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SS Carl D. Bradley

January 10, 2023

Coordinates: 45°33′33″N 85°59′16″W / 45.559167°N 85.987778°W / 45.559167; -85.987778

SS Carl D. Bradley was an American self-unloading Great Lakes freighter that sank in a Lake Michigan storm on November 18, 1958. Of the 35 crew members, 33 died in the sinking. Twenty-three were from the port town of Rogers City, Michigan, United States. Her sinking was likely caused by structural failure from the brittle steel used in her construction as well as extensive use through her 31 year career.

SS Carl D. Bradley
History
United States
NameCarl D. Bradley
Owner
Operator
  • Bradley Transportation Company 1927–1952
  • United States Steel Corporation 1952–1958
Port of registry New York City
BuilderAmerican Ship Building Company, Lorain, Ohio
Yard number00797
LaunchedApril 9, 1927
ChristenedJuly 28, 1927
Completedmid-1927
Maiden voyageJuly 27–28, 1927
In serviceJuly 28, 1927
Out of serviceNovember 18, 1958
IdentificationRegistry number US 226776
Nickname(s)Carl D.[1]
FateLost in a storm on November 18, 1958
General characteristics
TypeSelf-unloading lake freighter
Tonnage10,028 GRT
Length639 ft (194.8 m)
Beam65.2 ft (19.9 m)
Depth30.2 ft (9.2 m)
Installed power4,800 hp (3,600 kW)
PropulsionGeneral Electric high and low pressure steam turbines turning electric motors to a single fixed pitch propeller
Speed14–16 mph (23–26 km/h)
Capacity14,000 t (stone) 12,000 t (coal) largest cargo 18,114 t (stone)
Crew35
NotesSecond vessel to carry this name. The first SS Carl D. Bradley was renamed SS John G. Munson in 1927 and SS Irvin L. Clymer in 1951.

Built in 1927 by the American Ship Building Company in Lorain, Ohio, Carl D. Bradley was owned by the Michigan Limestone division of U.S. Steel, and operated by the Bradley Transportation Company. She retained the title of "Queen of the Lakes" for 22 years as the longest and largest freighter on the Great Lakes.

History

Design and construction

Bradley Transportation Company's fleet of self-unloading ships was used to haul limestone from the Michigan Limestone quarry in Rogers City, Michigan. Carl D. Bradley was built to meet Michigan Limestone's lucrative contract with a cement firm in Gary, Indiana.[2] By seven feet (2.1 m), she was longer than the second largest ship on the Great Lakes and her engine had almost twice the power of engines installed in most lake freighters.[3] At 639 feet (195 m), she was the longest freighter (and the largest self-unloader) on the lakes for 22 years. Later the AA class of U.S. Steel-owned freighters was roughly the same size as Carl D. Bradley but shorter in length by just inches. Carl D. Bradley retained the title "Queen of the Lakes" until the launch of the 678-foot (207 m) SS Wilfred Sykes in 1949.[4]

Carl D. Bradley began as hull 797 in 1923 at the American Ship Building Company in Lorain, Ohio, where she was launched on April 9, 1927. She was outfitted with her fore and aft housing in the ensuing months until her maiden voyage, when her namesake Carl David Bradley, the president of Michigan Limestone; Bradley's wife; the Rogers City community band; and hundreds of Rogers City residents greeted her as she steamed into Calcite Harbor on July 28, 1927. Bradley declared that the new ship was "the last word in freighter construction."[5]

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) described Carl D. Bradley's design and construction as:

... [a] typical arrangement for self-unloading type vessels with a forepeak and large cargo area, and hawing propulsion machinery aft. These areas were separated by two transverse watertight bulkheads, the collision bulkhead at frame 12, and the engine room forward bulkhead at frame 173. The cargo hold space was divided into five compartments by screen bulkheads above the tunnel and the unloading machinery was located in the conveyor room just forward the cargo spaces. The entire 475 foot length of the cargo space was open longitudinally through the tunnel and conveyor room.[6]

As the flagship of Bradley Transportation Company, Carl D. Bradley often carried corporate officials and guests in her staterooms. She received more attention than the other ships in the fleet, with her gray and red paint always fresh, her decks freshly hosed down, and a larger crew.[7] She had individual rooms for the captain, chief mates, chief steward, and engine room officers. The rest of the crew was housed in comfortable dormitory style rooms. She had a "state-of-the-art" galley with huge refrigeration units and storage pantries. Her engine room housed a huge generator powered by two Foster-Wheeler boilers. Carl D. Bradley was the only fully electric ship in the Bradley Transportation fleet; her generator powered everything from the propeller to the running lights.[8]

Career

 
Carl D. Bradley unloading in a hopper at Michigan Limestone in 1958
 
Carl D. Bradley(1) and Myron C. Taylor at Michigan Limestone

Carl D. Bradley's registered port was New York City; however, her true base of operations was Rogers City, where Michigan Limestone was based. The Bradley Transportation fleet was predominantly crewed by men from Rogers City. Many of crew were friends, neighbors, or familial relatives.[9] As the boats often departed and returned every few days, many of the crew made their homes and raised their families in Rogers City.[10]

During her career, Carl D. Bradley carried different grades of limestone from Lake Huron to deepwater ports on Lakes Michigan and Erie and occasionally Lake Superior.[11] She set new records in stone trade, carrying her largest cargo in 1929 when she loaded with 18,114 long tons (20,288 short tons; 18,405 t) of limestone, a cargo that would require 300 railroad cars to move.[12][13] She was the first lake freighter to pass through the new MacArthur Lock at the Soo Locks in 1943.[14]

As the largest ship on the lakes, Carl D. Bradley was traditionally the first boat through the Straits of Mackinac when the ice kept the smaller vessels from leaving port. She served as an icebreaker. Her forepeak was filled with concrete; she would break ice to Indiana, and then go to the Lorain shipyard for replacement of broken plates before starting her season.[15]

Carl D. Bradley sustained damage in a collision with MV White Rose on the St. Clair River on April 3, 1957. She was in dry dock in Chicago for seven days in May 1957 for major repairs to her hull.[16] Carl D. Bradley had two groundings while proceeding out of Cedarville, Michigan, one in the spring of 1958 and the other in November 1958, the latter of which required repairs.[16] These groundings were not reported to the USCG, which would later consider whether the groundings caused hull stresses that contributed to Carl D. Bradley's sinking.[17] The USCG noted that although Bradley Transportation received an award for 2,228,775 injury-free man hours from April 24, 1955, to December 31, 1957, while operating Carl D. Bradley, the company's focus was industrial safety rather than material safety of the vessel.[18] Since the company's founding in 1912, it had never lost a ship until loss of Carl D. Bradley.[19]

