watering hole was the wayland not very far from n.m. paterson & sons huge elevator. one of patersons sons was spitfire pilot in the rcaf during ww2. he came home to fort william, on the other hand capt scott meisner had a son who also was a spitfire pilot but was shot down. a little bit of useless trivia

[Guest]

What is that in the picture that looks like a large, irregular shaped hole in the front of the deck level under the Pilot House? (Straight to the left of the steering pole in the photo.)

[Guest]

The first iron ore conveyor dock was at Picton, Ontario, which loaded it's first iron ore pelleta in 1955.

The second was Silver Bay in 1956 and Taconite Harbour in 1957 - operated by Erie Mining (Pickands and Mather).

These docks were designed for loading iron ore pellets at high-speed.

Bethlehem Steel financed the development of the ore dock iat Picton as well as the iron ore mine in Marmora mine and related pelletizing facilities. It closed in 1978.

Silver Bay went through a lot of controversy in the late 1960s and 70s when asbestos fibres in Duluth's municipal drinking water were found. Litigation between the federal government in the U.S. and Reserve Mining went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and nearly resulted in Reserve's complete shutdown. Shutdown of Reserve did occur in 1986, as the Steel Crisis was reaching it's peak and the remaining employees went on strike. I'm not sure as to when operations resumed - it could have been in the early 1990s.

Erie Mining ceased operations at Hoyt Lakes in 2001 due to decreased demand for pellets and worn out iron ore pellet producing plant.

[Guest]

First freighter to load there was the C. L. Austin, beginning April 6th, 1956, and finishing April 8th - delayed due to a storm. 10,800 tons to East Chicago, Indiana.

[Scott]

I noticed the photo on todays news page of the Fitz loading her first cargo of her career in Silver Bay. My question is, what year did the Silver Bay loading facility open? From the picture, the Fitz appears to be loaded by a conveyor type ship loader, was this new technology back then? Usually, boats were loaded by gravity chutes at ore docks. Thanks.