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71-543: The Steinbrenner had an eventful first two decades on the Great Lakes. On December 6, 1909 the Steinbrenner was downbound loaded with iron ore when she was involved in a collision on St. Marys River with the nearly new SS  Harry A. Berwind . The Steinbrenner sank in the river and was declared a total constructive loss, but was recovered on May 10, 1910, repaired and returned to service. She would resume

142-498: A rather uneventful pattern of trading until she once again collided with another ship. This time she struck the SS ; John McCartney Kennedy in a foggy Whitefish Bay but managed to stay afloat. After $ 5000 in repairs, she once again resumed trading. At 5:11 AM on May 10, 1953, the 52-year-old ship left Superior, Wisconsin , with nearly 7000 tons of iron ore for the steel mills on Lake Erie . Weather conditions were good at

213-467: A sunken body will bloat it with gas, causing it to float to the surface after a few days. But Lake Superior's water is cold enough year-round to inhibit bacterial growth , and bodies tend to sink and never resurface. Joe MacInnis reported that in July 1994, explorer Frederick Shannon's Expedition 94 to the wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald discovered a man's body near the port side of her pilothouse, not far from

284-482: A very small ratio (1.55) of catchment area to surface area, which indicates minimal terrestrial influence. American limnologist J. Val Klump was the first person to reach the lowest depth of Lake Superior on July 30, 1985, as part of a scientific expedition, which at 122 fathoms 1 foot (733 ft or 223 m) below sea level is the second-lowest spot in the continental interior of the United States and

355-716: Is Isle Royale in Michigan. Isle Royale contains several lakes, some of which also contain islands. Other well-known islands include Madeline Island in Wisconsin, Michipicoten Island in Ontario, and Grand Island (the location of the Grand Island National Recreation Area ) in Michigan. The larger cities on Lake Superior include the twin ports of Duluth, Minnesota , and Superior, Wisconsin ; Thunder Bay , Ontario; Marquette, Michigan ; and

426-408: Is 0.33 feet (0.10 m) below the datum. In the winter of 1926 Lake Superior reached its lowest recorded level at 1.58 feet (0.48 m) below the datum. Additionally, the entire first half of the year (January to June) included record low months. The low water was a continuation of the dropping lake levels from the previous year, 1925, which set low-water records for October through December. During

497-423: Is 4,229 feet (1,289 m) above sea level.) While the temperature of the surface of Lake Superior varies seasonally, the temperature below 110 fathoms (660 ft; 200 m) is an almost constant 39 °F (4 °C). This variation in temperature makes the lake seasonally stratified . Twice per year, however, the water column reaches a uniform temperature of 39 °F (4 °C) from top to bottom, and

568-500: Is 80.5 fathoms (483 ft; 147 m) with a maximum depth of 222.17 fathoms (1,333 ft; 406 m). Lake Superior contains 2,900 cubic miles (12,100 km ) of water. There is enough water in Lake Superior to cover the entire land mass of North and South America to a depth of 30 centimetres (12 in). The shoreline of the lake stretches 2,726 miles (4,387 km) (including islands). The lake boasts

639-477: Is a designated scenic road system connecting all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. Lake Superior's size reduces the severity of the seasons of its humid continental climate (more typically seen in locations like Nova Scotia ). The water surface's slow reaction to temperature changes, seasonally ranging between 32 and 55 °F (0–13 °C) around 1970, helps to moderate surrounding air temperatures in

710-449: Is an unusual record of environmental nitrogen buildup. It may relate to anthropogenic alternations to the regional nitrogen cycle , but researchers are still unsure of the causes of this change to the lake's ecology. As for other Great Lakes fish, populations have also been affected by the accidental or intentional introduction of foreign species such as the sea lamprey and Eurasian ruffe . Accidental introductions have occurred in part by

781-596: Is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area and the third-largest freshwater lake by volume , holding 10% of the world's surface fresh water. Located in central North America, it is the northernmost and westernmost of the Great Lakes of North America , straddling the Canada–United States border with the Canadian province of Ontario to the north and east and the U.S. states of Minnesota to

