Sinking of Bradley to be remembered in Saturday service

The sinking of the Carl D. Bradley affected the community of Rogers City more than any other Great Lake shipping disaster. It claimed the lives of 33 men, 23 of whom called Rogers City their homeport. On November 18, 1958, the Bradley became victim to severe weather, breaking at its eleventh hatch and sinking in 360 feet of Lake Michigan water. This Saturday, the Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum will honor the ship and her crew on its 48th anniversary with a bell ringing ceremony, beginning at 2 p.m. Museum director and president, Dave Erickson, said the bell ringing ceremony is an important event for Rogers City.

?WE WANT to preserve this historical event,? said Erickson, who is also a Cedarville survivor. ?The Bradley had been forgotten for many years, and we want to preserve its memory for the future generations. That is what the Lore is all about ? preserving and honoring the men and women of the Great Lakes.? Saturday?s ceremony will open with Rogers City Mayor Beach Hall. Erickson will present the story and pictures of the Bradley, explaining what conclusions have been made over years of research. The commemorative bell will be rung once for each name of those lost on the Bradley. Family members and audience participants will ring the bell.

?People who have come to past ceremonies have said they really liked how we did the bell ringing, and thought we did a fine job,? said Erickson. ?I?m hoping for a good turnout. The Bradley is more famous than other shipwrecks ? more men lost their lives on it than the Edmund Fitzgerald. It was the first lake freighter to break and sink in the last 50 years.? Erickson said the sinking of the Bradley in 1958 spurred a flurry of media coverage ? from T.V. news to Life magazine.

?AT THE time it happened, everybody wanted to do an article,? said Erickson. ?She was famous, and then she was forgotten. I don?t think she should be forgotten.? In order to keep the story of the Bradley and her crew alive and well in the minds of many generations to come, the Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum, in partnership with the Presque Isle District Library, is working on a multi-media project with the Public Broadcasting Service (WCMU). Recently, the Michigan Department of History, Arts, and Libraries announced the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) grant recipients, which included a $10,500 grant toward the cultural and history project on the SS Carl D. Bradley for its 50th anniversary in 2008. The Bradley Project includes the production of a feature-length broadcast quality video documentary of the SS Carl D. Bradley, as well as the maritime history of northeast Michigan. The project also includes plans for educational components to be used in outreach presentations to local schools. The documentary will include high definition film footage of the Bradley as she sits today in 360 feet of water. Currently, the project has dive footage from three separate dives. Another dive is planned for next year.

THE BRADLEY is located in northern Lake Michigan, about 25 miles west of Beaver Island, and 20 miles south of Manistique. The forward section, including 10 hatches, is sitting upright with a slight port list. The stern section, including six hatches, is also sitting upright, with the rudder and propeller elevated off the bottom. The number 11 hatch is missing, with 120 feet between the forward and stern sections. ?The first diver who went down was Mirek Standowicz in August of 2001,? said Erickson. ?He took one dive for a few minutes, took a picture of the pilot house, and that was it.? Erickson said the dive footage from The Bradley Project will be much more involved, but is still just as dangerous, considering the depth of water the ship is at.

?THE FOOTAGE now from the dives is in high definition, which gives a much clearer and more detailed picture,? said Erickson. ?Divers can only go down for 13-15 minutes, and at about 3

40 feet of depth there is 150 pounds per square inch of pressure on the body ? makes it real tough for them to move around too much. They have to conserve their oxygen, so they swim around like fish, and record what they see.? Erickson said the dive team that is associated with the upcoming documentary does not film inside the ship. They record and measure outside the shipwreck only. The documentary will be presented by PBS television, and Erickson is hopeful other networks will pick it up. Until then, the Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum will do its best to keep the memory of the Bradley and other shipwrecks alive.

?Hopefully, this museum will last for many, many years,? said Erickson. ?It will be Rogers City?s history book.? Anyone interested in volunteering or helping with the bell ringing ceremony Saturday at 2 p.m. should call the museum at 734-0706. A bell ringing ceremony to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Daniel J. Morrell is scheduled for Saturday, November 25 at 2 p.m. Lone survivor, Dennis Hale, will be present.