Although Carl D. Bradley was normally one of the busiest ships in the Bradley fleet, she was laid up from July 1 to October 1, 1958, due to a downturn in the steel industry. She made only 43 round trips in the 1958 shipping season.[1] Carl D. Bradley was scheduled for repairs in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, when she laid up over the winter.[20] Her owner, Bradley Transportation, a U.S. Steel subsidiary, planned an $800,000 replacement of her rusting cargo hold and bulkheads.[21] A common joke among her crew was that she was being held together by her rust.[22] Sailors reported that they picked up sheared off rivets by the bucketful following storms due to Carl D. Bradley's excessive twisting and bending in heavy weather.[23]

The USCG conducted an annual inspection of Carl D. Bradley on April 17, 1958, and found her seaworthy.[24] On October 30, 1958, the USCG found no problems during a safety inspection of Carl D. Bradley that included a fire and boat drill.[16]

Final voyage

Carl D. Bradley met its fate on November 18, 1958, while en route to Rogers City. The previous day, she had completed what was initially supposed to be her last voyage of the 1958 season, which she completed with the delivery of a cargo of crushed stone at Gary, Indiana.[25] After leaving Gary, Carl D. Bradley set course for Manitowoc, where she was due to spend her winter layup in dry dock and was to have a new cargo hold fitted.[26] She departed Gary empty on her final voyage on November 17 at 10:00 p.m. with 9,000 US gallons (34,000 l; 7,500 imp gal) in her ballast tanks for stability.[27] However, when Carl D. Bradley was only a few hours from Manitowoc, she received an order from U.S. Steel to return to Calcite Harbor, as they had scheduled her to deliver another load of stone at the last minute.[28][29]

The winds were 25 to 35 miles per hour (22 to 30 kn; 40 to 56 km/h) at the start of her trip. The weather forecast was a gale with 50 to 65 miles per hour (43 to 56 kn; 80 to 105 km/h) southerly winds changing to southwest.[30] Carl D. Bradley's path would take it into a lethal storm that was the result of two separate weather patterns merging. A line of thirty tornadoes extended from Illinois to Texas; more than 1 foot (0.30 m) of snow fell on North and South Dakota; nearly 2 feet (0.61 m) of snow fell in Wyoming; Nevada's temperatures plummeted to below freezing; and Tucson, Arizona, had a record 6.4-inch (160 mm) snowfall.[31]

Captain Roland Bryan was known as a "heavy weather captain" who took pride in delivering his cargo on time.[32] Bryan's usual course up Lake Michigan was quicker and ran closer to the Michigan shore. On November 18, he avoided the brunt of the building seas by instead traveling 5 to 12 miles (8.0 to 19.3 km) along the lee of the Wisconsin shore.[32] He planned a course with his first and second mate that would take them to Cana Island, then turn at Lansing Shoal near the Beaver Island group.[33] Although the seas gathered strength from the southwest, they were not considered severe and the ship was riding smoothly.[30] However, there is evidence that regardless of his reputation, Bryan likely had his doubts concerning how well the 31-year-old vessel could manage in rough seas. Not long before Carl D. Bradley's loss, he stated in a letter to a friend that he was well aware that the ship was not in the best condition structurally and should not be out in bad weather. He also expressed in the letter that he was relieved that Carl D. Bradley was slated to receive a new cargo hold during her winter lay-up in Manitowoc.[34]

Two ships were running parallel with Carl D. Bradley when she passed Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at 4:00 a.m. on November 18. She reduced her speed sometime prior to 4:00 p.m. to 14 to 15 miles per hour (12 to 13 kn; 23 to 24 km/h). By 4:00 p.m, she was past Poverty Island with Bryan in charge of navigation and the first mate on watch. Winds were storm force from the southwest at 60 to 65 miles per hour (52 to 56 kn; 97 to 105 km/h). Carl D. Bradley was "riding comfortably with a heavy following sea slightly on the starboard quarter."[35] At 5:35 p.m. the ship was about 12 miles (19 km) southwest of Gull Island.[30] At this moment a loud thud was heard followed by a vibration. The first mate turned aft and saw the stern of the vessel sagging. Bryan slammed the engine's telegraph to "stop engines" and sounded the alarm to abandon ship.[36] As the ship broke in two, he shouted at the crew on deck to run and don their life jackets.[37] The first mate managed to radio transmissions of mayday and give their position before the power lines aboard the ship were severed.[38] The distress call was picked up by the USCG, amateur radio and commercial stations on land and sea.[25][30]

Carl D. Bradley had one life raft stored in the bow section and two lifeboats stored in the stern section. The crew in the stern section attempted to lower the lifeboats.[39] One lifeboat became entangled in cables and the other lifeboat dangled at an impossible angle for launching or boarding.[40] The life raft was tossed clear of the wreck when the bow section sank.[41] The four crew members who reached the life raft were repeatedly thrown off by the massive waves and only two survived.[42]

The crew on the German cargo vessel Christian Sartori witnessed the sinking through their binoculars. They saw the lights go out on the fore part of the ship while the aft end of the ship remained lit. Then they saw the lights on the aft end go out so that the silhouette of the ship remained barely visible. A short time later they heard an explosion and saw a red, yellow and white column of flame and remnants shoot up in the air.[43] They "concluded that the Bradley had exploded".[44]

Search and rescue

After witnessing the explosion, Christian Sartori immediately altered course for Carl D. Bradley's location. However, the wind and waves were so fierce that it took her one and one-half hours to traverse the 4 miles (6.4 km) that separated the vessels.[44] The Plum Island lifesaving station deployed a 36-foot (11 m) boat within minutes of the sinking. The crew was unable to steer or make any headway in the storm and was forced to seek the shelter of nearby Washington Island.[45] The USCG Cutter Sundew went out from Charlevoix, Michigan, into the open lake in the pounding seas of an unremitting gale. She arrived at the search area at 10:40 p.m. on November 19, five hours after Carl D. Bradley sank.[46] Coast Guard Station Charlevoix also launched a 36-foot (11 m) motor lifeboat in an attempt to reach Carl D. Bradley, but this was ordered back after being mercilessly tossed about on Lake Michigan. The USCG Cutter Hollyhock from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, arrived on the search scene at 1:30 a.m. on November 19 after a seven-hour trip that her skipper described as "a visit to hell."[47] During the night, friends and family members of Carl D. Bradley's crew drove from Rogers City and the surrounding towns to Charlevoix where any survivors would arrive. They kept vigil by lining the beach at Charlevoix with their car headlights turned on.[48] Eight other commercial vessels joined the search at daybreak. USCG air and surface units searched for survivors throughout the following days.[44]

At 8:37 a.m. on November 19, Sundew located Carl D. Bradley's forward life raft fifteen hours after the sinking and 17 miles (27 km) from the disaster site. Two survivors were on the raft — First Mate Elmer H. Fleming, 43, and Deck Watchman Frank L. Mays, 26.[49] Another crew member from Carl D. Bradley, Deck Watchman Gary Strzelecki, was also found alive, but died not long after being rescued. The two survivors said that they fired two of the three signal flares stored on the life raft not long after Carl D. Bradley sank. When they tried to fire the remaining flare, it was wet and would not fire when Christian Sartori passed within 100 yards (91 m) without seeing them.[50] Mays reported that his cork-filled life jacket kept him buoyed but he had to hold it down just to keep it on due to the force of the waves. He knew that he had to find something to hold on to in order to survive.[41]

