Robert Matthew Vaughn Interview

January 16, 2001

This is an interview which was conducted on January 16, 2001 with Matthew Vaughn,  Movie Special Effects Animator (NOT affiliated with the upcoming Edmund Fitzgerald movie) and researcher of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald.  Here are a few words about Matthew, then the questions asked, and Mr. Vaughn's answers.
     Robert M. Vaughn was born in Pontiac, Michigan and is 33 years old.  He works for the Movie Industry as a Special Effects Animator.  Some of the projects he has done include: The Grinch, Charlie's Angles, Cast Away, Traffic, Me, Myself, and Irene, Nurse Betty and many others.  His title to those in Great Lakes history is Research Specialist of the Edmund Fitzgerald and has studied the Fitzgerald history for 20 some years now and been involved with many, many people involved with her history.
     

Question: Why are you interested in the Edmund Fitzgerald?
Answer: I was fascinated by its huge size and also it's a large part of Michigan history, it was a major record breaker of the Great Lakes shipping.
     
Question: Had you ever heard of the Edmund Fitzgerald before it sank?
Answer: Yes, I have photos of me on the ship as a child, my father worked for J.L. Hudson company and they were the ones that furnished many of the state rooms.
     
Question: What is your theory on what happened that night?
Answer: Well to put it all in a nut shell, the Fitz got caught between two large waves, she was weak from running a ground hours before and had been sinking very slow after that, then after the large waves hit, she split apart and dropped to the bottom like a rock.
     
Question: What is the goal of the Great Shipwrecks Museum?
Answer: To preserve the maritime history of the great lakes and to pass it onto the next generation.
     
Question: Do we need to learn more about the Fitz. or should we accept the fact that we'll never know why it sank and leave it alone?
Answer: I feel that we need to remember that 29 fine men lost there lives on that tragic night on November 10, 1975, and we need to respect that and therefore let them rest in peace. Cherish her memories of glory days and give her and her crew a moments silence and quiet prayer on the anniversary of her demise.
     
Question: Have you met any of the family members and/or Gordon Lightfoot?
Answer: Yes, many of them, and also Mr. Lightfoot at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in 1995 during the bell memorial.
     
Question: Do you think the wreck could have been caused due to lack of proper maintenance?
Answer: No, maybe a bit of "bad luck," very bad weather, and some minor human errors.
     
Question: Was the crew ready for an emergency and did they know what was happening?
Answer: No. I think the crew, well experienced, was used to many early winter storms and had no clue of there tragic fate.
     
Question: Is the wreck becoming too commercial?
Answer: No, not until it becomes a child's toy at Wal-Mart; stories like this need to be brought to the publics attention to give the hero's of the sinking a lasting memory.
     
Question: What books/info resources would you recommend to a person studying the wreck?
Answer: There are many good ones out. One of my favorites is "Gales Of November."
     
Question: Do you think the U.S. Coast Guard should investigate the wreck further?
Answer: No, they have done a very good job and we should keep the case closed.
     
Question: Do you think the legend of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald will ever die? Why or Why Not?
Answer: I don't think it will. The ship was a masterpiece of its day, a proud example of man's transportation on the Great Lakes; a record setter and breaker, and because of its sudden and unexplainable end, it will last forever in folk tale.
     
Question: Should the wreck site be left alone or should there be more expeditions to the lake bottom?
Answer: It's a grave site, not a public playground for divers or thrill seekers.  No more disruptions!
     
Question: Are you related to any one who ever sailed on the Edmund Fitzgerald?
Answer: No, but I have many friends that are related or work for the shipping industry.
     
Question: With all of today's technology, do you think this 25-year-old shipwreck is still a mystery?
Answer: Yes, because no one has the answers to why this happened or what could have, if anything, prevented it.
     
Question: How are you affiliated with the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum?
Answer: I'm a research specialist on The Fitzgerald and her history, personal friends with Tom Farnquist and many others in the Michigan shipping world.
     
Question: Should artifacts from the wreck site be raised from the lake bottom?
Answer: It's a grave site, not a public play ground for divers or thrill seekers. No more disruptions! As I said before.
     
Question: What are your feelings on Gordon Lightfoot's song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald?"
Answer: It's a kind reminder of a tragic end to part of Michigan's finest men and machine.