Dennis Hale, dressed only in boxer shorts and what he could quickly grab a pea coat and a lifejacket somehow managed to survive. Rebandt's Solution for Michigan: More God in Governmentand Public Schools, Get exclusive Michigan stories & news right in your inbox. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. $16.95 paper ISBN 978-1-5179-0448-7 $.00 cloth/jacket ISBN 978-0-8166-9521-8 200 pages, 53 b&w photos, 1 map, 5 1/2 x 8 1/4, October 2018. The stern part ended up floating over four miles past the bow part. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in print journalism from Grand Valley State University, where he was editor of the student newspaper, The Lanthorn. As he learned more, DeBeck was driven to delve into an investigation of the shipwreck, assembling a research team to dive and and analyze the laker's remains. The decals were all created and printed on my computer. The stern portion plowed on past the only three survivors before she sank. For wreck junkies, this is a treasure trove. Here's One Way to Get Involved. Author and Great Lakes marine historian John DeBeck, of Wisconsin, knew Dennis Hale, the sole survivor of the shipwreck who spent 38 hours on a life raft wearing nothing but a wool peacoat and boxer shorts. Despite it not achieving the same kind of infamy as the Fitzgerald, though, the story of the Morrell is still extraordinary. By signing up you may also receive reader surveys and occasional special offers. This big steamer broke in two and foundered in 25-foot waves. A Sikorsky S-62 in box scale about 1/50 scale, depending on what you measure. Dennis Hale spent two nights on a liferaft wearing only his peacoat, underwear and a lifejacket. Constructed in the first few years of the 20th century, the Morrell first sailed in 1906: A gargantuan (for that era) steel ship, 600 feet long, ready to haul iron ore and other cargo to ports around the Great Lakes. He's also a movie buff and enjoys attending live music events in his spare time. Jan 6. While it was being towed across the North Atlantic to its destination, a storm sprang up and the boat, just like the Morrell, split right in two. Then, one class sent me down a rabbit DEAR ABBY: I retired to Malaga, Spain, after my marriage of 38 years ended in divorce. Want to Fight for Abortion Rights? The stern kept on going and made a big circle and came back, McGreevy said. This listing was ended by the seller because the item is no longer available. [10], The survey of the wreck found the shipwreck in 220ft (67m) of water with the two sections 5mi (8.0km) apart. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. The stern section sailed under power for nearly five miles before sinking with all hands. Following Hale's death in 2015, DeBeck was inspired to work with Hale's widow, Barb, to gather the pictures and stories of fellow seamen who served alongside him on the Morrell. They set down nearby and two of the Guardsmen waded over to helped Hale into the helicopter, which immediately flew him to the hospital at Harbor Beach. The remains of 26 of the 28 lost crewmen were recovered, most in the days following the sinking, although bodies from Daniel J. Morrell continued to be found well into May of the following year. Hale, a 26-year-old watchman aboard the Morrell, was found the following day in a liferaft. Sadly, on that night the ship went down and so did 28 of her 29 crew members. Stories of ships such as the Morrell litter the Great Lakes. Gauntlets of Hope and Despair 4. Names Other: None, Sinking Detail One can only imagine what went on aboard the stern segment, which traveled about 5 more miles before it too went to the bottom. Early on the morning of Nov. 29, the Morrell found itself in rough waters with winds approaching 70 mph and waves of 30-35 feet. Prior to arriving at the Tribune, Mark was night desk editor for the Cadillac News, where he also helped out the sports department on busy high school football and basketball nights. Here's One Way to Get Involved. Some crew jump into the freezing Lake Huron waters. 