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852-586: The 131st Infantry Regiment , an anti-aircraft regiment, and a barrage balloon battalion for a total in mid-1942 of 7,000 troops in the area. Canada provided an anti-aircraft battalion, elements of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police , barracks and defensive positions for some of the U.S. force, and a warning system of 266 aircraft observation posts of the Aircraft Identity Corps extending northward to Hudson Bay. This

923-536: The Clemson to put the lifeboat in the ship's lee and then had the survivors lifted aboard with ropes. The men were then taken to the Captain's quarters where they were given warm food and dry clothes. The Wilfred Sykes rescued the men of the other life boat. In the end, 17 men were lost in the tragedy. Fingers were pointed at the crew for not using the tarpaulins on the hatches, but in a storm of that magnitude even

994-675: The Great Lakes Waterway system in 1959. Partially due to the American refusal of passage through the Soo Locks during the Wolseley Expedition , a Canadian Lock was built in 1895. The current Canadian Lock is used for recreational boats and is a National Historic Site of Canada. During World War II, the Soo Locks and the St. Marys River waterway were heavily guarded by U.S. and Canadian forces coordinated by

1065-707: The Hudson Bay watershed, are regulated by the International Lake Superior Board of Control , which was established in 1914 by the International Joint Commission . Lake Superior's water level was at a new record low in September 2007, slightly less than the previous record low in 1926. Water levels recovered within a few days. Historic high water The lake's water level fluctuates from month to month, with

1136-768: The Pic River , the White River , the Michipicoten River , the Bois Brule River and the Kaministiquia River . The lake's outlet at St. Marys River has a relatively steep gradient with rapids. The Soo Locks enable ships to bypass the rapids and to overcome the 25-foot (8 m) height difference between Lakes Superior and Huron. The lake's average surface elevation is 600 feet (183 m) above sea level . Until approximately 1887,

1207-540: The U.S. Army 's Central Defense Command . During the waterway's usable season from March through November, 90 percent of the United States' iron ore production for domestic use passed through it in 1939, making the waterway critical to maintaining war production. A battalion of infantry, stationed at nearby Fort Brady , provided security beginning just after the outbreak of the European war in September 1939; this

1278-781: The Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve . Storms that claimed multiple ships include the Mataafa Storm in November 1905 and the Great Lakes Storm of 1913 . Wreckage of SS  Cyprus —a 420-foot (130 m) ore carrier that sank on October 11, 1907, during a Lake Superior storm in 77 fathoms (460 ft or 140 m) of water—was located in August 2007. Built in Lorain, Ohio , Cyprus

1349-502: The lake effect snow belts along the shores of the lake, especially in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan . Two recent consecutive winters (2013–2014 and 2014–2015) brought high ice coverage to the Great Lakes, and on March 6, 2014, overall ice coverage peaked at 92.5%, the second-highest in recorded history. Lake Superior's ice coverage further beat 2014's record in 2019, reaching 95% coverage. The largest island in Lake Superior

1420-716: The Canadian lock with a generating capacity of 52 MW . It was completed in 1981. The Edison Sault Power Canal is used to power the Saint Marys Falls Hydropower Plant at its eastern end. The canal separated downtown Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, from its mainland, making it an island. It was begun in September 1898 as the Michigan Lake Superior Power Company Canal, but completed by Edison Sault Electric Company in June 1902. Measured from its headgates to its end at

1491-546: The Canadian shore in 1796 to protect a trading post, and ensure continued British control of the area. The fort fulfilled its role in the War of 1812 . The first modern lock was completed in May 1855 by Erastus Corning 's St. Mary's Falls Ship Canal Company , and was known as the "American Lock". Today, there are four parallel locks on the American side of the river, although only two are in regular use. The Soo Locks became part of

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1562-455: The Hudson's Bay Company name. Many towns around the lake are current or former mining areas, or engaged in processing or shipping. Today, tourism is another significant industry: the sparsely populated Lake Superior country, with its rugged shorelines and wilderness, attracts vacationers and adventurers. Lake Superior has been an important link in the Great Lakes Waterway , providing a route for

