"Shale Scow"
Working cargo-scow interpretation, before 1903
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.
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
- The preserve identifies a 100 ft scow lost at the Elk Rapids Cement Company dock in 1903. Grand Traverse preserve vessel description
Inferred
- Underwater hull lines and draft
- Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Configuration caveat. The preserve identifies a 100 ft scow associated with the cement dock. A simple flat-bottom cargo lighter is a type-based reconstruction. Beam, side height, cargo containment and deck arrangement are inferred; no crane, hopper doors or propulsion is asserted. Shale load is illustrative.
Two numbers that are not the same thing. The waterline toggle sits at 1.35 m above the keel, a display assumption, not a measured draft. The wreck lies in about 12 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
Working cargo-scow interpretation, before 1903. The preserve identifies a 100 ft scow associated with the cement dock. A simple flat-bottom cargo lighter is a type-based reconstruction. Beam, side height, cargo containment and deck arrangement are inferred; no crane, hopper doors or propulsion is asserted. Shale load is illustrative.
Documented evidence
The preserve identifies a 100 ft scow lost at the Elk Rapids Cement Company dock in 1903. Grand Traverse preserve vessel description
Reasonable interpretation
Underwater hull lines and draft
Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
The preserve identifies a 100 ft scow lost at the Elk Rapids Cement Company dock in 1903. The Albatross research describes regional use of unpowered scows towed by tugs. That establishes a local operating tradition, not the Shale Scow’s exact construction or cargo handling system.
A minimal flat-bottom, blunt-ended wooden lighter is used as a defensible scow type. The 24 ft beam, 2.1 m model deck height, covered low cargo openings, bitts and loose shale are inferred. The model omits specialized unloading machinery, a cabin, sails and propulsion because none is supported. Cargo can be hidden. This is a type-based likeness with lower appearance confidence than a photo-guided model.
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.
No original plan, intact deck survey or verified photograph was found. Exact end rake, hold design, side height, loading method and timber construction remain uncertain. The reconstruction must retain its type-based label. A future survey could materially revise it.
Sources
Illustration conditions
a passing rain shower, soft gray daylight, wet timber and restrained choppy waves. 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).