Metropolis - Deep
Two-mast schooner interpretation, before 1886
An interpretive 3D reconstruction of the vessel afloat, in the form named above and from before its loss in East Grand Traverse 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.
This ship ran aground along this shore. Nobody knows the exact spot, 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
- The survey identifies the 1857 wooden schooner built by Peck and Masters at Cleveland, 126×28×11 ft. NMC archaeological survey of Metropolis, 2009
- A mast step and keel structure survive; the deep and shallow sites are parts of one vessel. NMC archaeological survey of Metropolis, 2009
Inferred
- Underwater hull lines and draft
- Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
- Absolute spar heights and sail shapes
Configuration caveat. The survey and vessel records establish dimensions, schooner rig and surviving stern structure. Above-deck form is inferred with A.J. Rogers as a close regional and period comparison. Exact cabin, spars and sails are unknown. This one original vessel serves both the Deep and Shallow wreck markers.
Two numbers that are not the same thing. The waterline toggle sits at 2.75 m above the keel, a display assumption, not a measured draft. The wreck lies in about 120 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. Metadata and presentation revised September 8, 2026; original evidence review retained.
Selected appearance
Two-mast schooner interpretation, before 1886. The survey and vessel records establish dimensions, schooner rig and surviving stern structure. Above-deck form is inferred with A.J. Rogers as a close regional and period comparison. Exact cabin, spars and sails are unknown. This one original vessel serves both the Deep and Shallow wreck markers.
Documented evidence
The survey identifies the 1857 wooden schooner built by Peck and Masters at Cleveland, 126×28×11 ft. NMC archaeological survey of Metropolis, 2009
A mast step and keel structure survive; the deep and shallow sites are parts of one vessel. NMC archaeological survey of Metropolis, 2009
Reasonable interpretation
Underwater hull lines and draft
Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Absolute spar heights and sail shapes
The 2009 survey and vessel record give the two-mast wooden schooner built by Peck & Masters at Cleveland in 1857: 126 × 28 × 11 ft. The report records a surviving mast step and keel structure and describes the 1886 loss. Its shallow survey covers only surviving wreck material, not an original lines plan. The Deep and Shallow entries represent two parts of the same vessel.
A.J. Rogers is a close regional two-mast merchant-schooner comparison built only five years later, with broadly comparable hull dimensions. Its photographed arrangement supports the selected low aft cabin, gaff rig and bowsprit as inferences about Metropolis. No claim is made that the vessels were sisters. Metropolis uses its own wider recorded beam and shorter length; exact spars, sail cut and deck arrangement remain conjectural.
No complete original lines plan was recovered. Exact colors, underwater lines, loaded draft and hidden fittings are inferred. The model is newly authored exterior geometry; it is not a scan of a historical object.
Unresolved uncertainties
No complete original lines plan is claimed. Exact loaded draft, concealed surfaces and fine fittings remain interpreted. The earlier research context below retains the source distinctions used for this reconstruction.
Neither original vessel identity nor number of wreck sites is in doubt here; the uncertainty is the reconstructed upper works and detailed lines. Keep both canonical locations and route associations while reusing the one package. Do not create or count a second original ship.
Sources
- NMC archaeological survey of Metropolis, 2009
- Historical record compilation
- Period comparison: A.J. Rogers historical view
Illustration conditions
cold overcast November daylight with a few drifting snow flurries, moderate waves; no wrecking scene. Weather, shore and sky are artistic staging, not evidence of final-voyage conditions. AI artwork is supplemental and may differ from the GLB; map previews must use the actual model poster.
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).