During the day, Sundew and other vessels recovered seventeen more bodies, all wearing lifejackets.[51] The bodies were brought to Charlevoix City Hall for family identification.[51] More lifejackets were found laced up, indicating that they may have slipped off while they were worn.[51] In all, of the 35 crewmen, 33 lost their lives. The bodies of the fifteen men not recovered remain missing to this day.[52]

After the ice broke up in the spring of 1959, the United States Army Corps of Engineers located Carl D. Bradley's wreck using sonar equipment aboard MS Williams. The wreck was found 5 miles (8.0 km) northwest of Boulder Reef and just south of Gull Island lying at a depth of 360 to 370 feet (110 to 110 m).[53] Later in 1959, Carl D. Bradley's owners, U.S. Steel, hired Los Angeles-based Global Marine Exploration Company to survey the wreck using the underwater television from the USS Submarex.[citation needed] They concluded that the ship was lying in one piece. However, the two survivors continued to maintain that they saw Carl D. Bradley break in two.[54] The U.S. Steel survey of the wreck was criticized because it was conducted in secrecy without impartial witnesses.[55]

Coast Guard investigation and recommendations

Investigation

The Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation found that Carl D. Bradley sank from excessive hogging stresses. The Marine Board reported that four vessels were crossing Lake Michigan parallel or ahead of Carl D. Bradley during the storm and that eight other vessels sought shelter at the time of the casualty.[56] They concluded that Bryan "exercised poor judgment" when he decided to leave the shelter of the Wisconsin shore and sail into the open lake during the storm.[24][57] However, the Commandant of the USCG, Vice Admiral A.C. Richmond, issued his own report that disapproved the Marine Board's conclusion that Bryan used poor judgment. Richmond noted that his conclusion was supported by the vessel's 31-year history of Great Lakes navigation and the report that it was sailing smoothly prior to its sinking.[44] His report also rejected that hogging stresses caused Carl D. Bradley to sink, instead concluding that she broke up due to "undetected structural weakness or defect."[58]

Maritime historian Mark Thompson wrote that the type of steel used in the older vessels may have caused their structural failure:

After the Carl D. Bradley sank in 1958, Coast Guard technical experts were aware of the shortcomings of the notch-sensitive and brittle steel that was used to build many ships prior to 1948, but there doesn't seem to have been any program in place to warn the owners or crew of such vessels. That led to the loss of the SS Daniel J. Morrell in 1966, and may have been a factor in many other shipwrecks.[59]

Recommendations

Following their investigation of the Carl D. Bradley sinking, the Marine Board made the following safety recommendations:

1. Mechanical changes should be made in the way lifeboats are disengaged and deployed.[60]
2. A second life raft should be mandatory on Great Lakes cargo ships because they land upright no matter how they are overturned.[60]
3. Each life boat should be equipped with two tow ropes (painters).[60]
4. Six parachute-type flare signals with equipment for firing them skyward should be stored on each lifeboat and life raft.[60]
5. The cork and canvas life vests should be updated to include crotch straps and collars to support the neck.[60]

The Great Lakes shipping industry later replaced the rigid, open rafts like the one carried on Carl D. Bradley with inflatable life rafts with an enclosed canopy for protection against the elements.[61]

In 1968, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) gave notice to the USCG Commandant that the structural failure sustained by SS Edward Y. Townsend, Carl D. Bradley, and Daniel J. Morrell could recur under similar circumstances. The NTSB recommended that the USCG take action to implement a progressive structural renewal on ships constructed prior to 1948.[62]

Legal settlement

Carl D. Bradley's estimated value at the time her loss was $8 million, making her the most costly shipwreck in Great Lakes history.[63] U.S. Steel initially offered $660,000 as a settlement. Family members of the lost crewmen felt that U.S. Steel used the USCG findings to avoid responsibility for the loss of Carl D. Bradley. The company believed that their 1959 survey results of the wreck supported their position that her loss was an "act of God".[64]

Ten families filed lawsuits seeking more than $7 million just weeks after the USCG report was released.[65] U.S. Steel reached a $1,250,000 lump sum settlement one year and sixteen days after the sinking. A commissioner was appointed to determine how the settlement money would be divided among the families. The settlement would not guarantee lifelong financial security to the victims' families. One published source said the settlement was "one of the fastest in maritime history for a case of its scope."[66]

Later wreck surveys

 
Carl D. Bradley's pilot house door in 2007

Jim Clary, marine author and artist, and Fred Shannon, maritime explorer, led two diving expeditions to the wreck with the goal of proving that the survivors' account that Carl D. Bradley broke apart was accurate.[67][68] Survivor Frank Mays participated in both expeditions. The first expedition in 1995 was conducted with a submersible. It was unable to conclusively prove whether Carl D. Bradley broke apart due to poor visibility and weather conditions.[69] However, "Mays, as the only living survivor of the tragedy, placed a plaque on the wreck in memory of his fellow crewmen."[68]

Clary, Shannon, and Mays conducted the second expedition in 1997 with a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV). They obtained underwater video film showing two sections of Carl D. Bradley sitting upright about 90 feet (27 m) apart at a depth of 320 to 380 feet (98 to 116 m).[70] Forty years after Carl D. Bradley's sinking, Mays was able to view her hull from inside the submersible.[69] He later wrote, "I saw it go down in two pieces on the surface and now I've seen it in two pieces on the bottom of Lake Michigan."[71] This was arguably an unparalleled experience in Great Lakes shipwreck history.[72]

Carl D. Bradley's wreck lies in 310 to 380 feet (94 to 116 m) of water in a thermocline with a temperature of 39 °F (4 °C). A very high degree of technical skill and long decompression are required to dive this wreck. The wreck is totally encrusted with quagga mussels.[73] Mirek Standowicz made the first scuba dives to Carl D. Bradley in 2001. He videotaped the pilothouse for a documentary by Out of Blue Productions. His video recorded the glass blown out of the pilot house windows and the telegraph in the stop position.[74]

Two Minnesota divers, John Janzen and John Scoles, spent months preparing to remove Carl D. Bradley's bell. They designed a special battery system and underwater torch and conducted practice dives in a flooded iron mine in Wisconsin.[75] After obtaining the required permission from Michigan government agencies, Scoles and Janzen conducted three dives to Carl D. Bradley in August 2007.[76] They removed the original bell and replaced it with memorial bell of similar dimensions, engraved with the names of the lost crew. They were the first scuba divers to reach the stern of Carl D. Bradley, including long penetration dives inside the ship's engine room.[76] Frank Mays was present on the surface during the dives and saw the bell for the first time in 49 years when it broke the water surface.[77]