2022 Advance Local Media LLC. Only one man survived when the bow plunged off Michigan's thumb. Michael Schumacher has published three previous books about the Great Lakes: Mighty Fitz, about the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald; The Wreck of the Carl D., about the loss of the Carl D. Bradley; and Novembers Fury, an account of the Storm of 1913, the deadliest in Great Lakes history. Contributed / Emory Massman / Dennis Hale Collection. This sketch illustrates how the freighter the Daniel J. Morrell broke into two pieces in the waters off the tip of the Thumb on Nov. 29, 1966. That time they torched the Great Lakes' largest luxury steamship, These 11 Michigan ghost towns are eerily intriguing, The story of Houdini's death in Detroit on Halloween. The ship was named for Daniel Johnson Morrell, the general superintendent and manager of the Cambria Iron Company, and a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania. Thats exactly what happened to a 600-foot freighter named the Daniel J. Morrell, which split into two pieces and sank in the icy waters 18 miles north of the tip of the Thumb on Nov. 29, 1966, claiming the lives of 28 of the 29 crewmen on board. Port Huron (Mich.) Times Herald photo by Ralph Polovich. Elections He endured more than a dozen surgeries over the following years and carried the psychological scars of his ordeal with him until his death in 2015. The previous trip would have been the Morrells last run. I decided to build my model of the Seaguard as the one that rescued Hale. DeBeck will offer a free presentation about the Morrell at 6 p.m. Friday, March 4, at the Nordic Auction Events Center, 2713 Coutland St., Duluth. Four men were able to climb back aboard, but there was no sign of any of the others as the same treacherous seas that were able to destroy a large lake vessel now assaulted the tiny life raft. The Morrell, which has been sailing alongside another boat, its sister ship, the S.S. Edward Y. Townsend, goes forth into the night. He and three of his fellow crewmen John Cleary, Charles Fosbender and Art Stojek managed to make their way into a 15-man pontoon lifeboat. I was able to locate one kit online at a price which I will not disclose in any manner which my wife might discover. Dennis Hale, a 26-year-old from Ashtabula, Ohio, serving as a watchman on the Morrell in 1966, was asleep in his bunk early on the morning of Nov. 29 when he was awoken by a pair of loud banging sounds. The ship, and its crew of 29, was alone in the dark with no way to call for help. On the afternoon of Nov. 30, two Coast Guard helicopters engaged in a search for the Morrell and any survivors spotted the lifeboat near Huron City. 2011-2016 University of Minnesota Press | Privacy Policy | The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. The sole survivor of the sinking, Dennis Hale, died of cancer on 2 September 2015, at the age of 75. But the Morrell doesnt reach its destination. Of the boat's 29 crew members, 28 died. Contents Prologue: Carelessness and Fate 1. While they waited for the bow to sink, there were shouts that a ship had been spotted off the port bow. In the words of writer William Ratigan, the vessel's stern disappeared into the darkness "like a great wounded beast with its head shot off".[9]. Hearings: Trump Preplanned Capitol March Knowing Violence Was Likely, Food & Drink The stern offers just about everything to see as when it went down life boats on the side, dishes in the galley, life ring down the stairs, and accessible engine room with gauges and machinery for the very experienced and trained divers. And for six decades, it did just that, often alongside its sister ship, the Edward Y. Townsend. Thats when the disaster began to unfold. In addition to Edmund Fitzgerald, other contemporary Great Lakes freighters lost under similar circumstances were Carl D. Bradley and Henry Steinbrenner. The freighter was used to carry bulk cargoes such as iron ore but was running with only ballast when the 60-year-old ship sank. Want to Fight for Abortion Rights? Delivery time is estimated using our proprietary method which is based on the buyer's proximity to the item location, the shipping service selected, the seller's shipping history, and other factors. The wind was out of the north-northeast at 65 mph, and the waves were upward of 25', spaced 250-300' apart. [13] The German saltie Nordmeer, which had grounded at Thunder Bay Island Shoal on 19 November, was declared a total loss after the additional damage to its bottom caused by the storm. This required a lot of Squadron Green Putty, sanding, filing, and more sanding until a smooth, unblemished finish could be achieved. Railroads and Transportation. Michael Schumacher, author of Torn in Two, on the 1966 sinking of the six-hundred-foot Morrell, which broke in half during a storm on Lake Huron. Eventually, the waves become too much for the Morrell, which seeks shelter in the calmer waters at Thunder Bay, near Alpena. Michael Schumacher's latest book is tragic, gripping, and hard to put down. Sign up for our newsletter and stay connected with Double Action Dive Charters. Official Number: 203507 19301966, This page was last edited on 26 June 2022, at 02:17. The stern, once separated from the bow, was still under power and continued to sail through the waters. Hearings: Trump Preplanned Capitol March Knowing Violence Was Likely, Get the Scoop on 50+ Michigan Ice Cream Shops and Creameries, Rebandt's Solution for Michigan: More God in Governmentand Public Schools. [15] The Coast Guard investigation of the sinking of Daniel J. Morrell concluded that she broke in half due to the brittle steel used in her hull which was a "common problem" in ships built before 1948.