The Edmund Fitzgerald was carrying a load of taconite iron ore pellets when it sank.

Quick answer

  • The freighter’s cargo on its final voyage was taconite pellets , which are small, processed iron ore balls used in steelmaking.
  • It had been specifically designed and regularly used to haul taconite iron ore from Minnesota’s Iron Range to Great Lakes steel mills.

A bit more context

  • On November 9–10, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald was en route from Superior, Wisconsin, toward steelmaking facilities when it went down in a severe Lake Superior storm, taking all 29 crew members and its taconite cargo with it.
  • Throughout its career, the ship routinely moved massive quantities of taconite, setting seasonal and single‑trip cargo records on the Great Lakes.

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