Legacy and memorial

Of the 35 crewmen, 33 died in the sinking; 23 were from Rogers City, Michigan, a town with 3,873 residents.[78] Twenty-three women were widowed and fifty-three children became fatherless.[79] Two Carl D. Bradley wives had children on the way.[80] The largest mass funeral service was held at St. Ignatius Catholic Church for nine of the recovered victims.[81] Friends and relatives would nearly double the town's population during the funerals and memorial services. There was a funeral on every street. Rogers City's mayor issued an official proclamation declaring that every November 18 would be dedicated to the memory of the men lost on the ship.[82] The Mariner's Church of Detroit, Michigan, offered special prayers for the vessel's sailors. Ships at sea dropped anchor at noon for memorial services for those lost on Carl D. Bradley.[83]

The Detroit News established the "Carl D. Bradley Ship Disaster Fund" and contributed $1,000 to set it up. Donations came from across the country, ranging from Michigan Limestone's $10,000 contribution, to collections aboard commercial ships, to individual donations.[84]

On August 9, 1997, a memorial in Rogers City's Lakeside Park was dedicated to the thirty-three men who lost their lives on Carl D. Bradley and Cedarville.[85]

The bell from Carl D. Bradley was returned to Rogers City in 2007. It was restored and unveiled in a ceremony held on the weekend of the 49th anniversary of the sinking.[86] On November 17, 2008, a 50th Anniversary Memorial was held at the Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum in Rogers City when the bell was tolled to commemorate the crew.[87] The documentary movie November Requiem premiered at the Rogers City Theater during the ceremonies. It used author Andrew Kantar's book, Black November, as a major source and focused on the repercussions on the small community of Rogers City after Carl D. Bradley sank.[88] The documentary was featured on PBS in November 2008.[89] In 2010, it won two Emmy Awards for best historical documentary and best original music score.[90]

In 2019, Captain Andrew Stempki released a “songumentary” entitled "The Men Long Forgotten" that memorialized the wreck.[91] Stempki is also constructing a screenplay for a feature film.[92]

See also

References

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  4. ^ Thompson (1994), p. 139.
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  11. ^ Schumacher (2008), p. 9.
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  19. ^ Kantar, Andrew (2006). Black November: The Carl D. Bradley Tragedy. East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State University Press. p. 33. ISBN 978-0-87013-783-9.
  20. ^ United States Coast Guard (1959), p. 5.
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  47. ^ Schumacher (2008), p. 96.
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  86. ^ "50th Anniversary". Carl D. Bradley memorial.
  87. ^ Modrzynski, Mike (November 17, 2008). "Ceremony to honor men lost on Carl D. Bradley". Alpena News.
  88. ^ . Big Rapids, Michigan: Ferris State University. December 19, 2008. Archived from the original on October 1, 2012. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
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  90. ^ Asam, Angie (June 9, 2010). "November Requiem wins two Emmy awards". Presque Isle County Advance. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
  91. ^ The Men Long Forgotten: Tropical Liaison: Sinking of the Carl D. Bradley. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  92. ^ "Writer looking for input on Carl D. Bradley literary and possible film project | Presque Isle County Advance". Retrieved November 7, 2019.

Further reading

  • Ashlee, Laura R. (November–December 1990). . Michigan History magazine. Archived from the original on January 19, 2009.
  • Hopp, James (2008). Mayday: Tragedy at Sea. James L. Hopp. ISBN 978-0-9799270-5-8.
  • Janega, James (November 29, 2006). "I lived, 'now I can be there for them'". Chicago Tribune.
  • Kantar, Andrew (2006). Black November: The Carl D. Bradley Tragedy. East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State University Press. ISBN 978-0-87013-783-9.
  • Mays, Frank; Stayer, Pat; Stayer, Jim; Juhl, Tim (2003). If We Make it til Daylight. Out of the Blue Productions. ISBN 978-0-9627084-9-7.
  • "Carl D. Bradley". Great Lakes Vessels Online Index.
  • Underwood, Don (1958). "Survivors Tell of the Break-up, Death, Cold, and Fear". Life. No. December 1.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Carl D. Bradley.
  • Carl D. Bradley homepage.
  • Expedition 97's Bradley Photos.
  • Newspaper headlines, "Str Bradley Sinks with 35 Aboard" and "33 Lost, 2 Saved" Presque Isle County Advance and Alpena News, respectively.
  • Newspaper headlines, "33 Missing as Freighter Sinks in Lake Michigan" Bay City Times and erroneous headline from Detroit Times.
  • Pictorial history of the Carl D. Bradley.
  • Toussaint Warren J. May Day-May Day Words No One Ever Wants To Hear (originally appeared in "Shipmates" April-May 1997) published by the Ninth U.S. Coast Guard District.
  • Carl D. Bradley Engine Room, August 2009, on YouTube

