New Orleans
Rebuilt sidewheel passenger steamer, 1844–1849
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.
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 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 records Vermillion built at Detroit by B.F. Goodsell in 1838, 151 ft long, burned in 1842 and rebuilt in 1844 with about 30 ft added. NOAA.
- The published vessel history gives rebuilt dimensions 185 ft 4 in × 26 ft 8 in × 12 ft 10 in, 610 GRT and three decks, with a Buffalo Steam Engine Works crosshead engine. Three decks is not interpreted as three full-height exterior cabin tiers. PS New Orleans.
- The foreground vessel in the 1846 sketch has a forward mast, low cabin, open foredeck and promenade, sheer and side wheels. 1846 sketch, unknown artist, Alpena collection via Commons.
- New Orleans grounded in fog on the reef between North Point and Sugar Island on June 13–14, 1849. All aboard were saved. NOAA describes about 130 ft of surviving hull in 15 ft of water. NOAA.
Inferred
- Two dark tubular forms can be read in the foreground steamer’s 1846 sketch, but the reproduction and smoke make their arrangement uncertain. Paired funnels are retained as an interpretation also consistent with the later McGreevy reconstruction; the painting is not a period portrait.
- Paddle diameter, fan-shaped box dimensions, guards, railings, cabin windows and small steering shelter are estimated. No exposed walking beam or screw propulsion is added.
Configuration caveat. The enlarged 1844–1849 sidewheeler, rebuilt from Vermillion of 1838. The 1846 sketch guides the low cabin, open foredeck, sheer and guards. Two funnels and their spacing remain an interpretation; no walking beam is shown because the recorded engine was a crosshead type.
Two numbers that are not the same thing. The waterline toggle sits at 2.40 m above the keel, a display assumption, not a measured draft. The wreck lies in about 13 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
Rebuilt sidewheel passenger steamer, 1844–1849. The 1838 build belongs to the earlier Vermillion; it is not the date of the enlarged vessel shown. The 1846 sketch guides the low cabin tier, open foredeck, pronounced sheer and projecting paddle-wheel guards.
Documented evidence
NOAA records Vermillion built at Detroit by B.F. Goodsell in 1838, 151 ft long, burned in 1842 and rebuilt in 1844 with about 30 ft added. NOAA.
The published vessel history gives rebuilt dimensions 185 ft 4 in × 26 ft 8 in × 12 ft 10 in, 610 GRT and three decks, with a Buffalo Steam Engine Works crosshead engine. Three decks is not interpreted as three full-height exterior cabin tiers. PS New Orleans.
The foreground vessel in the 1846 sketch has a forward mast, low cabin, open foredeck and promenade, sheer and side wheels. 1846 sketch, unknown artist, Alpena collection via Commons.
New Orleans grounded in fog on the reef between North Point and Sugar Island on June 13–14, 1849. All aboard were saved. NOAA describes about 130 ft of surviving hull in 15 ft of water. NOAA.
Reasonable interpretation
Paddle diameter, fan-shaped box dimensions, guards, railings, cabin windows and small steering shelter are estimated. No exposed walking beam or screw propulsion is added.
Unresolved uncertainties
The 1846 sketch is a pictorial view, not a measured builder’s plan. Funnel spacing and hidden machinery are not established.
NOAA’s 130 ft figure describes surviving wreck structure, not original hull length. Wreck depth differs: 13 ft in the preserve catalogue versus 15 ft in NOAA.
Exact pigments, underwater form and loaded draft are unknown; depth of hold is not draft.
Sources
- NOAA vessel record and later interpretive artwork
- 1846 sketch and attribution
- Alpena catalogue record
- PS New Orleans dimensions and machinery
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).