[16]. It helps to complete my display of Coast Guard aircraft, which now resides at the Sand Point Lighthouse in Escanaba, Michigan. The Morrell currently rests in about 165 feet of water almost 30 miles off the northeast shore of Harbor Beach. Depth Bottom(ft): 205ft Loss Date: 11/29/1966 Fifty years ago, in the early morning hours of November 29, 1966, the 600'-long Great Lakes freighter Daniel J. Morrell broke in two and sank in Lake Huron, off the tip of Michigans thumb. It had left Buffalo a few days earlier and was upbound, empty, toward Taconite Harbor, Minn., for one more load of iron ore before winter shutdown. Schumacher provides depth and reality to the story that he tempers with engaging writing. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 11 Michigan-Made Foods Just For The Adventurous, From Ice Caves to Sinkholes, These are Michigan 15 Coolest Natural Wonders, Whats Being Done About Racial, Ethnic Disparities Found in MSP Traffic Stops. Loss Life: 28 of 29 At 2am, the ship began to succumb to the storm, and a mere 15 minutes later, at 2:15am her crew began abandoning her and taking their chances in the 34 degree water of Lake Huron. I thought, If I can get to the raft, I stand a better chance, Dennis Hale, the lone survivor of the wreck of the Morrell, told the Twin Cities Pioneer Press in 2012. At the heart of Torn in Two are the terrible hours spent by Hale on the life raft with his crewmen, clinging to life for thirty-eight hours in freezing temperatures and wearing only a peacoat, life jacket, and boxer shorts. Plans were made to tow the vessel to Europe, to be scrapped. Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 7/1/2022). Shipwreck Specs: 580x58x27, 7239g 6216n Mark can be reached by phone at 989-623-3188 or by email at mark.birdsall@hearstnp.com, Sinking of the Daniel J. Morrell a tale of death, survival, 3 new Chick-fil-A's to open in southeast Michigan this fall, Annual Great Grub Grab scavenger hunt returns Saturday. Hale would later credit his lack of clothing with saving his life, describing how the clothes worn by his shipmates became encrusted with ice. Accountability The Morrell's deadly final run would turn out to be the last run for its sister ship, too; when the Townsend finally finished that trip in November 1966, the crew found that a large crack had appeared in the boat. Vessel Cargo: Light. Several years ago, I began building models of the various aircraft which had been assigned to U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, including the HU-16E Albatross, HH-3F Penguin, HH-65A Dolphin, and others, including the HH-52A Seaguard. Details from the song "32 Down on the Robert MacKenzie" from Canadian TV series Due South echo both the sinkings of the Edmund Fitzgerald (total loss of life, and grounding on Six-Fathom Shoal) and Daniel J. Morrell (the stern breaking off and continuing on under its own power, though in the song the stern section of the titular boat immediately rams the severed bow). For three of them, it didnt come soon enough. [6] In 1930, Daniel J. Morrell and Edward Y. Townsend came under management of the Bethlehem Transportation Company. Vessel Build Info: 1906, W. Bay City Shipbuilding, W. Bay City, MI hull# 619 The aft portion, still under power, continued on, pushing the sinking forward section aside. I have Retail giant Walmart signed an agreement with an automotive startup company called Canoo to Michigan has some of the most beautiful scenic drives in the nation. 19081926, Cambria Steamship Company (Bethlehem Transportation Company, Mgrs.) At that time, U.S. Coast Guard helicopters and airplanes from Traverse City, Mich., and Detroit went out, as did several search vessels. 1395, spotted the life raft in shallow water near the shore at Port Hope, Mich. At 02:00, the ship began her death throes, forcing the crew onto the deck, where many jumped to their deaths in the 34F (1C) Lake Huron waters. It immediately capsized, throwing all of them into the water. Marketed as the Sikorsky Amphibious Helicopter and as the Battle Taxi of Vietnam, it was approximately 1/50 scale (depending on which dimension you measure).