-- Arthur M. Anderson --

by George Wharton

One of the better known lake boats recognized by name on the Great Lakes is the Arthur M. Anderson.  Reknown for her heroic role involving the well documented tragic loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald on a stormy November 10, 1975; the Arthur M. Anderson was the last vessel to have had visual, radio and radar contact with the Edmund Fitzgerald before her disappearing beneath the huge waves of Lake Superior.  Built by the American Ship Building Company, Lorain, OH as their hull #868; the straight deck bulk carrier was launched February 16, 1952  and christened as the Arthur M. Anderson for the Pittsburgh Steamship Division, U.S. Steel Corp., Cleveland, OH by Mrs. Anderson in honor of her husband Mr. Arthur Marvin Anderson.  Mr. Anderson was a director of the United States Steel Corp., a member of its finance committee and vice chairman of the J.P. Morgan and Co. at the time of the launch.   

In the summer of 1950, Pittsburgh Steamship had announced the building of 3 new vessels following the trend set by other Great Lakes shipping companies in upgrading their fleets in the early 1950's.  Given the fleet designation 'AAA class', the Arthur M. Anderson was the 2nd of the 3 identical sister ships to enter service for the Pittsburgh fleet in 1952.  The other two were the Philip R. Clarke built in 1951 at American Ship Building entering service in May 1952 and the Cason J. Callaway built in 1952 at Great Lakes Engineering Works, River Rouge, MI entering service in September 1952.  The three bulkers have all remained in service, have stayed with the same fleet and have retained their original christened names throughout their careers.  A fourth identical sister, the William Clay Ford (1) was launched in 1953 for the Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, MI and was scrapped at Port Maitland, ON in 1987.  Of note, the 'AAA' designation was an internal U.S. Steel accounting code used for fleet vessel classification by differentiating their ships according to size thus determining pay scales for shipboard personnel. Basically the larger and more powerful the vessel, the more the officers were paid. Since the Arthur M. Anderson, Cason J. Callaway, and Philip R. Clarke as well as the self-unloader John G. Munson all fit the similar criteria, thus the common accounting code designation.  The 4 identical sister ships are loosely classed together with 4 other bulkers built in the early 1950's of the same design, size and power; these being the Edward B. Green 2 (1952), J.L. Mauthe (1952), Reserve (1952) and the Armco (1953).  The shipping industry generally classified these 8 bulkers as the 'Pittsburgh class'. 

The Arthur M. Anderson and her sister ships were never the largest, but relative to their size, were considered to be among the most powerful bulkers built for the Great Lakes at the time.  The design was similar to but an expanded and modified version of  the 'Maritime class' built during World War II, examples being the Cuyahoga, Manistee and Mississaugi.  The hull streamlining introduced with the war-builds was further refined, the bow and stern modified based on extensive model testing.  Water flow to the propeller was improved by the asymmetrically designed hull by the stern.  The rudder was offset slightly to function more efficiently in the flow of water back from the prop.  Also included in the vessels' construction was the use of alternating current electrical power and on-board sewage treatment capabilities. both firsts for the Pittsburgh fleet.  The addition of the Anderson, Callaway and Clarke gave the Pittsburgh Steamship fleet a total of 64 steamers at the end of the 1952 season. 

As completed, the Arthur M. Anderson's overall dimensions were 647' 00" (197.21m) loa x 70' 00" (21.34m) beam x 36' 00" (10.97m) depth with a capacity of 21,000 tons (21,337 mt) dwt at a mid-summer draft of 26' 02" (7.98m).  The cargo was contained in 3 holds serviced by 19 hatches (6-7-6).  After the St. Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959, she could carry 20,800 tons (21,134 mt) at the early Seaway draft of 26' 00" (7.92m).  Power was and still is supplied by a 7,700 s.h.p. (5,744 kw) cross-compound steam turbine engine (steam expanded through 2 turbines) built by Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Pittsburgh, PA with 2 heavy fuel oil (HFO) fired Foster-Wheeler water tube boilers providing the steam; the power then transmitted to the single controllable pitch propeller through double reductions gears driving the bulker at a speed of 16 m.p.h.  The beam (width) of the Anderson and her sisters was set at 70' 00" (21.34m) since it was determined in the late 1940's when they being designed that the loading chutes of the upper lakes ore docks could not service vessels of any greater width

