Monohansett
Photographed two-funnel career form
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 a part shows what sat beneath it; it does not recreate the wreck.
What the model represents
From the model specification. Two lists, kept apart on purpose.
Documented
- NOAA identifies a wooden screw vessel built in 1872 and lost in 1907. NOAA vessel record
Inferred
- Underwater hull lines and draft
- Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Configuration caveat. This depicts the photographed two-mast, two-funnel configuration. A later coal-carrier image is described with one mast and one funnel. The original dimensions come from archaeological research; this is not the final voyage configuration.
Two numbers that are not the same thing. The waterline toggle sits at 2.80 m above the keel, a display assumption, not a measured draft. The wreck lies in about 18 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
Photographed two-funnel career form. This depicts the photographed two-mast, two-funnel configuration. A later coal-carrier image is described with one mast and one funnel. The original dimensions come from archaeological research; this is not the final voyage configuration.
Documented evidence
NOAA identifies a wooden screw vessel built in 1872 and lost in 1907. NOAA vessel record
Reasonable interpretation
Underwater hull lines and draft
Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Visual evidence and comparisons. The inspected historic Monohansett image shows a raised forward wheelhouse, two masts, two parallel funnels and an aft enginehouse. ECU describes a later form with the mainmast removed and one funnel, so the photographed two-funnel career stage is selected explicitly. The Atlantic sidewheel passenger steamer with the same name is excluded.
Visible qualification. This depicts the photographed two-mast, two-funnel configuration. A later coal-carrier image is described with one mast and one funnel. The original dimensions come from archaeological research; this is not the final voyage configuration.
Sources and use.
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.
Evidence assessment: build a qualified interpretation. The evidence and comparisons below support a credible overall likeness. This is not an exact or authenticated as-built replica.
Documented baseline and source differences. NOAA identifies the 1872 wooden screw vessel lost in 1907. The ECU report gives original length 164.8 ft and beam 31.9 ft. Its narrative gives hold depth 9.4 ft, while its table lists 9.3 ft; this small discrepancy is retained here. This package uses the report’s original-vessel scale rather than NOAA’s rounded 160 × 30 ft wreck catalogue figure or the tracker’s 165 ft.
Reasonable interpretations and unresolved details. The model selects the earlier twin-funnel and two-mast appearance with no deployed sails. The precise photo date and relationship to every refit remain uncertain. Hatch count, funnel spacing, small yawl, deck fittings, glazing and concealed hull body are approximations. The report cautions that two visible stacks do not settle the boiler inventory; the model does not claim two internal boilers. No late coal-carrier loss-day authenticity is implied.
Sources
Illustration conditions
Lake, shoreline, lighting and weather are artistic staging, not evidence of a specific historical voyage. AI artwork is supplemental; the GLB and direct renders establish the delivered geometry.
Sources used for the model
- NOAA vessel record — source
Identity, dimensions, history and surviving evidence - ECU Monohansett archaeological report — source
Read historical text, printed pp. 30–35: dimensions, changing rig and funnel count, and fore/aft deckhouse arrangement. PDF image rendering/download was unavailable; photographs were separately inspected on Commons. - Historical Monohansett photograph — source
Inspected two masts, twin funnels, forward wheelhouse and aft machinery house. This is an earlier career form, not the reduced late coal-carrier form.
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).