On this day in 1966, the SS Daniel J. Morrell, which was a 603-foot Great Lakes freighter, broke up in a strong storm on Lake Huron on November 29th, 1966, taking with it 28 of its 29 crewmen. 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. While it was making the last run of the season with her sister ship the SS Edward Y. Townsend, the Morrell became caught in winds exceeding 70 mph and swells that topped the height of the ship (20–25 foot waves). During the early morning hours, the Townsend made the decision to take shelter in the St. Clair River, leaving the Morrell alone on the waters north of Pointe Aux Barques, Michigan. The Morrell headed for the protection of Thunder Bay, but never made it. At 2 am, the ship began its death throes, forcing the crew onto the deck, where many jumped to their deaths in the 34 degree Lake Huron waters. At 2:15 am, the ship broke in two, and the remaining crewmen loaded into a raft on the forward section of the vessel. While they waited for the bow section to sink and the raft to be thrown into the lake, there were shouts that a ship had been spotted off the port bow. Moments later, it was discovered that the looming object was not another ship, but in fact the Morrells aft section, barreling towards them under the power of the ships engines. The two sections collided, with the aft section continuing another 5 miles into the distance before sinking... The Morrell was not reported missing until 12:15 pm the following afternoon, 30 November, after the vessel was overdue at its destination, Taconite Harbor, Minnesota. The U.S. Coast Guard issued a be on the lookout alert and dispatched several vessels and aircraft to search for the missing freighter. At around 4:00 pm on 30 November a Coast Guard helicopter located the lone survivor, 26-year-old Watchman Dennis Hale, near frozen and floating in a life raft with the bodies of three of his crew mates. Hale had survived the nearly 40-hour ordeal in frigid temperatures wearing only a pair of boxer shorts, a life-jacket, and a pea coat.. He survived by sheltering himself from the cold weather with the dead bodies of his crew mates.. A survey of the wreck found the shipwreck with the two sections 5 miles apart.. The two sections now rest in 220 feet of water, covered in zebra mussels... The destructive force of the November seas and wind were an important factor in this loss, as it has been in many similar incidents on the Great Lakes. The Coast Guard investigation of the Morrell sinking concluded that it broke in half due to the brittle steel used in her hull which was a common problem in ships built before 1948.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Nov 2014 23:09:57 +0000
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