The Daniel J. Morrell, a 603 foot steel ore carrier
commissioned in 1906, left St. Clair river at Port Huron in late November, 1966,
for "the last trip of the season." In the early morning hours, at the peak of
the November storm, the fury of Lake Huron wrenched her hull in two. The
bow section sank almost immediately and the stern, with lights on, steamed
off into the stormy night. Twenty-eight crewmen died with her; one survived.
The coast guard located the stern section in the spring of 1967, however, it
was not until 12 years later that the bow was located by sonar in the depths
off Pointe Aux Barque, Michigan. Both sections rest in an upright position,
in the silt, almost five miles apart. The torn steel plates and shattered
compartments tell the story of the Morrell's final hours. This presentation
also recounts a story of terror and the personal triumph of the lone
survivor, Dennis Hale. |