1950's & '60's
After the completion of sea trials on August 7, 1952, the Arthur M. Anderson was commissioned August 10, 1952 and departed the same day on her maiden voyage from Lorain, OH in ballast to Two Harbors, MN to load iron ore.  During her first full season of sailing (1953), the vessel carried a record 866,855 tons (880,780 mt) in 46 trips.  In August of that year (1953), the Pittsburgh fleet carried 4.1 million tons, the first time the fleet broke the 4 million ton mark   Of that tonnage, the Anderson, Callaway and Clarke carried 358,000 tons.  The bulker was noted to have opened the Duluth / Superior shipping season for 1957 on April 9, the late opening caused by the worst ice conditions on the lakes in over 50 years.  On July 13, 1961, the bulker had the honor of opening the newly deepened West Neebish Rock Cut portion of the St. Marys River system.  Then on July 18, 1961, the Anderson grounded in fog on a mud bank in the upper St. Marys River.  She was freed after lightering.

The year 1962 marked a milestone for the fleet when the Arthur M. Anderson became the first member of the Pittsburgh fleet to transit the relatively new St. Lawrence Seaway system.  She departed Conneaut, OH on August 14, 1962 proceeding downbound through the St. Lawrence Seaway system arriving at Port Cartier, QC August 17, 1962 to load Canadian iron ore for Gary, IN.  The Anderson made 1 more Seaway transit that year, her fleet mates Philip R. Clarke also making 2 Seaway transits and Cason J. Callaway making 1 transit in 1962.  A bow thruster was added to the Anderson in 1966.

1970's
The Arthur M. Anderson with her fleet mates Roger Blough, Cason J. Callaway, Philip R. Clarke, John G. Munson and Presque Isle were participants in the U.S. government's demonstration program in the experimental extension of the navigation season to a full 12 months during the winters of 1974/75 and 1975/76. The bulk carrier was lengthened 120' (36.58m) during the spring of 1975 at Fraser Shipyards, Inc., Superior, WI.  As completed, the Anderson's new length was now 767' 00" (233.79m) with 24 hatches servicing 3 holds (6-12-6) and an increase in capacity to 26,525 tons (26,951 mt) at a mid-summer draft of 27' 00" (8.23m).  The hatch placement over the 3 holds was originally 6, 7 and 6 becoming 6, 12 and 6 with the lengthening.

