The Gales Of November

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 8 1s dance DoSiDo; 1s+2s set and link. 213
9-16 2s+1s+3s dance Diagonal R&L, 1s end facing 3rd corner position
17-24 2s+1s+3s dance ½ reels of 3 on sides (1s RSh to 3rd corner to start); 1s meet in centre and turn 1¾ RH while 2s and 3s set and ½ turn partner RH
25-32 All circle 6H round and back

(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)

Keith Rose's Crib Diagram

The Gales Of November - Full Size And Key To Symbols

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Dance Information

The ship had departed from Superior, Wisconsin, on 9 November 1975, carrying a cargo of taconite (iron ore) pellets and bound for a steel mill near Detroit, Michigan. On 10 November, weather conditions on Lake Superior deteriorated substantially, with storm-force winds and very high waves reported on the lake.

During the afternoon and evening of 10 November, the Fitzgerald reported difficulties, including problems affecting its ability to navigate. At approximately 7.10 pm, Captain Ernest M. McSorley made the vessel's last known radio communication, stating, 'We are holding our own'. Shortly afterwards, the ship was lost, and no distress signal was received.

The wreck was located several days later in deep water. Examination showed that the ship lay in two large sections on the lakebed. No bodies were recovered.

The precise cause of the sinking has never been established with certainty. The event led to later changes in safety practice on the Great Lakes, including requirements and equipment intended to improve survival chances and navigational safety in severe weather.

Edmund Fitzgerald, 1971

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