Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2015 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== (note: while some formatting changes were necessary to transcribe this document the content remains entirely as written in the official report.) From: Marine Board of Investigation To: Commandant (G-MMI) Subj: S. S. EDMUND FITZGERALD, O. N. 277437; sinking in Lake Superior on 10 November 1975, with loss of life FINDINGS OF FACT (continued) ---------------- 13. Cargo and Loading Procedure. ---------------------------- FITZGERALD sailed on its last voyage with a cargo of 26,116 long tons of taconite pellets. Taconite pellets, a very common cargo for Great Lakes ore carriers, are manufactured by a process known as "oxide pelletizing." This process begins with the mining of taconite, a form of iron ore. The taconite is crushed and ground and the iron it contains is then oxidized and the silicon and waste materials removed. The iron ore concentrate remaining is essentially a fine powder which is dewatered to about 10% moisture, and rolled into balls appriximately one-half inch in diameter, which, after being heated to release more of the moisture, are fired in a kiln to a temperature of 2200°F to 2400°F. The results are dark, reddish-brown spheres, which are cooled to approximately 200°F and stockpiled awaiting shipment. Because of the natural insulative quality of the material. It is not uncommon to have the interior of a stockpile remain at a tempera- ture above ambient. As a result, vessel operators have observed what they described as "steam" rising from the material after it has been loaded on board. There are no known instances of structural distortion resulting from this elevated temperature either on vessels or on rail cars carrying taconite. The spheres, or pellets as they are called, contain approximately 65% iron oxide, and have a bulk density on the order of 130 lbs. per cubic foot. This is equivalent to a stowage factor of 17 cubic feet per long ton. Because of the small size and generally spherical shape of the pellets, the commodity is easily handled on conveyor belts, in hopper-type railroad cars and in chutes. Taconite exhibits and angle of repose, the angle between the horizontal and the slope of a free-standing pile of the material, of between 26" and 30". There is some evidence to indicate that a slightly higher angle of repose could be achieved if the material were stacked 75 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- in high piles, due in part to the presence of a higher quanitity of finer material. There is no evidence to indicate that the presence of surface or internal moisture significantly affects the angle of repose, nor are there any reported instances that any vessels have experienced shifting of taconite cargo in normal service. The compressive strength of taconite pellets is approximately five hundered to six hundred pounds per square inch. This strength, which results from the firing, is sufficient to withstand the weight of the material when stacked in open piles or in the holds of vessels. The pellets do not dissolve in water and they are essentially non-magnetic, i.e., they are not attracted to an ordinary magnet. They will absorb moisture up to about 7% by weight. Information on the surface friction characteristics of the material, either in the wet or dry condition, is not available. Loading and unloading and the accompanying ballasting and deballasting of Great Lakes ore carriers is normally the responsibility of the Chief Mate, who is assisted by the regularly assigned deck watch officers and crew. The Chief Mate typically maintains a notebook which contains information on procedures used for loading and in which the exact amount of cargo and the loading sequence for each load is recorded. This notebook remains on board the vessel and is used as a guide for loading sequence and cargo quantity. This notebook is different from the Loading Manual required by the Load Line Regulations. (An officer who had served as Chief Mate on FITZGERALD during the 1973 and 1974 seasons testified that he had never seen the Loading Manual, and that he relied on the Chief Mate's notebook for loading information.) Upbound voyages are made with water ballast used to obtain desired draft and trim. During a normal loading, the ballast water is pumped out at the same time the vessel is being 76 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- loaded with cargo. Since the ballast tank suctions are located at the after bulkhead of each ballast tank, trim by the stern is necessary to deballast completely. During a normal loading, it is not unusual to interrupt cargo loading for an hour or so to maintain this trim while ballast water is discharged. When the vessel is fully loaded with cargo, no ballast water remains on board. The final cargo profile of a normal load has approximately 28% of the cargo in the center half length of the cargo hold; the forward and aft quarter lengths, or the "shoulders of the ship," are loaded with the remaining 72%, or about 36% on each end. Hatch