... Arthur M. Anderson and the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Nov, 10, 1975 **
The Arthur M. Anderson's most notable claim to fame and perhaps the reason her name will become engraved in the annuls of Great Lakes maritime history is for the roll she played prior to, approximately when and after the Edmond Fitzgerald disaster in the early evening of Monday, November 10, 1975.  On a sunny November 9, 1975, the Anderson had departed Two Harbors, MN into Lake Superior with a load of ore for Gary, IN.  Shortly after departure, she was overtaken by the Edmund Fitzgerald having left Superior, WI two hours earlier (1:15 pm) with a load of taconite ore for Zug Island on the Detroit River.  The two captains (Capt. Jesse B. Cooper of the Arthur M. Anderson and Capt. Ernest M. McSorley of the Edmund Fitzgerald) agreed to run together maintaining radio and radar contact with each other on their Lake Superior transit through a forecasted storm to the Soo taking the longer route following the Canadian shore.  This route afforded the bulkers more protection from the winds and waves for most of their trip versus the more direct route across the lake thus exposing themselves to the full force of the storm.  However, on their last leg of their run following the eastern Canadian shore of Lake Superior toward Whitefish Bay, they were exposed to extremely heavy following seas of 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9m).  The Anderson lost sight of the lights of the Fitzgerald in a squall and then the Fitzgerald disappeared from the Anderson's radar screen.  Emerging from the squall, the lights of the Fitzgerald were also gone.  Repeated radio calls to the Edmund Fitzgerald were unanswered and no ships either in or leaving Whitefish Bay into Lake Superior reported seeing the Fitzgerald come off the lake.  The Arthur M. Anderson reported the missing commercial vessel Edmund Fitzgerald to the U.S. Coast Guard.  After conducting an initial futile search of the area for survivors, the Anderson entered into the protection of Whitefish Bay from the stormy Lake Superior in the early hours of November 11.
The U.S. Coast Guard then requested the Anderson to reverse course and assist in conducting another search for the Fitzgerald.  The U.S. Coast Guard requested assistance from the other vessels anchored in Whitefish Bay riding out the storm.  Also responding with the Arthur M. Anderson were the U.S. vessels William Clay Ford, Armco, Roger Blough, Reserve, Wilfred Sykes and William R. Roesch; Canadian vessels Hilda Marjanne, Frontenac, John O. McKeller, Murray Bay and fishing tug James D.  No survivors were found nor any bodies recovered.  The Anderson sighted one piece of a lifeboat at 8:07 on Nov. 11 about 9 miles (14.5 km) east of where the Fitzgerald disappeared and an hour later sighted the 2nd damaged lifeboat about 4 miles (6.4 km) south of the first one.  Other than the eventual recovery of the severely damaged lifeboats, the extensive search resulted in the recovery of various flotsam from the sinking.  The Edmund Fitzgerald was later found in Canadian waters 530' (161.5m) below the surface of Lake Superior 15 nautical miles from Whitefish Bay.
Later, Capt. Cooper was noted to have said, "I know one thing, at 3:20 in the afternoon, that ship received a mortal wound.  She either bottomed out or suffered a stress fracture. I think she bottomed out."  Continuing, "I honestly believe they knew they were in trouble, but Whitefish Bay was only 14 miles away and he (McSorley) thought he could make that."
** The sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald is now legend.  It has been the subject of exploration, television documentaries, various media presentations, books, reports, theories, conjecture and song.  For more information available on this website, see Edmund Fitzgerald. 

A few weeks later, the Anderson began the second winter of the year-round navigation of the Great Lakes experiment.  On January 31, 1979, the Arthur M. Anderson collided with the stern of the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Westwind while the icebreaker was breaking a path through Lake Erie so to Ashtabula, OH for the Anderson.  The bulker's bow was holed from about the 29' (8.84m) mark upward about 12 to 15 feet (3.66 to 4.58m) with buckling of the main and forecastle decks. Repairs were completed at Milwaukee, WI after which she shuttled iron ore pellets from Indiana Harbor to Gary, IN due to severe ice conditions on the upper lakes.

1980's - '90's
The Arthur M. Anderson was converted to a self unloader during the 1981/82 winter lay up at the Fraser Shipyard, Superior, WI arriving there November 1, 1981.  Prior to the Anderson arriving at the shipyard for this conversion, the yard workers had built 23 sections of hopper bottom that would make up the inside of the bulker's holds.  These sections were each prefabricated with the electrical wiring, piping and the conveyor structure in place.  Then, with the vessel in drydock, the bottom of the holds were removed.  Each prefabricated section was carefully lowered through the appropriate hatch, aligned and welded together to form the continuous hopper bottom.  The sides of the holds were sloped to allow for the gravity feeding of the cargo through 74 hydraulically controlled gates to a single 78" (198cm) wide continuous loop conveyor belt running the cargo below the holds to the stern of the vessel.  The cargo was then lifted by a loop-belt elevator system up to the deck and on to a 250' 00" (76.2m) unloading boom installed just forward of the aft deckhouse.  This self-unloading system could unload the Anderson at a rate of up to 6,000 tons (6,096 mt) per hour.  Her new configuration included increasing the number of holds from 3 to 5 and reducing the number of hatches from 24 to 23 (hatches 4-5-5-5-4),  her capacity dropping from 26,525 tons (26,951 mt) to 25,300 tons (25,706 mt).  On April 29, 1982, the Anderson left the Fraser yard and moved across the harbor to the chutes of the DMIR Railway ore docks to test her new equipment and load her first cargo of taconite pellets carried as a self-unloader.