January 10, 2023
carl, bradley, coordinates, 559167, 987778, 559167, 987778, american, self, unloading, great, lakes, freighter, that, sank, lake, michigan, storm, november, 1958, crew, members, died, sinking, twenty, three, were, from, port, town, rogers, city, michigan, unit. Coordinates 45 33 33 N 85 59 16 W 45 559167 N 85 987778 W 45 559167 85 987778 SS Carl D Bradley was an American self unloading Great Lakes freighter that sank in a Lake Michigan storm on November 18 1958 Of the 35 crew members 33 died in the sinking Twenty three were from the port town of Rogers City Michigan United States Her sinking was likely caused by structural failure from the brittle steel used in her construction as well as extensive use through her 31 year career SS Carl D BradleyHistoryUnited StatesNameCarl D BradleyOwnerBradley Transportation Company Duluth Minnesota 1927 1952 United States Steel Corporation Cleveland Ohio 1952 1958OperatorBradley Transportation Company 1927 1952 United States Steel Corporation 1952 1958Port of registryNew York CityBuilderAmerican Ship Building Company Lorain OhioYard number00797LaunchedApril 9 1927ChristenedJuly 28 1927Completedmid 1927Maiden voyageJuly 27 28 1927In serviceJuly 28 1927Out of serviceNovember 18 1958IdentificationRegistry number US 226776Nickname s Carl D 1 FateLost in a storm on November 18 1958General characteristicsTypeSelf unloading lake freighterTonnage10 028 GRTLength639 ft 194 8 m Beam65 2 ft 19 9 m Depth30 2 ft 9 2 m Installed power4 800 hp 3 600 kW PropulsionGeneral Electric high and low pressure steam turbines turning electric motors to a single fixed pitch propellerSpeed14 16 mph 23 26 km h Capacity14 000 t stone 12 000 t coal largest cargo 18 114 t stone Crew35NotesSecond vessel to carry this name The first SS Carl D Bradley was renamed SS John G Munson in 1927 and SS Irvin L Clymer in 1951 Built in 1927 by the American Ship Building Company in Lorain Ohio Carl D Bradley was owned by the Michigan Limestone division of U S Steel and operated by the Bradley Transportation Company She retained the title of Queen of the Lakes for 22 years as the longest and largest freighter on the Great Lakes Contents 1 History 1 1 Design and construction 1 2 Career 1 3 Final voyage 1 4 Search and rescue 2 Coast Guard investigation and recommendations 2 1 Investigation 2 2 Recommendations 3 Legal settlement 4 Later wreck surveys 5 Legacy and memorial 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksHistory EditDesign and construction Edit Bradley Transportation Company s fleet of self unloading ships was used to haul limestone from the Michigan Limestone quarry in Rogers City Michigan Carl D Bradley was built to meet Michigan Limestone s lucrative contract with a cement firm in Gary Indiana 2 By seven feet 2 1 m she was longer than the second largest ship on the Great Lakes and her engine had almost twice the power of engines installed in most lake freighters 3 At 639 feet 195 m she was the longest freighter and the largest self unloader on the lakes for 22 years Later the AA class of U S Steel owned freighters was roughly the same size as Carl D Bradley but shorter in length by just inches Carl D Bradley retained the title Queen of the Lakes until the launch of the 678 foot 207 m SS Wilfred Sykes in 1949 4 Carl D Bradley began as hull 797 in 1923 at the American Ship Building Company in Lorain Ohio where she was launched on April 9 1927 She was outfitted with her fore and aft housing in the ensuing months until her maiden voyage when her namesake Carl David Bradley the president of Michigan Limestone Bradley s wife the Rogers City community band and hundreds of Rogers City residents greeted her as she steamed into Calcite Harbor on July 28 1927 Bradley declared that the new ship was the last word in freighter construction 5 The United States Coast Guard USCG described Carl D Bradley s design and construction as a typical arrangement for self unloading type vessels with a forepeak and large cargo area and hawing propulsion machinery aft These areas were separated by two transverse watertight bulkheads the collision bulkhead at frame 12 and the engine room forward bulkhead at frame 173 The cargo hold space was divided into five compartments by screen bulkheads above the tunnel and the unloading machinery was located in the conveyor room just forward the cargo spaces The entire 475 foot length of the cargo space was open longitudinally through the tunnel and conveyor room 6 As the flagship of Bradley Transportation Company Carl D Bradley often carried corporate officials and guests in her staterooms She received more attention than the other ships in the fleet with her gray and red paint always fresh her decks freshly hosed down and a larger crew 7 She had individual rooms for the captain chief mates chief steward and engine room officers The rest of the crew was housed in comfortable dormitory style rooms She had a state of the art galley with huge refrigeration units and storage pantries Her engine room housed a huge generator powered by two Foster Wheeler boilers Carl D Bradley was the only fully electric ship in the Bradley Transportation fleet her generator powered everything from the propeller to the running lights 8 Career Edit Carl D Bradley unloading in a hopper at Michigan Limestone in 1958 Carl D Bradley 1 and Myron C Taylor at Michigan Limestone Carl D Bradley s registered port was New York City however her true base of operations was Rogers City where Michigan Limestone was based The Bradley Transportation fleet was predominantly crewed by men from Rogers City Many of crew were friends neighbors or familial relatives 9 As the boats often departed and returned every few days many of the crew made their homes and raised their families in Rogers City 10 During her career Carl D Bradley carried different grades of limestone from Lake Huron to deepwater ports on Lakes Michigan and Erie and occasionally Lake Superior 11 She set new records in stone trade carrying her largest cargo in 1929 when she loaded with 18 114 long tons 20 288 short tons 18 405 t of limestone a cargo that would require 300 railroad cars to move 12 13 She was the first lake freighter to pass through the new MacArthur Lock at the Soo Locks in 1943 14 As the largest ship on the lakes Carl D Bradley was traditionally the first boat through the Straits of Mackinac when the ice kept the smaller vessels from leaving port She served as an icebreaker Her forepeak was filled with concrete she would break ice to Indiana and then go to the Lorain shipyard for replacement of broken plates before starting her season 15 Carl D Bradley sustained damage in a collision with MV White Rose on the St Clair River on April 3 1957 She was in dry dock in Chicago for seven days in May 1957 for major repairs to her hull 16 Carl D Bradley had two groundings while proceeding out of Cedarville Michigan one in the spring of 1958 and the other in November 1958 the latter of which required repairs 16 These groundings were not reported to the USCG which would later consider whether the groundings caused hull stresses that contributed to Carl D Bradley s sinking 17 The USCG noted that although Bradley Transportation received an award for 2 228 775 injury free man hours from April 24 1955 to December 31 1957 while operating Carl D Bradley the company s focus was industrial safety rather than material safety of the vessel 18 Since the company s founding in 1912 it had never lost a ship until loss of Carl D Bradley 19 Although Carl D Bradley was normally one of the busiest ships in the Bradley fleet she was laid up from July 1 to October 1 1958 due to a downturn in the steel industry She made only 43 round trips in the 1958 shipping season 1 Carl D Bradley was scheduled for repairs in Manitowoc Wisconsin when she laid up over the winter 20 Her owner Bradley Transportation a U S