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Three Disastrous Anniversaries

September 15 2018 | 1:00pm to 3:30pm

Online ticket sales are now closed, but tickets will be available at the door!

This year recalls several significant Great Lakes maritime disasters. Join us for a three-part program that examines them on Saturday, September 15 at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum.

Perhaps most clearly remembered is the loss of the bulk-carrier Carl D. Bradley in Lake Michigan on November 18, 1958. Of the 35 crewmen,
only two survived. Sadly, 23 of the lost sailors hailed from Rogers City, Michigan, and the shipwreck devastated the town. Jeffery Brassie, who grew up in that area, will explore this story and speak/share interviews with survivor Frank Mays.

During World War I, a foundry in Fort William (today Thunder Bay) Ontario built three minesweepers for the French navy. On their maiden voyage to Sault Ste. Marie, two of the vessels foundered in a November storm. The 74 men who perished represent the greatest single loss of life on Lake Superior.

When it comes to marine disasters, few years were as bad as 1868. As commerce around the lakes rebounded from years of war, a series of storms, collisions and explosions claimed almost 30 vessels and several dozen mariners and passengers. Historian Mac McAdam will examine the long list of wrecks and put the year in perspective.

This program is produced in partnership with the Great Lakes Maritime Institute.