Further upgrades included the installation of a stern thruster in 1989 making the vessel very manoeuvrable in the tight spaces of some rivers and ports and the reconfiguring of the number of holds from 5 to 7 (hatches 3-3-4-4-4-3-2).  The 7 holds give the Anderson the flexibility to carry multiple grades or types of commodities to one or several locations.  In the mid 1990's, the vessel's self-unloading boom was lengthened to 262' 00" (79.86m) from the original 250'00" (76.2m) length further increasing the flexibility of the Arthur M. Anderson.

On April 6, 1999, the Arthur M. Anderson grounded while inbound to Calcite, MI in the shipping channel about 1.000 feet (304.8m) from the pier due to low water levels.  There was no pollution nor personnel injuries but 3 double bottom ballast tanks were holed and flooded.  The next day, the Anderson was refloated with tug assistance after lightering 7,100 short tons of limestone to the bulker Wolverine.  She was then moored at Calcite's pier for inspection and departed April 8 for Sturgeon Bay, WI for repairs.

2000 - Current
In March of 2001 after U.S. Steel had completely divested itself from any involvement in transportation, the Arthur M. Anderson and her fleet mates then sailed for the new fleet owners USS Great Lakes Fleet, Inc., Duluth, MN; a subsidiary of Great Lakes Transportation, Monroeville, PA.  By 2003, the fleet name was shortened to just Great Lakes Fleet, Inc.  Then in 2004, Great Lakes Fleet, Inc. was acquired by Canadian National Railway Co., Montreal, QC as part of that company’s acquisition of several U.S. regional railway interests.  Now known formally as Great Lakes Fleet, the ships remain U.S.-flagged and based in Duluth sailing under the management of Keystone Shipping Co., Bala-Cynwyd, PA in compliance with the Jones Act. 

Early on July 15, 2001, the Arthur M. Anderson was noted to have grounded near Port Inland, MI.  She was refloated and under way shortly after with no reported damage.  Then on June 14, 2003, the Anderson allided with a sheet pile bulkhead on the Fox River at Green Bay, WI.  She was turning in the Green Bay East Turning Basin with the tug Texas assisting when the allision occurred.  The Anderson's bow did not come around fast enough due to a strong north east wind and a strong inbound river current at the time of the incident.  The Anderson was undamaged but the bulkhead received about $75,000 in damages.  Later, while moored at the Carmuse Lime dock on the Rouge River, the Herbert C. Jackson struck the port quarter of the Anderson's port-side lifeboat.  Damage was slight and no repairs were necessary.

The Arthur M. Anderson continues to sail as part of the Great Lakes Fleet; the derivative of the original Pittsburgh Steamship fleet.  The fleet now consists of only 8 vessels, a dramatic change from when the Arthur M. Anderson entered service when there were 64 vessels in the Pittsburgh Fleet.  Changing times mark the diminishing numbers, as do changes in trade routes, patterns, and the economic condition of the U.S. steel industry generally.  Although the Arthur M. Anderson was designed for the iron ore trade, bulk cargoes such as stone products, limestone, salt, or coal could now be found in her cargo holds.
 