Steel subsidiary planned an 800 000 replacement of her rusting cargo hold and bulkheads 21 A common joke among her crew was that she was being held together by her rust 22 Sailors reported that they picked up sheared off rivets by the bucketful following storms due to Carl D Bradley s excessive twisting and bending in heavy weather 23 The USCG conducted an annual inspection of Carl D Bradley on April 17 1958 and found her seaworthy 24 On October 30 1958 the USCG found no problems during a safety inspection of Carl D Bradley that included a fire and boat drill 16 Final voyage Edit Carl D Bradley met its fate on November 18 1958 while en route to Rogers City The previous day she had completed what was initially supposed to be her last voyage of the 1958 season which she completed with the delivery of a cargo of crushed stone at Gary Indiana 25 After leaving Gary Carl D Bradley set course for Manitowoc where she was due to spend her winter layup in dry dock and was to have a new cargo hold fitted 26 She departed Gary empty on her final voyage on November 17 at 10 00 p m with 9 000 US gallons 34 000 l 7 500 imp gal in her ballast tanks for stability 27 However when Carl D Bradley was only a few hours from Manitowoc she received an order from U S Steel to return to Calcite Harbor as they had scheduled her to deliver another load of stone at the last minute 28 29 The winds were 25 to 35 miles per hour 22 to 30 kn 40 to 56 km h at the start of her trip The weather forecast was a gale with 50 to 65 miles per hour 43 to 56 kn 80 to 105 km h southerly winds changing to southwest 30 Carl D Bradley s path would take it into a lethal storm that was the result of two separate weather patterns merging A line of thirty tornadoes extended from Illinois to Texas more than 1 foot 0 30 m of snow fell on North and South Dakota nearly 2 feet 0 61 m of snow fell in Wyoming Nevada s temperatures plummeted to below freezing and Tucson Arizona had a record 6 4 inch 160 mm snowfall 31 Captain Roland Bryan was known as a heavy weather captain who took pride in delivering his cargo on time 32 Bryan s usual course up Lake Michigan was quicker and ran closer to the Michigan shore On November 18 he avoided the brunt of the building seas by instead traveling 5 to 12 miles 8 0 to 19 3 km along the lee of the Wisconsin shore 32 He planned a course with his first and second mate that would take them to Cana Island then turn at Lansing Shoal near the Beaver Island group 33 Although the seas gathered strength from the southwest they were not considered severe and the ship was riding smoothly 30 However there is evidence that regardless of his reputation Bryan likely had his doubts concerning how well the 31 year old vessel could manage in rough seas Not long before Carl D Bradley s loss he stated in a letter to a friend that he was well aware that the ship was not in the best condition structurally and should not be out in bad weather He also expressed in the letter that he was relieved that Carl D Bradley was slated to receive a new cargo hold during her winter lay up in Manitowoc 34 Two ships were running parallel with Carl D Bradley when she passed Milwaukee Wisconsin at 4 00 a m on November 18 She reduced her speed sometime prior to 4 00 p m to 14 to 15 miles per hour 12 to 13 kn 23 to 24 km h By 4 00 p m she was past Poverty Island with Bryan in charge of navigation and the first mate on watch Winds were storm force from the southwest at 60 to 65 miles per hour 52 to 56 kn 97 to 105 km h Carl D Bradley was riding comfortably with a heavy following sea slightly on the starboard quarter 35 At 5 35 p m the ship was about 12 miles 19 km southwest of Gull Island 30 At this moment a loud thud was heard followed by a vibration The first mate turned aft and saw the stern of the vessel sagging Bryan slammed the engine s telegraph to stop engines and sounded the alarm to abandon ship 36 As the ship broke in two he shouted at the crew on deck to run and don their life jackets 37 The first mate managed to radio transmissions of mayday and give their position before the power lines aboard the ship were severed 38 The distress call was picked up by the USCG amateur radio and commercial stations on land and sea 25 30 Carl D Bradley had one life raft stored in the bow section and two lifeboats stored in the stern section The crew in the stern section attempted to lower the lifeboats 39 One lifeboat became entangled in cables and the other lifeboat dangled at an impossible angle for launching or boarding 40 The life raft was tossed clear of the wreck when the bow section sank 41 The four crew members who reached the life raft were repeatedly thrown off by the massive waves and only two survived 42 The crew on the German cargo vessel Christian Sartori witnessed the sinking through their binoculars They saw the lights go out on the fore part of the ship while the aft end of the ship remained lit Then they saw the lights on the aft end go out so that the silhouette of the ship remained barely visible A short time later they heard an explosion and saw a red yellow and white column of flame and remnants shoot up in the air 43 They concluded that the Bradley had exploded 44 Search and rescue Edit After witnessing the explosion Christian Sartori immediately altered course for Carl D Bradley s location However the wind and waves were so fierce that it took her one and one half hours to traverse the 4 miles 6 4 km that separated the vessels 44 The Plum Island lifesaving station deployed a 36 foot 11 m boat within minutes of the sinking The crew was unable to steer or make any headway in the storm and was forced to seek the shelter of nearby Washington Island 45 The USCG Cutter Sundew went out from Charlevoix Michigan into the open lake in the pounding seas of an unremitting gale She arrived at the search area at 10 40 p m on November 19 five hours after Carl D Bradley sank 46 Coast Guard Station Charlevoix also launched a 36 foot 11 m motor lifeboat in an attempt to reach Carl D Bradley but this was ordered back after being mercilessly tossed about on Lake Michigan The USCG Cutter Hollyhock from Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin arrived on the search scene at 1 30 a m on November 19 after a seven hour trip that her skipper described as a visit to hell 47 During the night friends and family members of Carl D Bradley s crew drove from Rogers City and the surrounding towns to Charlevoix where any survivors would arrive They kept vigil by lining the beach at Charlevoix with their car headlights turned on 48 Eight other commercial vessels joined the search at daybreak USCG air and surface units searched for survivors throughout the following days 44 At 8 37 a m on November 19 Sundew located Carl D Bradley s forward life raft fifteen hours after the sinking and 17 miles 27 km from the disaster site Two survivors were on the raft First Mate Elmer H Fleming 43 and Deck Watchman Frank L Mays 26 49 Another crew member from Carl D Bradley Deck Watchman Gary Strzelecki was also found alive but died not long after being rescued The two survivors said that they fired two of the three signal flares stored on the life raft not long after Carl D Bradley sank When they tried to fire the remaining flare it was wet and would not fire when Christian Sartori passed within 100 yards 91 m without seeing them 50 Mays reported that his cork filled life jacket kept him buoyed but he had to hold it down just to keep it on due to the force of the waves He knew that he had to find something to hold on to in order to survive 41 During the day Sundew and other vessels recovered seventeen more bodies all wearing lifejackets 51 The bodies were brought to Charlevoix City Hall for family identification 51 More lifejackets were found laced up indicating that they may have slipped off while they were worn 51 In all of the 35 