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Eerie underwater video shows ship that went down with its captain in Lake Superior in 1940: A “mysterious story”
On April 30, 1940, a merchant ship under the command of Captain Frederick “Tatey Bug” Burke sank during a fierce storm in Lake Superior. The crew made it safely to a rescue boat — except for Burke, who went down with his ship.
Now, 84 years later, haunting video shows the recently found wreckage of the doomed ship.
On Monday, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) announced the discovery of the 244-foot bulk carrier Arlington in over 600 feet of water about 35 miles off Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The vessel was located by shipwreck researcher Dan Fountain.
Last year, Fountain teamed up with GLSHS experts and a crew used a side-scan sonar to determine that the anomaly Fountain had spotted was in fact a shipwreck. Later dives by a remotely operated vehicle confirmed the submerged vessel was the Arlington.
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society posted eerie video of the shipwreck, showing the vessel’s remains, including its wheel and dislodged smokestack.
“Ok, I’m coming up on something,” a voice can be heard as the video slowly closes in on the vessel. “Boy, this is a mess.”
Barely visible on the side of the vessel are the letters of the ship’s name: ARLINGTON.
The ROV also captured images of the ship’s toilet bowl, rudder stock and steam mooring winch.
“These targets don’t always amount to anything…but this time it absolutely was a shipwreck. A wreck with an interesting, and perhaps mysterious story,” said Bruce Lynn, executive director of the GLSHS.
Captain’s behavior remains an enigma
Questions still linger over why Captain Burke, an experienced mariner who knew the Great Lakes well, went down with the Arlington rather than be rescued with the rest of his crew.
According to the Shipwreck Historical Society, Burke was guiding the Arlington to Owen Sound, Ontario, on April 30, 1940, when a powerful storm battered the ship as well as a nearby freighter called the Collingwood.
“The Arlington’s first mate, Junis Macksey, ordered a course to hug the Canadian North Shore, which would have provided some cover from wind and waves, but Captain Burke countermanded the order…and ordered his ship back on its course across the open lake,” the shipwreck society said.
Hours later, at about 4:30 a.m. local time on May 1, the Arlington started to sink and the crew began to abandon ship, seeking refuge on the Collingwood.
Except for Captain Burke, who stayed with his ship. According to the shipwreck society, Burke was reportedly near the pilothouse of his ship and even waved at the Collingwood minutes before his ship plunged 650 feet to the bottom of Lake Superior.
“Why did he go down with his ship…when he easily could have been saved like the rest of his crew? The fact is no one will ever know the answer,” the society wrote.
As for Dan Fountain, the man who initially discovered the Arlington’s location, he says he is just gratified to be able to find the long-lost vessel
“It’s exciting to solve just one more of Lake Superior’s many mysteries,” he said. “I hope this final chapter in her story can provide some measure of closure to the family of Captain Burke.”
Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society
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Kamala Harris will speak with “60 Minutes” tomorrow. Here’s what to know for the interview.
Voters will get the chance to hear from Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday as she presents her case for why she should be president in a “60 Minutes” election special.
For decades, “60 Minutes” has featured both Republican and Democratic nominees for presidents, but this year, former President Donald Trump backed out after previously indicating he would be on the show. Correspondent Scott Pelley, who’d been set to interview Trump, will instead travel to Arizona’s Maricopa County, home to more than 60% of Arizona’s voters and a critical battleground in a key swing state.
One thing is certain about the election; with the U.S. deeply involved in both the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, whoever wins on Nov. 5 will become a wartime president.
What Harris will discuss
Israel’s war started one year ago after Hamas launched a surprise terror attack and correspondent Bill Whitaker will discuss the ongoing war with Harris.
Harris will also discuss the economy, immigration, her record as vice president and the differences between herself and Trump.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz will also appear.
Whitaker joined the Democratic ticket on the campaign trail this week to gain insight into their platform’s priorities and values, and what the candidates believe voters should know.
Why Trump pulled out of the “60 Minutes” interview
Leading up to the candidate hour, Trump, through campaign spokespeople, was the first candidate to accept the “60 Minutes” request to be interviewed for the special, according to CBS News. It had been agreed that both candidates would receive equal time during the broadcast.
Trump last sat down with 60 Minutes in 2020. He walked out during the interview with Lesley Stahl. Trump referenced the incident on Tuesday night at a Milwaukee press conference when asked about his decision not to participate in the Oct. 7 “60 Minutes” election special.
“Well, right now, I went to – they came to me and would like me to do an interview, but first I want to get an apology, because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer,” Trump said. “They said the ‘laptop from hell’ was from Russia, and I said it wasn’t from Russia. It was from Hunter, and I never got an apology, so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes.’ I do everything.”
The Republican nominee for president emphasized that he felt he was owed an apology from “60 Minutes.”
“Let’s see if they do it. I wouldn’t mind doing 60,” Trump continued. “I’ve done ’60 Minutes’ a lot.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said that Trump’s team had not agreed to an interview.
“Fake News,” Cheung said in a post on X. “60 Minutes begged for an interview, even after they were caught lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop back in 2020. There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in. They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented.”
Previous Trump, Harris appearances on 60 Minutes
Trump previously sat down with “60 Minutes'” Mike Wallace in 1985, Pelley in 2015 and Lesley Stahl twice in 2016, first in July of that year and then again in November of 2016. He also spoke with Stahl again in 2018 and 2020.
Harris previously sat down with Whitaker last year. She also was interviewed by Norah O’Donnell, “CBS Evening News” anchor and “60 Minutes” contributing correspondent, in 2020.
How to watch the “60 Minutes” election special
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