1633-612: The Midcontinent Rift, and there are several amethyst mines in the Thunder Bay area. Lava erupted from the rift and formed the black basalt rock of Michipicoten Island, Black Bay Peninsula, and St. Ignace Island . In the most recent geological history, during the Wisconsin glaciation 10,000 years ago, ice covered the region at a thickness of 1.25 miles (2 km). The land contours familiar today were carved by

1704-558: The Ojibwe name as Otchipwe-kitchi-gami (a transliteration of Ojibwe Gichigami ). In the 17th century, the first French explorers approached the great inland sea by way of the Ottawa River and Lake Huron; they referred to their discovery as le lac supérieur (the upper lake, i.e., above Lake Huron). Some 17th-century Jesuit missionaries referred to it as Lac Tracy (for Alexandre de Prouville de Tracy ). After taking control of

1775-720: The SOS, the steamers Wilfred Sykes , Joseph H. Thompson (then the largest ship on the lakes ), D.M. Clemson , D.G. Kerr , William E. Corey , and the Canadian ship Hochelaga , conducted a search for survivors. The Joseph H. Thompson , under the command of Captain Robert F. Leng, found the life raft and six men taking refuge in it. The D.M. Clemson , under the command of Captain Arthur M. Everett, found one life boat. In heavy winds and rough seas, Captain Everett carefully maneuvered

1846-738: The St. Marys River are the Gogomain River , the Munuscong River , the Little Munuscong River , the Charlotte River , and the Waiska River . Before Europeans arrived, Ojibwe (Chippewa) Indigenous Americans fished, traded, and maintained a portage around the rapids of the St. Marys River, which they referred to as Baawitigong , meaning "at the cascading rapids". French explorer Étienne Brûlé

1917-483: The advance and retreat of the ice sheet . The retreat left gravel, sand, clay and boulder deposits. Glacial meltwaters gathered in the Superior basin creating Lake Minong , a precursor to Lake Superior. Without the immense weight of the ice, the land rebounded , and a drainage outlet formed at Sault Ste. Marie, becoming today's St. Mary's River. The first people came to the Lake Superior region 10,000 years ago after

1988-628: The arrival of Europeans, the Anishinaabe made themselves middle-men between the French fur traders and other Native peoples. They soon became the dominant Native American nation in the region: they forced out the Sioux and Fox and won a victory against the Iroquois west of Sault Ste. Marie in 1662. By the mid-18th century, the Ojibwe occupied all of Lake Superior's shores. In the 18th century, as

2059-603: The booming fur trade supplied Europe with beaver hats , the Hudson's Bay Company had a virtual monopoly in the region until 1783, when the rival North West Company was formed. The North West Company built forts on Lake Superior at Grand Portage , Fort William , Nipigon, the Pic River, the Michipicoten River, and Sault Ste. Marie. But by 1821, with competition harming the profits of both, the companies merged under

2130-623: The direct ancestors of the Ojibwe and Cree . The people of the Laurel complex (c. 500 BC to AD 500) developed seine net fishing, evidence being found at rivers around Superior such as the Pic and Michipicoten. The people of the Terminal Woodland period were evident in the area from AD 900 to 1650. They were Algonquian peoples who hunted, fished and gathered berries. They used snowshoes , birch bark canoes and conical or domed lodges. At

2201-516: The end of Whitefish Bay and flowing 74.5 miles (119.9 km) southeast into Lake Huron , with a fall of 23 feet (7.0 m). For its entire length it is an international border, separating Michigan in the United States from Ontario , Canada. The twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario , and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan are connected across the St. Marys River by the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge . The St. Marys Rapids are just below

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2272-535: The highest lake levels in October and November. The normal high-water mark is 1.17 feet (0.36 m) above the datum (601.1 ft or 183.2 m). In the summer of 1985, Lake Superior reached its highest recorded level at 2.33 feet (0.71 m) above the datum. 2019 and 2020 set new high-water records in nearly every month. Historic low water The lake's lowest levels occur in March and April. The normal low-water mark

