SS Carl D. Bradley
Launched in 1927, the Carl Bradley, "The Queen of the Lakes", served as an icebreaker as well as a freighter. It was used to haul limestone from Lake Superior and Lake Huron to Lake Michigan’s deepwater ports. Between 1927 and 1949, the 639-foot SS Carl D. Bradley was the largest and longest self-unloading freighter of its era, a engineering marvel.
In 1957, the Carl Bradley collided with another ship, the MV White Rose, on the St. Clair River, resulting in damage to the hull. This structural damage is said to have contributed to the disaster that befell the ship and its crew in 1958. On the evening of November 18, the Carl Bradley was returning from a delivery in Gary, Indiana, heading north in upper Lake Michigan, when a massive gale-force storm hit. With winds reaching up to 65 miles per hour, and waves up to 20 feet tall, the storm battered the massive freighter until around 5:30 p.m., when the hull began cracking in two.
Despite three radio calls of Mayday, the Carl Bradley went down before a rescue attempt could be mounted. The wreck was a devastating blow to Rogers City, a busy port town on Lake Huron, just 67 miles northeast of Gaylord. Of the 35 men on board, only 2 survived the Bradley’s wreck and 23 of them were from Roger City, a town of about 4,000 at the time.
In 1957, the Carl Bradley collided with another ship, the MV White Rose, on the St. Clair River, resulting in damage to the hull. This structural damage is said to have contributed to the disaster that befell the ship and its crew in 1958. On the evening of November 18, the Carl Bradley was returning from a delivery in Gary, Indiana, heading north in upper Lake Michigan, when a massive gale-force storm hit. With winds reaching up to 65 miles per hour, and waves up to 20 feet tall, the storm battered the massive freighter until around 5:30 p.m., when the hull began cracking in two.
Despite three radio calls of Mayday, the Carl Bradley went down before a rescue attempt could be mounted. The wreck was a devastating blow to Rogers City, a busy port town on Lake Huron, just 67 miles northeast of Gaylord. Of the 35 men on board, only 2 survived the Bradley’s wreck and 23 of them were from Roger City, a town of about 4,000 at the time.
Edward N. Vallee
Conveyorman
Conveyorman
Leo M. Promo Jr.
Asst. Conveyorman
Asst. Conveyorman
Raymond J. Kowalski
Wheelsman
Wheelsman
Joseph Krawczak
Wheelsman
Wheelsman
Earl P. Tulgetske Jr.
Wheelsman
Wheelsman
Alva H. Budnick
Watchman
Watchman
Paul Greengtski
Watchman
Watchman
Melville W. Orr
Watchman
Watchman
Richard J. Book
Deckwatch
Deckwatch
Gary L. Strzelecki
Deckwatch
Deckwatch
Duane Berg
Deckhand
Deckhand
Dennis B. Meredith
Deckhand
Deckhand
Roland O. Bryan
Captain
Captain
John. F. Fogelsonger
2nd Mate
2nd Mate
Carl R. Bartell
3rd Mate
3rd Mate
Gary N. Prince
Deckhand
Deckhand
Raymond G. Buehler
Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
John L. Bauers
1st Asst. Engineer
1st Asst. Engineer
Alfred F. Boehmer
2nd Asst. Engineer
2nd Asst. Engineer
Keith H. Schuler
3rd Asst. Engineer
3rd Asst. Engineer
William T. Elliot
Repairman
Repairman
Cleland E. Gager
Oiler
Oiler
Paul R. Horn
Oiler
Oiler
Floyd A. MacDougall
Oiler
Oiler
Clyde M. Enos
Stokerman
Stokerman
Erhardt O. Felax
Stokerman
Stokerman
Paul C. Heller
Stokerman
Stokerman
Dennis M. Joppich
Wiper
Wiper
John Zoho
Steward
Steward
Alfred G. Pilarski
Second Cook
Second Cook
Douglas R Bellmore
Porter
Porter
James L. Selke
Porter
Porter
Bernard J. Schefke
Porter
Porter