It was Thanksgiving 1905 and thirty-one ships were on Lake Superior, making the season’s last, daring run--a run old salts had warned against, but to no avail against the shipping companies’ demands. What none of the sailors knew until it was far too late was that they would soon face the worst storm ever to hit the Great Lake, a storm that nearly half of their number would not survive.
This is the story of that fateful storm, and of one of the worst shipping disasters in the nation’s history. As the storm strikes without warning, readers are taken aboard the SS Mataafa as it crashes into Duluth’s piers, half of the crew freezing to death overnight as the other half survives by dancing through the dark around bathtubs set ablaze with scuttled pieces of the ship--all while 10,000 Duluthians set bonfires on shore to guide ships to safety. Next we find ourselves aboard the SS Ira H. Owen, crashing into the cliff where Split Rock Lighthouse would later be built, too late for these men. And here too are the many ships, from Canadian shores to Michigan, where all hands were lost. It is a story drawn from the accounts of witnesses and survivors. It is a tale of people pitted against the elements, of a disaster so extreme that, in its wake, weather forecasting, shipbuilding, and compass-reading in light of the Iron Range’s magnetism were forever changed.
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Editorial Reviews
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“Brown's book makes a necessary addition to any Boat Nerd's shelf, with many seldom-seen photographs. It also provides great reading for anyone who spends time traveling up and down the shoreline of our own vast unsalted sea.” - Star Tribune
Not since Sebastian Junger in The Perfect Storm has a writer captured so well the fury of the seas as Curt Brown. -- --The Maritime Executive
Book Description
It was Thanksgiving 1905 and thirty-one ships were on Lake Superior, making the season’s last run. What none of the sailors knew till it was far too late was that they would soon face the worst storm ever to hit the Great Lake, a storm that nearly half of their number would not survive. This is the story of that fateful storm, and of one of the worst shipping disasters in the nation’s history. It is a tale of people pitted against the elements, of a disaster so extreme that, in its wake, weather forecasting, shipbuilding, and compass-reading in light of the Iron Range’s magnetism were forever changed.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You felt like you were there,
By Chris "Book Lover" (Hermantown, Mn. USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: So Terrible a Storm: A Tale of Fury on Lake Superior (Hardcover)
This is a remarkable, well researched book, written in such a way that one can almost feel the horror of that awful storm of 1905. I can only imagine what those poor men experienced with the high waves, strong wind, blowing snow, and being wet and almost frozen out on that lake. It takes a special breed of men to be able to do this work. I did notice a couple editing errors of dates, however. One on page 243 which said Edward Honnor's son was born on 3/2/1947 instead of 1847. And another date on page 252 that states that the Corey was put into service in June of 2005 instead of, I presume, 1905. Small matters of little consequence in this terric book.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Superior Storm,
By Book Beagle (Michigan) - See all my reviews
This review is from: So Terrible a Storm: A Tale of Fury on Lake Superior (Hardcover)
Curt Brown masterfully transports the reader to 1905 aboard a battered freighter trapped in roiling waters during one of the worst storms in Lake Superior history. This true tale of storm-tossed ships, corporate greed, human bravery -- and weakness too -- brings movie-like impact to the written page. Great Lakes history buffs and those familiar with Duluth, Minnesota, will particularly relish the author's attention to detail and setting. The rich collection of century-old photos complementing the story is equally intriguing on its own.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
So Terrible is so good,
By
This review is from: So Terrible a Storm: A Tale of Fury on Lake Superior (Hardcover)
The author did a fine job of combining the historically known facts of a terrible event with the personal feelings and struggles of many participants. The stories of the rescue captain, the female newspaper reporter and the fireman on the Mataafa among others, gave the book a richness and vibrance that many other accounts of such events lack.
Also, I appreciated the excellent proof-reading and overall presentation of the book. I have read too many historical accounts with blatant errors in spelling, dates, etc. This was a refreshing break from such unprofessionalism. It was a fine book and I would recommend it to the general reading public along with those seriously interested in maritime events.
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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Inside This Book
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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silver smokestack, lifesaving crew, storm flags Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Lake Superior, Great Lakes, Crescent City, Two Harbors, Harry Coulby, Pittsburgh Steamship Company, Captain Humble, North Shore, Thomas Honner, Thomas Woodgate, Split Rock, Herbert Richardson, Captain Seph, Grand Haven, Wolvin Building, Gold Rock, Bill Most, Captain Rice, Superior Street, Soo Locks, Wally Brown, Duluth Ship Canal, Lake Michigan, Apostle Islands, Charlie Byrne Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
silver smokestack, lifesaving crew, storm flags Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Lake Superior, Great Lakes, Crescent City, Two Harbors, Harry Coulby, Pittsburgh Steamship Company, Captain Humble, North Shore, Thomas Honner, Thomas Woodgate, Split Rock, Herbert Richardson, Captain Seph, Grand Haven, Wolvin Building, Gold Rock, Bill Most, Captain Rice, Superior Street, Soo Locks, Wally Brown, Duluth Ship Canal, Lake Michigan, Apostle Islands, Charlie Byrne Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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