2343-455: The issue, doors and vents were being forced open by the storm. Conditions were now too treacherous to send crews out on deck. Pumps were started but the flooding continued. Captain Stiglin tried to keep the waves from causing more damage but by morning other hatch covers had worked loose and the ship staggered to make headway. After a few more maneuvers it became all too apparent that the ship

2414-621: The lake appeared to have increased by about 4.5 °F (2.5 °C) between 1979 and 2007, compared with an approximately 2.7 °F (1.5 °C) increase in the surrounding average air temperature. The increase in the lake's surface temperature may be related to the decreasing ice cover. Less winter ice cover allows more solar radiation to penetrate and warm the water. If trends continue, Lake Superior, which freezes over completely once every 20 years, could routinely be ice-free by 2040 although more current data through 2021 does not support this trend. Warmer temperatures could lead to more snow in

2485-587: The lake waters thoroughly mix. This feature makes the lake dimictic . Because of its volume, Lake Superior has a retention time of 191 years. Annual storms on Lake Superior regularly feature wave heights of over 20 feet (6 m). Waves well over 30 feet (9 m) have been recorded. Lake Superior is fed by more than 200 rivers, including the Nipigon River , the St. Louis River , the Pigeon River ,

2556-530: The lake. With 78 crewmembers dead, their sinking marked the largest loss of life on Lake Superior to date. SS  Edmund Fitzgerald is the last ship that sank in Lake Superior, 15 nautical miles (28 km; 17 mi) from Whitefish Point in a storm on November 10, 1975. The wreck was immortalized by Gordon Lightfoot in his ballad "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald " . All 29 crew members died, and no bodies were recovered. Edmund Fitzgerald

2627-703: The most frequently mined. Notable production includes gold from the Hemlo mine near Marathon , copper from the Keweenaw Peninsula and the Mamainse Point Formation , iron from the Gogebic Range , silver at Silver Islet , and uranium at Theano Point. The mountains steadily eroded, depositing layers of sediments that compacted and became limestone , dolomite , taconite and the shale at Kakabeka Falls . The continental crust

2698-585: The mouth of the Michipicoten River, nine layers of encampments have been discovered. Most of the Pukaskwa Pits were likely made during this time. The Anishinaabe people (an ethnic grouping including the Ojibwe/Chippewa ) have inhabited the Lake Superior region for over five hundred years and were preceded by the Dakota , Meskwaki (Fox) , Menominee , Nipigon, Noquet and Gros Ventres . After

2769-405: The mouth of the rapids, which are used to control the outflow of water from Lake Superior. Completed between 1901 and 1921, the works were built to provide greater supply of the rivers flow through the three hydroelectric plants and locks on the river. This flow is controlled by the International Joint Commission . The works consists of 16 sluice gates , half of which are on the American side, and

2840-537: The natural hydraulic conveyance through the St. Marys River rapids determined the outflow from Lake Superior. By 1921, development in support of transportation and hydroelectric power resulted in gates, locks, power canals and other control structures completely spanning St. Marys rapids. The regulating structure is known as the Compensating Works and is operated according to a regulation plan known as Plan 1977-A. Water levels, including diversions of water from

2911-511: The nine-month period of October 1925 to June 1926, water levels ranged from 1.58 feet (0.48 m) to 0.33 feet (0.10 m) below Chart Datum. In the summer of 2007 monthly historic lows were set; August at 0.66 feet (0.20 m), and September at 0.58 feet (0.18 m). According to a study by professors at the University of Minnesota Duluth , Lake Superior may have warmed faster than its surrounding area. Summer surface temperatures in

