The Edmund Fitzgerald wreck took place 33 years ago today, sailing The Great Lakes. In song, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", lyrics make reference to the "witch of November"-- a term the Great Lakes sailors used to describe the dangerous winds prone to take place during the month-- winds which proved fateful on that stormy November 10, 1975 evening. This "witch", with her wind and her waves, caused the starboard side to roll from two heavy waves, which may have caused its sinking. Adding to the mysteriousness is the fact that the Great Lakes has been compared to the Bermuda Triangle, in what some call "The Great Lakes Triangle"-- where more disappearances per unit area have occurred than in the Bermuda Triangle itself (claims Casey of Dark Destinations). There are disagreements on how the SS Edmund Fitzgerald actually sank.

What are some theories as to why it sank? Are some regions cursed? Are some ships doomed? Superstitious sailors tend to think so-- are they on to something? Is it another case of something easily explained? Could the tragedy have been avoided with better maintenance/precaution?

One possible reason for sinking, reports Randy Roberts with The Trail, is too much cargo on board. The ship was low in the water carrying over 26,000 tons. The ship was therefore more vulnerable to extreme waves. The pumps used in the ship weren't sufficient; as the storm grew worse, the Fitz was taking on more water than it could pump out, according to Jeannine Ouellette of The Rake Magazine.

Another explanation: faulty hatches. If these gave way, this could explain a sudden shift to one side from the cargo, causing it to capsize or split suddenly. The Fitz had undergone an inspection that Halloween which revealed cracks in four hatches-- due likely to aging, reports Ouellette. The Fitzgerald was allowed to sail under the condition that the hatches be repaired before the 1976 season.

Perhaps the SS Edmund Fitzgerald was destined to sink? Dark Destinations brings to light some eerie facts-- the champagne christening of the ship in 1958 took three tries; after a trying send-off, the ship launched sideways and came crashing into docks, even causing one on-looker to suffer a heart attack; during its fairly brief lifespan, the ship endured losing anchors, ship-to-ship collisions, and more. Its final turn-- the deadliest wreck that we know of in the Great Lakes.

Could the lakes themselves have been cursed? When the voyage began on that November 9, the weather was at first calm. The turns in the weather and swift storms to plague the ship were surprising. The Great Lakes sinister reputation may provide the true explanation, for some sailors. The Great Lakes Triangle and "witch of November"-- along with other spooky-sounding reasons, including some involving UFOs-- are sometimes blamed for this event.

Whatever the cause-- perhaps a combination of everything-- people still freshly remember this tragedy and the men who lost their lives, and continue to grieve and wonder why on this day.

Casey H., The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald, Dark Destinations

Jeannine Ouellette, The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald, The Rake Magazine

Randy Roberts, SS Edmund Fitzgerald, The Trail