crewmen 33 lost their lives The bodies of the fifteen men not recovered remain missing to this day 52 After the ice broke up in the spring of 1959 the United States Army Corps of Engineers located Carl D Bradley s wreck using sonar equipment aboard MS Williams The wreck was found 5 miles 8 0 km northwest of Boulder Reef and just south of Gull Island lying at a depth of 360 to 370 feet 110 to 110 m 53 Later in 1959 Carl D Bradley s owners U S Steel hired Los Angeles based Global Marine Exploration Company to survey the wreck using the underwater television from the USS Submarex citation needed They concluded that the ship was lying in one piece However the two survivors continued to maintain that they saw Carl D Bradley break in two 54 The U S Steel survey of the wreck was criticized because it was conducted in secrecy without impartial witnesses 55 Coast Guard investigation and recommendations EditInvestigation Edit The Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation found that Carl D Bradley sank from excessive hogging stresses The Marine Board reported that four vessels were crossing Lake Michigan parallel or ahead of Carl D Bradley during the storm and that eight other vessels sought shelter at the time of the casualty 56 They concluded that Bryan exercised poor judgment when he decided to leave the shelter of the Wisconsin shore and sail into the open lake during the storm 24 57 However the Commandant of the USCG Vice Admiral A C Richmond issued his own report that disapproved the Marine Board s conclusion that Bryan used poor judgment Richmond noted that his conclusion was supported by the vessel s 31 year history of Great Lakes navigation and the report that it was sailing smoothly prior to its sinking 44 His report also rejected that hogging stresses caused Carl D Bradley to sink instead concluding that she broke up due to undetected structural weakness or defect 58 Maritime historian Mark Thompson wrote that the type of steel used in the older vessels may have caused their structural failure After the Carl D Bradley sank in 1958 Coast Guard technical experts were aware of the shortcomings of the notch sensitive and brittle steel that was used to build many ships prior to 1948 but there doesn t seem to have been any program in place to warn the owners or crew of such vessels That led to the loss of the SS Daniel J Morrell in 1966 and may have been a factor in many other shipwrecks 59 Recommendations Edit Following their investigation of the Carl D Bradley sinking the Marine Board made the following safety recommendations 1 Mechanical changes should be made in the way lifeboats are disengaged and deployed 60 2 A second life raft should be mandatory on Great Lakes cargo ships because they land upright no matter how they are overturned 60 3 Each life boat should be equipped with two tow ropes painters 60 4 Six parachute type flare signals with equipment for firing them skyward should be stored on each lifeboat and life raft 60 5 The cork and canvas life vests should be updated to include crotch straps and collars to support the neck 60 The Great Lakes shipping industry later replaced the rigid open rafts like the one carried on Carl D Bradley with inflatable life rafts with an enclosed canopy for protection against the elements 61 In 1968 the National Transportation Safety Board NTSB gave notice to the USCG Commandant that the structural failure sustained by SS Edward Y Townsend Carl D Bradley and Daniel J Morrell could recur under similar circumstances The NTSB recommended that the USCG take action to implement a progressive structural renewal on ships constructed prior to 1948 62 Legal settlement EditCarl D Bradley s estimated value at the time her loss was 8 million making her the most costly shipwreck in Great Lakes history 63 U S Steel initially offered 660 000 as a settlement Family members of the lost crewmen felt that U S Steel used the USCG findings to avoid responsibility for the loss of Carl D Bradley The company believed that their 1959 survey results of the wreck supported their position that her loss was an act of God 64 Ten families filed lawsuits seeking more than 7 million just weeks after the USCG report was released 65 U S Steel reached a 1 250 000 lump sum settlement one year and sixteen days after the sinking A commissioner was appointed to determine how the settlement money would be divided among the families The settlement would not guarantee lifelong financial security to the victims families One published source said the settlement was one of the fastest in maritime history for a case of its scope 66 Later wreck surveys Edit Carl D Bradley s pilot house door in 2007 Jim Clary marine author and artist and Fred Shannon maritime explorer led two diving expeditions to the wreck with the goal of proving that the survivors account that Carl D Bradley broke apart was accurate 67 68 Survivor Frank Mays participated in both expeditions The first expedition in 1995 was conducted with a submersible It was unable to conclusively prove whether Carl D Bradley broke apart due to poor visibility and weather conditions 69 However Mays as the only living survivor of the tragedy placed a plaque on the wreck in memory of his fellow crewmen 68 Clary Shannon and Mays conducted the second expedition in 1997 with a remotely operated underwater vehicle ROV They obtained underwater video film showing two sections of Carl D Bradley sitting upright about 90 feet 27 m apart at a depth of 320 to 380 feet 98 to 116 m 70 Forty years after Carl D Bradley s sinking Mays was able to view her hull from inside the submersible 69 He later wrote I saw it go down in two pieces on the surface and now I ve seen it in two pieces on the bottom of Lake Michigan 71 This was arguably an unparalleled experience in Great Lakes shipwreck history 72 Carl D Bradley s wreck lies in 310 to 380 feet 94 to 116 m of water in a thermocline with a temperature of 39 F 4 C A very high degree of technical skill and long decompression are required to dive this wreck The wreck is totally encrusted with quagga mussels 73 Mirek Standowicz made the first scuba dives to Carl D Bradley in 2001 He videotaped the pilothouse for a documentary by Out of Blue Productions His video recorded the glass blown out of the pilot house windows and the telegraph in the stop position 74 Two Minnesota divers John Janzen and John Scoles spent months preparing to remove Carl D Bradley s bell They designed a special battery system and underwater torch and conducted practice dives in a flooded iron mine in Wisconsin 75 After obtaining the required permission from Michigan government agencies Scoles and Janzen conducted three dives to Carl D Bradley in August 2007 76 They removed the original bell and replaced it with memorial bell of similar dimensions engraved with the names of the lost crew They were the first scuba divers to reach the stern of Carl D Bradley including long penetration dives inside the ship s engine room 76 Frank Mays was present on the surface during the dives and saw the bell for the first time in 49 years when it broke the water surface 77 Legacy and memorial EditOf the 35 crewmen 33 died in the sinking 23 were from Rogers City Michigan a town with 3 873 residents 78 Twenty three women were widowed and fifty three children became fatherless 79 Two Carl D Bradley wives had children on the way 80 The largest mass funeral service was held at St Ignatius Catholic Church for nine of the recovered victims 81 Friends and relatives would nearly double the town s population during the funerals and memorial services There was a funeral on every street Rogers City s mayor issued an official proclamation declaring that every November 18 would be dedicated to the memory of the men lost on the ship 82 The Mariner s Church of Detroit Michigan offered special prayers for the vessel s sailors