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2982-1032: The open door, "fully clothed, wearing an orange life jacket, and lying face down in the sediment". In February 2024 it was announced that wreckage from the Arlington was discovered from a sinking in 1940. More than 80 species of fish have been found in Lake Superior. Species native to the lake include banded killifish , bloater , brook trout , burbot , cisco , lake sturgeon , lake trout , lake whitefish , longnose sucker , muskellunge , northern pike , pumpkinseed , rock bass , round whitefish , smallmouth bass , walleye , white sucker and yellow perch . In addition, many fish species have been either intentionally or accidentally introduced to Lake Superior: Atlantic salmon , brown trout , carp , chinook salmon , coho salmon , freshwater drum , pink salmon , rainbow smelt , rainbow trout , round goby , ruffe , sea lamprey and white perch . Lake Superior has fewer dissolved nutrients relative to its water volume than

3053-514: The other Great Lakes and so is less productive in terms of fish populations and is an oligotrophic lake . This is a result of the underdeveloped soils found in its relatively small watershed. It is also a reflection of relatively small human population and small amount of agriculture in its watershed. However, nitrate concentrations in the lake have been continuously rising for more than a century. They are still much lower than levels considered dangerous to human health; but this steady, long-term rise

3124-565: The other Great Lakes began sailing in 1816. Ice closes the lake shipping from mid-January to late March. Exact dates for the shipping season vary each year, depending on weather conditions that form and break the ice. The southern shore of Lake Superior between Grand Marais, Michigan , and Whitefish Point is known as the " Graveyard of the Great Lakes "; more ships have been lost around the Whitefish Point area than any other part of Lake Superior. These shipwrecks are now protected by

3195-452: The other half on the Canadian side of the river. On average, upwards of 93% of the river's flow is diverted by the compensating works to power generation and navigational uses. Because all of the other gates are periodically closed, totally dewatering the rapids, a concrete berm was constructed in 1985 along the north side of the rapids south of Whitefish Island as remedial works to protect fish spawning habitat from lower outflow through

3266-456: The poem The Song of Hiawatha , as did Gordon Lightfoot in his song " The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald ". According to other sources, the full Ojibwe name is ᐅᒋᑉᐧᐁ ᑭᒋᑲᒥ Ojibwe Gichigami ("Ojibwe's Great Sea") or ᐊᓂᐦᔑᓈᐯ ᑭᒋᑲᒥ Anishinaabe Gichigami (" Anishinaabe 's Great Sea"). The 1878 dictionary by Father Frederic Baraga , the first one written for the Ojibway language, gives

3337-516: The power plant, it is 2.25 miles (3.62 km) in length, between 200 and 220 feet (61 and 67 m) wide, and 24 feet (7.3 m) deep. The water runs down the canal at speeds upwards of 7 miles per hour (11 km/h). The American Soo Locks are the major transportation route around the St. Marys Rapids, but the Canadian Sault Ste. Marie Canal is still used by recreational and tour boats. A set of compensating works are located at

3408-544: The rapids due to the operation of the compensation works. The berm begins at Gate #1 of the compensating works so as to retain the ability to provide a dedicated flow over the fish spawning habitat, independent of water supply over the rest of the rapids. The Saint Marys River is listed as a Great Lakes Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada. Lake Superior Lake Superior

3479-564: The region from the French in the 1760s following their defeat in the French and Indian War , the British anglicized the lake's name to Superior , "on account of its being superior in magnitude to any of the lakes on that vast continent". Lake Superior empties into Lake Huron via the St. Marys River and the Soo Locks (Sault Ste. Marie locks). Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in

3550-610: The retreat of the glaciers in the Last Glacial Period . They are known as the Plano , and they used stone-tipped spears to hunt caribou on the northwestern side of Lake Minong. The Shield Archaic peoples arrived around 5000 BC; evidence of this culture can be found at the eastern and western ends of the Canadian shore. They used bows and arrows, paddled dugout canoes, fished, hunted, mined copper for tools and weapons, and established trading networks. They are believed to be

3621-865: The river's exit from Lake Superior and can be bypassed by huge freight ships through the man-made Soo Locks and the Sault Ste. Marie Canal . Two of the Ontario tributaries of this river are the Garden River and the Bar River . Other Canadian tributaries include Fort Creek, the Root River , the Little Carp River, the Big Carp River, the Lower Echo River, Desbarats River, and the Two Tree River. The US tributaries to