covers are put in place as the loading into the hatch is completed. The closures for ballast tank vents on many Great Lakes ore carriers are customarily left open during all conditions of operation in the belief that with a vent closed, it would not be possible to obtain suction to dewater a ballast tank which might be making water. During loading, draft readings are monitored by members of the ship's crew. Final draft and trim are adjusted by adding small amounts of cargo. An ideal loading would result in a few inches trim by the stern. Midships drafts are checked at the end of the loading by hanging a portable draft gauge over the side. Final cargo adjustments are made to achieve no hog, however, one inch of sag, or "belly," is considered acceptable and an even keel is the most desirable. For the last several years, FITZGERALD had fueled at the loading dock at the same time as cargo was being loaded. There were two fuel tanks located in the space previously occupied by the coal bunker, immediatley aft of the cargo holds. Total fuel 77 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- capacity was 114,000 gallons. The vessel usually received approximately 50,000 gallons of fuel, which would be enough for the five-day round trip voyage. FITZGERALD loaded its last cargo at the Burlington Northern Railroad Dock No. 1 East, in Superior, WI, on 9 November. The docks at Superior are equipped with storage bins, called "pockets," built into the dock, and chutes which are used to direct the cargo from the pockets into the hatches of the vessel being loaded. FITZGERALD usually loaded at the Reserve Mining Co. dock at Silver Bay, MN, where two conveyor belts are used to load ore vessels. During the 1975 season, FITZGERALD had loaded at the Burlington dock in Superior on two other trips. The pockets on the dock were loaded prior to the arrival of the ship. Most of the pockets were loaded with approximately 300 tons of pellets, although there were a few 200-ton and 100-ton pockets which were used in the final phase of loading to trim the ship. Each ore pocket has its own chute, which was lowered to the hatch opening on the ship when the ship was ready for that pocket of ore. Communication between the Mate on the ship and the loading dock supervisor was accomplished by voice. The vessel moored starboard side to, on the inner end of the eastern side of the dock. The forward hatch on the vessel was lined up with the furthest inshore pocket on the dock. Loading began at approximately 0730 CST, starting with Hatch No. 21 and working forward to Hatch No. 1. Each hatch received one pocket of ore, approximately 300 tons. Once each hatch had received one pocket, a "run" was completed. Upon completion of a run, the vessel had to shift its position along the dock to line up for the next run. The chutes on the dock are on 12-foot centers and the hatch openings on the ship were on 24 foot centers, so the vessel was shifted aft 12 feet to line up with the next set of chutes and received another complete run, again starting 78 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- aft and working forward. Upon completion of the second run, the vessel shifted again and took 5 or 6 pockets in the hatches aft. This maintained the required trim by the stern. Loading proceeded in this manner until the total desired load was on board. Loading was completed at approximately 1315 CST, on 9 November, and the Mate passed the final draft readings up to the loading dock personnel. The Bill of Lading shows these as 27'2" forward, 27'6" aft. The departure midships draft readings are not avail- able. The Bill of Lading shows that 26,116 long tons of National Taconite pellets were received. This figure is, however, only approximate. About one-half of the cargo that FITZGERALD received was dumped into the pockets on the dock directly from ore cars. The exact amount of taconite in each ore car was not known. For purposes of cargo billing and the Bill of Lading, it was assumed that each car was loaded with the average load for that type of car, the average being based on the report from the taconite plant at which the ore was loaded into the cars. The other half of FITZGERALD's cargo was loaded into the pockets by conveyor belt, and for these pockets, the load was weighed before it reached the pockets. Details of the amount and distribution of cargo typically would have been entered in the Chief Mate's notebook but this was lost with the vessel. Little information is available on prior cargo loadings. Such information is in the Bills of Lading and in the Office Logs, and this consists of the total amount of cargo loaded and the fore and aft drafts at departure. On 9 November, in addition to the taconite cargo, FITZGERALD took on 50,013 gallons of No. 6 fuel oil, delivered from a barge which came alongside while the cargo was being loaded. No difficulty was experienced by cargo loading personnel nor was any report of difficulty from ships personnel received during this loading. 79 ===========================================================================