Vienna
Photographed three-mast career, before 1890
An interpretive 3D reconstruction of the vessel afloat, in the form named above and from before its loss in Whitefish 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
- Wooden freighter built by Quayle and Martin at Cleveland in 1873, US25875. Great Lakes Vessel History: Vienna
- Original dimensions 191.4×33.8×14.1 ft; a second deck was added in 1876 and length remeasured at 194.4 ft in 1886. Great Lakes Vessel History: Vienna
Inferred
- Underwater hull lines and draft
- Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Configuration caveat. The photograph guides three masts, the forward pilothouse and single aft funnel. Records describe a later two-mast rig; this is an earlier career form. Original 191.4 ft dimensions are selected; an 1886 record gives 194.4 ft. Exact hull lines, deck layout and colors remain interpreted.
Two numbers that are not the same thing. The waterline toggle sits at 4.10 m above the keel, a display assumption, not a measured draft. The wreck lies in about 130 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 three-mast career, before 1890. The photograph guides three masts, the forward pilothouse and single aft funnel. Records describe a later two-mast rig; this is an earlier career form. Original 191.4 ft dimensions are selected; an 1886 record gives 194.4 ft. Exact hull lines, deck layout and colors remain interpreted.
Documented evidence
Wooden freighter built by Quayle and Martin at Cleveland in 1873, US25875. Great Lakes Vessel History: Vienna
Original dimensions 191.4×33.8×14.1 ft; a second deck was added in 1876 and length remeasured at 194.4 ft in 1886. Great Lakes Vessel History: Vienna
Reasonable interpretation
Underwater hull lines and draft
Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Photographed three-mast career, before 1890. The photograph guides three masts, the forward pilothouse and single aft funnel. Records describe a later two-mast rig; this is an earlier career form. Original 191.4 ft dimensions are selected; an 1886 record gives 194.4 ft. Exact hull lines, deck layout and colors remain interpreted.
The inspected historical photograph supports three bare masts, a forward pilothouse, single aft funnel and covered stern accommodation. Vessel history records the wooden freighter built by Quayle & Martin at Cleveland in 1873, US 25875, originally 191.4 × 33.8 × 14.1 ft. A second deck was added in 1876 and the vessel was remeasured at 194.4 ft in 1886. It was lost in 1892.
This reconstruction selects the earlier photographed three-mast career. A later historical account describes a two-mast rig from 1890, so the model is not presented as its exact loss-day configuration. Original 191.4 ft length is used rather than the later remeasurement. Pilothouse facets are interpreted from the photograph and historical description; precise hull lines, hatch spacing, cabin interiors, colors, draft and fittings are not established.
These evidence-informed exterior models are newly authored approximations. No complete original lines plan has been recovered for this work. Colors, finish, minor rigging and fittings are period interpretations. Dimensions do not establish a precise loaded draft. The viewer places these qualifications beside the model.
Lake, shoreline, sky and weather are artistic staging. The AI illustration is not a historical photograph, not evidence of loss-day conditions and not an exact rendering of the GLB. Use direct model renders to inspect geometry.
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.
Sources
- Historical photograph: Vienna
- Great Lakes Vessel History: Vienna
- Vienna historical summary and bibliography
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).