In the previous post, "The Legend Lives On," I referred to "the prevailing theory" of the Edmund Fitzgerald sinking. The prevailing theory is that a series of waves traveling stern to bow, rebounded off the pilot house and down on the ship's mid-section, causing the hatch covers to implode, letting in water, developing the list, and then that a "rogue wave" hit the ship broadside, capsizing it, and breaking the ship in two on the surface, in the manner of the Titanic. The prevailing theory accounts for the known evidence: hatch covers were found off and the ship came to rest in two pieces on the lake bed.
When I first researched the Fitzgerald many months ago however the prevailing theory was not the first theory I came across. The first theory I came across was an elegant jack knife to the bottom of Lake Superior. Today, I googled the ship and saw the simulation linked to below. The simulation is very well done. It is so well done that it is a horror to watch. You see the ship struggling in the water and as the storm worsens you see it roll* at an appalling angle and then recover, "survive" perhaps is putting it better; you see the high mountains of water and deep troughs that see-saw the ship, you see the pilot house submerge, and pop back up again; it is sublime awfulness, and you see the jacknife theory! This superb simulation illustrates the jack knife theory in all of its elegant horror, the pilot house disappears under the waves and bobs up no more. The rest of the ship follows.
I like it. I like the jack knife theory, I like its elegance, which is an elegant way of saying that it is simple enough for me to readily grasp. This business of waves rebounding down onto the midsection, of sinking sideways, Eh, it didn't float my boat. But the simulation is intellectually honest: it has the ship coming to rest intact on the lake bed. :( Oh well, can't have everything. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh1FEqT7CII
*WHAT is the matter with me? I first wrote "role." More than once I have written "through" for "threw." I swear I have my GED.
When I first researched the Fitzgerald many months ago however the prevailing theory was not the first theory I came across. The first theory I came across was an elegant jack knife to the bottom of Lake Superior. Today, I googled the ship and saw the simulation linked to below. The simulation is very well done. It is so well done that it is a horror to watch. You see the ship struggling in the water and as the storm worsens you see it roll* at an appalling angle and then recover, "survive" perhaps is putting it better; you see the high mountains of water and deep troughs that see-saw the ship, you see the pilot house submerge, and pop back up again; it is sublime awfulness, and you see the jacknife theory! This superb simulation illustrates the jack knife theory in all of its elegant horror, the pilot house disappears under the waves and bobs up no more. The rest of the ship follows.
I like it. I like the jack knife theory, I like its elegance, which is an elegant way of saying that it is simple enough for me to readily grasp. This business of waves rebounding down onto the midsection, of sinking sideways, Eh, it didn't float my boat. But the simulation is intellectually honest: it has the ship coming to rest intact on the lake bed. :( Oh well, can't have everything. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh1FEqT7CII
*WHAT is the matter with me? I first wrote "role." More than once I have written "through" for "threw." I swear I have my GED.