 

By the Numbers (metric)
Length	767' 00" (233.79m)
Beam	70' 00" (21.34m)
Depth	36' 00" (10.98m)
Capacity - mid-summer                  (iron ore & stone)	25,300 tons (25,706 mt)  at draft of 27' 00" (8.23m)
- coal                 (cubic capacity)	18,650 net tons  (standard unit measurement of coal
- fuel (HFO)	532 tons (540.5 mt)
Power (steam turbine)	7,700 s.h.p. (5,683 kw)

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Upbound in the Ballard's Reef Channel of the Detroit River, Aug. 18, 2011. Mike Nicholls	St. Marys River, Oct. 11, 2011. Stephen Hause	Meeting the Manistee in front of the Maritime Center, Port Huron, MI, Nov. 19, 2011. Roger LeLievre
Downbound lower Lake Huron at buoys 1 & 2, Point Edward, ON, July 12, 2011. Marc Dease	Upbound into Lake Huron at buoys 1 & 2, July 13, 2011. Marc Dease	Detroit River stern view. Mike Nicholls
Clearing the Poe Lock as the supply vessel Ojibway comes along side, June 30, 2011. Phil Nash	Downbound in the Rock Cut. Phil Nash	Stern view. Phil Nash
Backing up the Rouge River, Apr. 24, 2011. Mike Nicholls	Assisted by tug Carolyn Hoey. Mike Nicholls	Unloading at Zug Island, Detroit River, May 24, 2011. Mike Nicholls
With the Philip R. Clarke wintering at Bay Ship, Sturgeon Bay, WI, Jan.19, 2011. Bob Kuhn	Upbound the St. Marys River at Mission Point, Mar. 27, 2011. Herm Klein	Mission Point, another view, Mar. 27, 2011. Roger LeLievre
Backing up the Calumet River being passed by tug Krista S., S. Chicago, IL, Nov. 9, 2010. Lou Gerard	Using the bow thruster while backing up through the 5 bridges. Lou Gerard	Arriving at the KCBX dock to load. Lou Gerard.
Downbound lower Lake Huron turning into the St. Clair River at the Lake Huron Cut Buoys 1 & 2 at Point Edward, ON, Aug. 29, 2010. Loaded with stone from Stoneport, MI for Detroit, MI. George Wharton
Unloading stone at the Cutler Stone dock, Duluth, MN., July 10, 2010. Mike Sipper	Another view. Andy Hansen	St. Marys River, July 25, 2010. Greg Barber
St. Clair River below the Bluewater Bridges, June 1, 2010. Roger LeLievre	Below the Soo Locks getting supplies from the Ojibway, June 17, 2010. Herm Klein	Close up. Herm Klein
Downbound the St. Marys River at Mission Point, May 7, 2010. Brian Wellwood	Backing into the CN stone dock at Duluth, MN, May 14, 2010. Mike Sipper	Unloading stone. Mike Sipper
Loading at the Jonick dock at Lorain, OH, Mar. 17, 2010. Paul Magyar	Leaving Lorain, Mar. 19, 2010. Paul Magyar	Upbound the St. Clair River, Port Huron, MI, Mar. 27, 2010. Galen Witham
Laid up alongside fleetmate Philip R. Clarke at Sturgeon Bay, WI, Apr. 9, 2009. Dick Lund	Loading at Stoneport, MI, Sept. 26, 2009. Ben & Chanda McClain	Arriving at the Duluth piers in an early snow, Oct. 12, 2009. Chris Mazzella
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Unloading at the Huron Lime dock at Huron, OH, Nov. 29, 2008. Steve Myers	Unloading coal at Marquette, MI, Dec. 25, 2008. Rod Burdick	Entering the St. Clair River at Point Edward, ON, Dec. 29, 2008. Marc Dease
Loading at Zug Island (Detroit) for Gary, IN, Aug. 28, 2008. Chuck Wagner	Leaving Calumet Harbor into Lake Michigan, Oct. 11, 2008. Tom Milton	Calumet River, S. Chicago, IL, Nov. 19, 2008. Steve Bauer
St. Marys River, Aug. 11, 2008. Roger LeLievre	Passing under the Bluewater Bridges, Aug. 16, 2008. George Wharton	Backing into the Rouge River, Aug. 18, 2008. Mike Nicholls