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3692-542: The river. Directly to the west is the Sault Ste. Marie International Railroad Bridge , which carries rail traffic on a single set of tracks. The Edison Sault Electric Hydroelectric Plant , located at the eastern end of the Sault Ste. Marie Power Canal which runs between Lake Superior and Lake Huron through the city south of the American locks, is one of the longest hydroelectric plants in the world at 1,340 feet (408 m) in length. The plant consists of 74 three-phase generators capable of generating 25 to 30 megawatts . It

3763-413: The summer (cooler with frequent sea breeze formations) and winter, and creates lake-effect snow in colder months. The hills and mountains that border the lake hold moisture and fog, particularly in the fall. The rocks of Lake Superior's northern shore date back to the early history of the earth. During the Precambrian (between 4.5 billion and 540 million years ago) magma forcing its way to

3834-399: The surface created the intrusive granites of the Canadian Shield . These ancient granites can be seen on the North Shore today. It was during the Penokean orogeny , part of the process that created the Great Lakes tectonic zone , that many valuable metals were deposited. The region surrounding the lake has proved to be rich in minerals, with copper , iron , silver , gold and nickel

3905-443: The tarpaulins may not have been enough to keep the Henry Steinbrenner afloat. The loss of the Steinbrenner solidified the move by Great Lakes vessel operators to retrofit some of their older vessels with watertight single piece hatch covers during rebuilds. Examples of ships that saw this work included the SS L.E. Block , SS Willis B Boyer , and the SS George W. Perkins . Norm Bragg, who survived this wreck in Lake Superior ,

3976-402: The third-lowest spot in the interior of the North American continent after Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada (1,503 ft or 458 m below sea level) and Iliamna Lake in Alaska 942 ft or 287 m. (Though Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and deeper than Lake Superior, Crater Lake's elevation is higher and consequently its deepest point

4047-504: The time but forecasts called for rougher weather later in the day. Leaving despite unfavorable forecasts wasn't rare for captains of this time. Weather reports were less accurate than modern forecasts and most captains and crews had endured several storms during their careers. Later that afternoon the Steinbrenner met with the forecast gale as strong winds and large waves buffeted the vessel. Although he secured his ship's deck, Captain Albert Stiglin did not have his crew place tarpaulins on

4118-403: The transportation of iron ore as well as grain and other mined and manufactured materials. Large cargo vessels called lake freighters , as well as smaller ocean-going freighters , transport these commodities across Lake Superior. Shipping was slow to arrive at Lake Superior in the 19th century. The first steamboat to run on the lake was the Independence in 1847, whereas the first steamers on

4189-422: The twelve leaf-type "Telescoping" hatch covers; since these were not watertight, they allowed some water to seep into the cargo holds. Around 8 pm one of the leaves on the number 11 hatch worked loose and allowed water to pour into the hold. Crew members were dispatched to secure the cover but, as the storm intensified, 80-mile-per-hour (129 km/h) winds and large waves worked the leaf loose again. Complicating

4260-636: The twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan , and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario . Duluth-Superior , at the western end of Lake Superior, is the most inland point on the Saint Lawrence Seaway and the most inland port in the world. Among the scenic places on the lake are Apostle Islands National Lakeshore , Brockway Mountain Drive on the Keweenaw Peninsula , Isle Royale National Park , Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park , Pukaskwa National Park , Lake Superior Provincial Park , Grand Island National Recreation Area, Sleeping Giant (Ontario) and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore . The Great Lakes Circle Tour

4331-434: The west and Michigan and Wisconsin to the south. It drains into Lake Huron via St. Marys River , then through the lower Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence River and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean. The Ojibwe name for the lake is gichi-gami (in syllabics : ᑭᒋᑲᒥ , pronounced gitchi-gami or kitchi-gami in different dialects), meaning "great sea". Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote this name as " Gitche Gumee " in

