Courtesy Photo An undated aerial view shows the Car D. Bradley, known as the “Queen of the Lakes” on the water.

ROGERS CITY — For the better part of 25 years, the Carl D. Bradley was called the “Queen of the Lakes” as the Great Lakes’ longest and largest freighter.

The 638-foot self-unloader was built in Lorain, Ohio by the American Ship Building Co. The Bradley’s maiden voyage occurred in July 1927. The freighter’s flag was then flown under the Bradley Transportation Co. and was named after the then-president of Michigan Limestone.

Based in Rogers City, a significant percentage of the crew were from the community of nearly 4,000 residents.

In 1943, the Bradley was the first freighter to pass through Sault Ste. Marie’s new MacArthur Lock.

In April 1957, the Bradley sustained damage during a collision with the MV White Rose on the St. Clair River. Subsequently, the freighter entered the dry dock for repairs. The following year, the Bradley experienced two groundings.

In 1952, the Bradley’s ownership was transferred under the U.S. Steel Corp.

On Monday night, Nov. 17, 1958, after delivering a cargo of crushed stone at the Port of Gary, Indiana, the freighter set course for Manitowoc, Wisconsin for dry dock repairs and upgrades, specifically a new cargo hold.

Onboard were a crew of 35, with Capt. Roland Bryan commanding the 31-year-old freighter.

With the weather becoming more challenging, the Bradley hugged close to Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan shoreline. At midpoint, the Bradley received a call from U.S. Steel redirecting the ship to Rogers City for one final load versus the scheduled layup.

As the Bradley prepared to veer northeast toward the Straits of Mackinac, the Great Lakes waves became massive. The freighter was nearing Gull Island.

According to Elmer Fleming and Frank Mays, who survived Bradley’s plunge into 375 feet of Lake Michigan’s waters, two large thuds occurred at approximately 5:35 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 18. The first mate issued a “mayday” distress call heard by the U.S. Coast Guard, commercial stations, and other Lake Michigan vessels.

Four crewmembers were able to reach the Bradley’s life raft located in the bow. Two lifeboats were located in the stern, where crewmembers desperately attempted to launch.

Within fewer than 25 minutes, the Bradley’s stern sank, quickly followed by the forward section.

Of the four crewmembers on the life raft, only Fleming and Mays survived.

Hearing the Bradley’s distress call, the nearby German MV Christian Sartori crew through their personal vision and with binoculars saw the Bradley sink. Immediately, the Sartori set course toward the Bradley’s last known position. The Sartori’s crew reported waves at 35-plus feet, with many waves following in rapid succession, known as the “three sisters.”

A 36-foot Lifesaving Station boat was launched from nearby Plum Island, Wisconsin. Because of the massive seas, the boat was forced to nearby Washington Island. A second Cost Guard 36-foot rescue boat was launched from Charlevoix, Michigan, but, because of the rough seas, it, too, returned to port. Subsequently, the Coast Guard cutter Sundew departed Charlevoix and the Coast Guard cutter Hollyhock from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin toward the Bradley’s last known location.

During the rescue attempt, 33 crewmembers perished, with 15 bodies remaining missing. The most significant loss of life on the Great Lakes over the past 65 years, more than the 1975 sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior.

The Sundew rescued Fleming and Mays and recovered crewmembers who perished.

That evening, in Rogers City, 23 women became widows and 54 children fatherless.

During the rescue process, a number of Rogers City residents quickly drove their vehicles to the Lake Michigan shoreline near Charlevoix. They pointed their headlights toward the lake in hopes crewmembers would see them.

In the following days, Rogers City crewmembers’ remains were taken to lie in state at the high school auditorium. Later, they would be transferred to numerous houses of worship.

During the services, a number of Great Lakes ships dropped anchor at noon as a tribute to the Bradley and its crew.

Fleming sailed again on the Great Lakes. He passed away in 1969. Mays never returned to sail on the Great Lakes. Decades later, Mays went on an expedition with experienced divers and specialized remote underwater video equipment. Mays stated he saw the Bradley’s separated hull and the ship’s bell. Mays passed away in 2021.

Slightly more than a year after the Bradley sank and the crew was lost, U.S. Steel reached a lawsuit settlement of $1.25 million for crewmember families. The settlement did not guarantee lifelong financial security to the claimants’ families.

The Coast Guard Marine Board conducted an investigation. It found fault with the Bradley’s captain, along with structural issues. However, the then-Coast Guard commandant, Vice Admiral A.C. Richmond, disapproved the report and stated the Bradley broke up because of “undetected structural weakness or deflect.”

Subsequently, the Coast Guard Marine Board implemented recommendations, which for the most part, related to lifesaving equipment on Great Lakes ships.

Jeffrey D. Brasie is a retired health care CEO. He frequently writes historic feature stories and op-eds for various Michigan newspapers. As a Vietnam-era veteran, he served in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Naval Reserve. He served on the public affairs staff of the secretary of the Navy. He grew up in Alpena and resides in suburban Detroit.

GREAT LAKES FREIGHTER

DISASTERS, 1953 TO 2023

5/11/1953: Henry Steinbrenner (426 feet), floundered in gale off Isle Royale in Lake Superior, 17 lost

6/20/1953: Scotladoc (426 feet), lost near Thunder Bay, Ontario in Lake Superior, 1 lost

11/18/1958: Card D. Bradley (638 feet), broke up in storm near Gull Island in Lake Michigan, 33 lost

5/6/1965: Cedarville (590 feet), sank in fog after collision in Straits of Mackinac, 10 lost

11/29/1966: Daniel J. Morrell (580 feet), broke up near Harbor Beach in lower Lake Huron, 28 lost

11/10/1975: Edmund Fitzgerald (729 feet), sank near Whitefish Point in Lake Superior, 29 lost

Source: Great Lakes Center for Fresh Waters and Human Health and Historical Collections, Bowling Green State University, Ohio