Emily Chan
For over 80 years, the S.S. Arlington has been resting 600 feet below the surface of Lake Superior. Recently, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society announced that they located the wreck about 35 miles off the coast of Michigan.
Much speculation surrounds the sinking of the ship, particularly about why the captain decided to go down with the boat when he had the opportunity to be rescued. Unfortunately, the remains of the wreckage provide little information about the captain’s last moments.
On the morning of May 1, 1940, the S.S. Arlington sailed into a dense fog that began to give way to a fierce storm. Instead of steering the vessel closer to shore, the ship’s captain, Frederick Burke, ordered his crew to stay on their course.
When the 244-foot bulk carrier started to sink, Burke offered no direction. Fearing for their lives, the crew abandoned the ship and made it to safety.
A large freighter called the Collingwood rescued all 16 crew members. However, Burke remained on the Arlington.
Reports of the event indicate that he was near the pilothouse of the ship. Just before he and the vessel went under, he raised his hand and waved at the Collingwood.
After the rescue, chief engineer Fred Gilbert told a Canadian newspaper that Burke had refused to leave the sinking ship. He also cited the “rule of the sea,” which states that a captain must stay with his ship.
Over the past decade, a researcher named Dan Fountain has been using remote-sensing data to detect shipwrecks in Lake Superior.
Several years ago, he came across an anomaly at the site and reached out to the historical shipwreck society.
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