Oscar T. Flint
Photograph-guided two-deck 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 steam barge built in 1889, 218×37 ft. NOAA vessel record
- Anchors and windlass at the wreck were reportedly relocated from Lucinda Van Valkenburg. NOAA vessel record
Inferred
- Underwater hull lines and draft
- Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Configuration caveat. The named historical photograph guides a tall foremast, short aft mast, forward bridge and aft funnel. It is catalogued before conversion to one deck; the selected career form is not asserted for 1909. Anchors at today’s wreck were reportedly moved from another ship.
Two numbers that are not the same thing. The waterline toggle sits at 3.80 m above the keel, a display assumption, not a measured draft. The wreck lies in about 32 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
Photograph-guided two-deck career form. The named historical photograph guides a tall foremast, short aft mast, forward bridge and aft funnel. It is catalogued before conversion to one deck; the selected career form is not asserted for 1909. Anchors at today’s wreck were reportedly moved from another ship.
Documented evidence
NOAA identifies a wooden steam barge built in 1889, 218×37 ft. NOAA vessel record
Anchors and windlass at the wreck were reportedly relocated from Lucinda Van Valkenburg. NOAA vessel record
Reasonable interpretation
Underwater hull lines and draft
Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Visual evidence and comparisons. The inspected historical image shows the name OSCAR T. FLINT, high forward mast and wheelhouse, a lower aft mast, aft cabins and one funnel, along with external hull braces. The Commons catalogue describes it as preceding a conversion to one deck. That photographed two-deck career form is selected; no precise refit date is necessary to assert its visible features.
Visible qualification. The named historical photograph guides a tall foremast, short aft mast, forward bridge and aft funnel. It is catalogued before conversion to one deck; the selected career form is not asserted for 1909. Anchors at today’s wreck were reportedly moved from another ship.
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 gives a wooden steam barge built in 1889, 218 × 37 ft, lost in 1909 with limestone and salt. The surviving wreck preserves much of the hull but has lost its bow. NOAA warns that the anchors and windlass now at the wreck were reportedly brought from Lucinda Van Valkenburg.
Reasonable interpretations and unresolved details. Hull strakes, external braces, fore/aft accommodation and unequal masts follow the visible silhouette with inferred spacing. Hatches, boats, windows, propeller details and underwater lines are authored approximations. The model’s period anchors are comparisons, not copied from the relocated wreck artifacts. The display is not labelled as the final 1909 arrangement.
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
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).