E.B. Allen
Two-masted canaller, 1864–1871
An interpretive 3D reconstruction of the vessel afloat, in the form named above and from before its loss in Thunder Bay. It is informed by the historical record set out under History below, where the documented evidence and the interpretation are kept apart; rigging, colours and fittings are partly inferred. It is not a survey of the wreck.
Nobody knows the exact spot where this ship went down, so the marker shows the general area.
Starboard bow · complete vessel · drag to rotate, scroll or pinch to zoom, right-drag to pan. Hiding the sails shows the deck; it does not recreate the wreck.
What the model represents
From the model specification. Two lists, kept apart on purpose.
Documented
- NOAA identifies a two-masted wooden schooner built by H.C. Piersons at Ogdensburg in 1864, with 134 ft wreck length and 26 ft beam; it sank after collision with Newsboy on November 20, 1871. NOAA.
- Zant, Thomsen and Kiefer document straight sides, flat bottom, sharp bilges, plumb bow, centerboard, lifting bowsprit, split forecastle and hinged L-shaped catheads. Their report compares Walter B. Allen, built by the same shipwright, and Figure 31 guides surviving stations. Sailing Canallers: A Great Lakes Regional Context, Technical Report 17-003, pp.39–40.
- In 1868 E.B.Allen collided with Persian off Presque Isle, sinking that schooner with all hands. NOAA historical overview.
Inferred
- The replacement flat transom is raked about 24 degrees, following canaller comparisons; E.B.Allen’s original stern is missing.
- Low aft cabin with three small lights per side, companionway, wheel and binnacle are period interpretations. Four display sails, topmasts, rigging, boat and fittings are not a recovered complete sail plan.
Configuration caveat. Two-masted canaller, 1864–1871. Archaeology guides the hull and canal fittings; the missing flat raked transom, low cabin, steering gear and rig are comparisons with related canallers. No period portrait is known; hold depth and exact upper works remain unresolved.
Two numbers that are not the same thing. The waterline toggle sits at 2.55 m above the keel, a display assumption, not a measured draft. The wreck lies in about 100 ft of water; that describes the site, not the ship.
Renders from the model
History, evidence and limits
The research notes behind the reconstruction, reproduced with their citations.
Version 1.1. Revised September 8, 2026.
Selected appearance
Two-masted canaller, 1864–1871. Archaeology constrains the surviving hull and specialized canal fittings; the missing stern, aft cabin and rig are interpreted from related canallers.
Documented evidence
NOAA identifies a two-masted wooden schooner built by H.C. Piersons at Ogdensburg in 1864, with 134 ft wreck length and 26 ft beam; it sank after collision with Newsboy on November 20, 1871. NOAA.
Zant, Thomsen and Kiefer document straight sides, flat bottom, sharp bilges, plumb bow, centerboard, lifting bowsprit, split forecastle and hinged L-shaped catheads. Their report compares Walter B. Allen, built by the same shipwright, and Figure 31 guides surviving stations. Sailing Canallers: A Great Lakes Regional Context, Technical Report 17-003, pp.39–40.
In 1868 E.B.Allen collided with Persian off Presque Isle, sinking that schooner with all hands. NOAA historical overview.
Reasonable interpretation
The replacement flat transom is raked about 24 degrees, following canaller comparisons; E.B.Allen’s original stern is missing.
Low aft cabin with three small lights per side, companionway, wheel and binnacle are period interpretations. Four display sails, topmasts, rigging, boat and fittings are not a recovered complete sail plan.
Unresolved uncertainties
No known period portrait of E.B.Allen was identified. Hold depth remains unknown; loaded waterline and concealed hull are inferred.
NOAA’s vessel page says final cargo corn; its historical overview says wheat. No visible cargo selects either account.
The archaeology supports the surviving hull, not an intact observed upper works. Colors and cabin measurements remain uncertain.
Sources
Illustration conditions
Supplemental AI artwork is made from the revised model render where the model changed; the provenance records the actual input files. Lake, shore, sky and weather are artistic staging, not evidence of a final voyage or a measured location. The actual GLB and its direct renders are the geometry reference.
Sources used for the model
Rights and respect
Removing or disturbing wreckage on Great Lakes bottomlands is a felony under Michigan Part 761, 1994 PA 451, at a fair market value of $100 or more. Positions are historical reference only — not navigation and not dive-planning data. Wreck records are published by the Michigan Underwater Preserve Council.
Treat these as graves. Lives were lost on many Great Lakes wrecks and human remains may still be present. Look, photograph, and leave everything exactly as you found it.
Model and renders were newly made for this project (2026). Three.js r160.1 is used under the MIT licence; its notice ships with the vendored files. Wreck position, depth and dates: Michigan Underwater Preserve Council. The model specification (version 1.1, revised 2026-09-08) is published beside the assets (model-spec.json).