Upbound the St. Marys River, June 20, 2008. Herm Klein	Backing under Ewing Avenue bridge on the Calumet River, S. Chicago, IL, July 11, 2008. Steve Bauer	Approaching the NS-5 bridge, S. Chicago. Steve Bauer
Loading at the KCBX dock on the Calumet River at S. Chicago, IL, June 17, 2008. Steve Beach	Another view. Steve Beach	Loading spout and hatch crane. Steve Beach
Loading at Stoneport, MI, Nov. 23, 2007. Ben & Chanda McClain	Unloading at the Carmeuse Dock in the Rouge River, Jan. 7, 2008. Mike Nicholls	Entering the St. Clair River at Point Edward, ON, Canadian Leader in the distance, May 20, 2008. Marc Dease
Downbound the Detroit River passing the Calumet, May 30, 2007. Angie Williams	At Green Bay, WI, Oct. 6, 2007. Jeffrey Birch	Stern view. Jeffrey Birch
Loading coal at the CSX coal dock, Toledo, OH, Dec. 22, 2006. Kevin Davis	Loading at Stoneport, MI, Apr. 2, 2007. Ben & Chanda McClain	Another view. Ben & Chanda McClain
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Detroit River preparing to back into the Rouge River, Nov. 22, 2006. Mike Nicholls	Assisted by Gaelic's tugs William Hoey and Shannon (on the stern). Mike Nicholls	Another view. Mike Nicholls
Upbound into Lake Huron passing the For Gratiot Lighthouse, Aug. 30, 2006. John McCreery	Into the turn at the Lake Huron cut buoys 1 & 2. John McCreery	Turn completed. John McCreery
Downbound Lake Huron making the turn into the St. Clair River, July 8, 2006. John McCreery	Another view. John McCreery	St. Clair River. John McCreery
Spring break-out at Duluth - Superior assisted by the tug Seneca, Mar. 25, 2005. Franz VonRiedel	Another view. Franz VonRiedel	Downbound at the Soo Locks, July 7, 2006. Dianne Donati
Bow view at Marquette, MI, Jan. 7, 2005. Lee Rowe	Waiting to load at Marquette, MI. Lee Rowe	Winter lay-up at Duluth - Superior Jan. 17, 2005. Glenn Blaszkiewicz
Upbound the Detroit River by Grassy Island, June 8, 2004. Mike Nicholls	Lake St. Clair, June 19, 2004. Don Coles	Being assisted by Gaelic tug Carolyn Hoey entering the Rouge River Short Cut Canal, Nov. 19, 2004. Mike Nicholls
Unloading at the Marblehead dock along the Rouge River, River Rouge, MI, Apr. 3, 2004. Wade P. Streeter	After unloading at the Marblehead dock later on Apr. 3, 2004. Nathan Nietering	Another view. Nathan Nietering
Downbound above the Soo Locks, Jan. 18, 2004. Paul Hoffmeyer	Loading at Stoneport, MI, March 2004. Ben & Chanda McClain	Downbound the Detroit River off Nicholson's, June 3, 2004. Mike Nicholls
North loading dock at Calcite, MI, Aug. 28, 2003. Robert Doyle	Onboard Views, Aug. 28, 2003... (Robert Doyle)	Looking aft.
Windlass	Wheelhouse	Loading
Loading, another view	Preparing lunch	Lunch menu
Enjoying lunch	Stern windlass	Engine room
Detroit River, July 24, 2003. Mike Nicholls	Unloading on the Rouge River, July 28, 2003. Mike Nicholls	Stern view. Mike Nicholls

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Launching at Lorain, OH, Feb. 16, 1952.
Robert Kramer

Launching announcement. 

As a straight decker. Jim Hoffman

Marquette, MI, 1989.
Rod Burdick

Unloading in the Rouge River, 1995.
Robert Cioletti

Unloading at KCBX, Chicago, IL, 1999.
Gary Clark

Unloading in Buffington, Aug. 1999.
Gary Clark