The Lake Erie Black Friday Storm

The name "Black Friday" was given to the date of October 20, 1916, after a violent storm sank ships and ended 51 lives on Lake Erie. The whaleback James B. Colgate , the lumber hooker Marshal Butters , the steamer Merida , and the barge D.L. Filer were all lost in a convergence of storms that created Lake Eire's "Perfect Storm". We'll tell you the story of the storm and the shipwrecks. We'll share the tale of two captains who were the sole survivors of their lost ships. And, we'll share Georgann's original, moving poem, A Captain's Lament .