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4402-535: The world by area and the third largest in volume, behind Lake Baikal in Siberia and Lake Tanganyika in East Africa . The Caspian Sea , while larger than Lake Superior in both surface area and volume, is brackish . Lake Superior has a surface area of 31,700 square miles (82,103 km ), which is approximately the size of South Carolina or Austria . It has a maximum length of 350 statute miles (560  km ; 300  nmi ) and maximum breadth of 160 statute miles (257 km; 139 nmi). Its average depth

4473-502: Was a watchman on board the SS Daniel J. Morrell when it sank in Lake Huron . He helped his crew understand their plight, gave quick advice and said, "It's been good to know you." Her wreck was located in 2023, in 750 feet (230 m) of water. 47°44′38″N 88°45′00″W  /  47.744°N 88.750°W  / 47.744; -88.750 St. Marys River (Michigan-Ontario) The St. Marys River , sometimes written St. Mary's River , drains Lake Superior , starting at

4544-452: Was augmented by five U.S.-staffed radar stations in northern Ontario. By late 1943, with no threat emerging and spare components stockpiled in the event of lock damage, the U.S. forces were cut to 2,500 troops, and the AA and air warning defences were abandoned. In January 1944 the garrison was further reduced to a single military police battalion. The Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, a steel truss arch bridge , takes road traffic across

4615-406: Was battered so intensely by Lake Superior that the 729-foot (222 m) ship split in half; her two pieces lie approximately 170 feet (52 m) apart at a depth of 88 fathoms (530 ft or 160 m). Lightfoot sings that "Superior, they said, never gives up her dead". This is because of the unusually cold water, under 36 °F (2 °C) on average around 1970. Normally, bacteria decaying

4686-438: Was completed in 1902. The hydro plant is faced with stone quarried during the excavation of the Sault Ste. Marie Power Canal. The United States Army Corps of Engineers owns and operates a hydroelectric generating plant directly north of the American locks. Finally, the Francis H. Clergue Generating Station, owned and operated by Brookfield Renewable Energy, Inc., is a hydroelectric generating plant located directly north of

4757-430: Was doomed. Shortly after 7:00 AM on May 11, 1953, an SOS was broadcast. At 7:35 AM, an abandon ship signal was blown on the whistle and the crew mustered at the forward life raft , and the aft lifeboats . As the ship settled in the water, confusion took hold and several men ended up in the water or were injured. The vessel sank quickly 15 nautical miles (28 km; 17 mi) south of Isle Royale Light . Alerted by

4828-419: Was later riven , creating one of the deepest rifts in the world. The lake lies in this long-extinct Mesoproterozoic rift valley , the Midcontinent Rift . Magma was injected between layers of sedimentary rock , forming diabase sills . This hard diabase protects the layers of sedimentary rock below, forming the flat-topped mesas in the Thunder Bay area. Amethyst formed in some of the cavities created by

4899-430: Was launched August 17, 1907, and was lost on her second voyage hauling iron ore from Superior, Wisconsin, to Buffalo, New York , with the sole survivor among her 23 crew being Charles G. Pitz. In 1918 the last warships to sink in the Great Lakes, French minesweepers Inkerman and Cerisoles , vanished in a Lake Superior storm, perhaps upon striking the uncharted danger of the Superior Shoal in an otherwise deep part of

4970-442: Was reduced to a company in mid-1940 and replaced by a military police battalion in May 1941. After Pearl Harbor in December 1941, fear of possible air or paratroop attacks by German forces led to a major expansion of defence measures. Scenarios envisioned included U-boats in Hudson Bay launching attack aircraft, and one-way bombing or paratroop missions along a great circle route from German-occupied Norway. Units deployed included

5041-407: Was the first European to travel up the rapids in about 1621. In 1641 Jesuit priests Isaac Jogues and Charles Raymbault ventured the same route as Brûlé, finding many Ojibwe at the rapids, and named it Sault Ste. Marie. Sault (Middle and early Modern French spelling of saut ) means "jump"; hence, the secondary meaning " rapids " because the water 'jumps.' Fort St. Joseph was built on

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