Ships at sea dropped anchor at noon for memorial services for those lost on Carl D Bradley 83 The Detroit News established the Carl D Bradley Ship Disaster Fund and contributed 1 000 to set it up Donations came from across the country ranging from Michigan Limestone s 10 000 contribution to collections aboard commercial ships to individual donations 84 On August 9 1997 a memorial in Rogers City s Lakeside Park was dedicated to the thirty three men who lost their lives on Carl D Bradley and Cedarville 85 The bell from Carl D Bradley was returned to Rogers City in 2007 It was restored and unveiled in a ceremony held on the weekend of the 49th anniversary of the sinking 86 On November 17 2008 a 50th Anniversary Memorial was held at the Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum in Rogers City when the bell was tolled to commemorate the crew 87 The documentary movie November Requiem premiered at the Rogers City Theater during the ceremonies It used author Andrew Kantar s book Black November as a major source and focused on the repercussions on the small community of Rogers City after Carl D Bradley sank 88 The documentary was featured on PBS in November 2008 89 In 2010 it won two Emmy Awards for best historical documentary and best original music score 90 In 2019 Captain Andrew Stempki released a songumentary entitled The Men Long Forgotten that memorialized the wreck 91 Stempki is also constructing a screenplay for a feature film 92 See also EditSS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in 1975References Edit a b Schumacher Michael 2008 Wreck of the Carl D A True Story of Loss Survival and Rescue at Sea Detroit Wayne State University Press p 4 ISBN 978 0 253 22258 9 Schumacher 2008 p 8 Thompson Mark L 1994 Queen of the Lakes Detroit Wayne State University Press pp 136 137 ISBN 0 8143 3226 9 Thompson 1994 p 139 Thompson 1994 p 136 United States Coast Guard July 7 1959 Marine Board of Investigation Foundering of the SSCarl D Bradley Lake Michigan 18 November 1958 with Loss of Life PDF United States Coast Guard p 6 Retrieved November 4 2017 Schumacher 2008 pp 9 22 Schumacher 2008 p 10 Schumacher 2008 p 24 Schumacher 2008 p xiv Schumacher 2008 p 9 Thompson 1994 p 137 Bowen Dana Thomas 1969 First published 1940 Lore of the Lakes Cleveland Ohio Freshwater Press Inc p 229 LCCN 40033309 Gilham Skip 2004 Shipwreck Carl D Bradley Mariners Weather Log Vol 48 no 3 Silver Spring Maryland National Weather Service Schumacher 2008 p 12 a b c United States Coast Guard 1959 p 6 United States Coast Guard 1959 p 3 United States Coast Guard 1959 p 7 Kantar Andrew 2006 Black November The Carl D Bradley Tragedy East Lansing Michigan Michigan State University Press p 33 ISBN 978 0 87013 783 9 United States Coast Guard 1959 p 5 Kantar 2006 p 19 Schumacher 2008 p 5 Schumacher 2008 pp 5 6 a b United States Coast Guard 1959 p 18 a b Kantar 2006 p 21 Schumacher 2008 pp 3 4 Kantar 2006 p 22 November Requiem Bon Ami Filmworks 2009 full citation needed Braise Jeffrey D November 18 2022 64 years ago Lake Michigan claimed the Carl D Bradley The Alpena News Retrieved December 15 2022 a b c d United States Coast Guard 1959 p 1 Schumacher 2008 pp 15 16 a b Schumacher 2008 pp 2 3 Schumacher 2008 p 13 November Requiem 2008 United States Coast Guard 1959 p 8 Schumacher 2008 p 38 Schumacher 2008 p 51 United States Coast Guard 1959 pp 9 11 United States Coast Guard 1959 p 11 Schumacher 2008 p 53 a b Schumacher 2008 p 55 Schumacher 2008 pp 85 86 Schumacher 2008 pp 48 50 a b c d United States Coast Guard 1959 p 2 Schumacher 2008 p 64 Schumacher 2008 p 93 Schumacher 2008 p 96 Rattigan William 1977 First published 1960 Great Lakes Shipwrecks amp Survivals New York Galahad Books p 29 ISBN 978 0 88365 243 5 Schumacher 2008 pp 108 109 Schumacher 2008 pp 71 72 a b c Kantar 2006 p 49 Schumacher 2008 pp 165 199 Kantar 2006 p 55 Kantar 2006 p 56 Schumacher 2008 p 167 United States Coast Guard 1959 pp 8 9 Thompson Mark L 2000 Graveyard of the Lakes Detroit Wayne State University Press pp 307 309 314 ISBN 978 0 8143 2889 7 United States Coast Guard 1959 p 3 Thompson 2000 p 339 a b c d e United States Coast Guard 1959 pp 18 19 Thompson 1994 p 142 Unknown February 8 1968 National Transportation Safety Board letter to the U S Coast Guard Commandant PDF National Transportation Safety Board Retrieved March 21 2011 Schumacher 2008 p 138 Schumacher 2008 p 168 Schumacher 2008 p 199 Schumacher 2008 p 171 Schumacher 2008 pp 184 185 a b Shannon Frederick 2008 Shipwreck Explorer Establishing Edmund Fitzgerald Carl D Bradley Database The Great Lakes Pilot Vol 5 no 6 Grand Marais Michigan Great Lakes Pilot Publishing p 9 a b McCosh Cy June 1996 Secrets of the Lakes Popular Science Vol 248 no 6 pp 92 96 Retrieved March 15 2011 Schumacher 2008 p 185 Schumacher 2008 p 186 Thompson 2000 p 309 Clark Mel The Carl D Bradley Did she break in two or was she simply overcome by the storm Advanced Diver Magazine Retrieved March 14 2011 Schumacher 2008 p 187 188 Schumacher 2008 p 189 a b Pabst Lora November 21 2007 Two Minnesota divers make Lake Michigan history Star Tribune Minneapolis Minnesota Archived from the original on October 15 2012 Retrieved March 15 2011 Schumacher 2008 p 192 Schumacher 2008 pp xiii xiii Kantar 2006 p 54 Schumacher 2008 p 116 Kantar 2006 p 53 Kantar 2006 pp 51 54 Rattigan 1977 pp 33 34 Schumacher 2008 p 132 Kantar 2006 p 51 50th Anniversary Carl D Bradley memorial Modrzynski Mike November 17 2008 Ceremony to honor men lost on Carl D Bradley Alpena News Kantar s Black November Inspires Film Big Rapids Michigan Ferris State University December 19 2008 Archived from the original on October 1 2012 Retrieved March 24 2011 Sinclair Andy 2008 Final Mission Lake Magazine LaPorte Indiana Small Newspaper Group November Archived from the original on August 19 2011 Retrieved March 21 2011 Asam Angie June 9 2010 November Requiem wins two Emmy awards Presque Isle County Advance Retrieved March 24 2011 The Men Long Forgotten Tropical Liaison Sinking of the Carl D Bradley Archived from the original on December 21 2021 Retrieved November 7 2019 Writer looking for input on Carl D Bradley literary and possible film project Presque Isle County Advance Retrieved November 7 2019 Further reading EditAshlee Laura R November December 1990 Broken in Two Michigan History magazine Archived from the original on January 19 2009 Hopp James 2008 Mayday Tragedy at Sea James L Hopp ISBN 978 0 9799270 5 8 Janega James November 29 2006 I lived now I can be there for them Chicago Tribune Kantar Andrew 2006 Black November The Carl D Bradley Tragedy East Lansing Michigan Michigan State University Press ISBN 978 0 87013 783 9 Mays Frank Stayer Pat Stayer Jim Juhl Tim 2003 If We Make it til Daylight Out of the Blue Productions ISBN 978 0 9627084 9 7 Carl D Bradley Great Lakes Vessels Online Index Underwood Don 1958 Survivors Tell of the Break up Death Cold and Fear Life No December 1 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Carl D Bradley Carl D Bradley homepage Expedition 97 s Bradley Photos University of Detroit Mercy Carl D Bradley Newspaper headlines Str Bradley Sinks with 35 Aboard and 33 Lost 2 Saved Presque Isle County Advance and Alpena News respectively Newspaper headlines 33 Missing as Freighter Sinks in Lake Michigan Bay City Times and erroneous headline from Detroit Times Pictorial history of the Carl D Bradley The Ship that Time Forgot video of underwater expeditions to the Carl D Bradley Toussaint Warren J May Day May Day Words No One Ever Wants To Hear originally appeared in Shipmates April May 1997 published by the Ninth U S Coast Guard District Carl D Bradley Engine Room August 2009 on YouTube Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title SS Carl D Bradley amp oldid 1127717508, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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