Since early 2005, the outline of the Alpha Wreck has been exposed on the beach due to the lower water levels in Lake Michigan. Normally, the present shoreline would be underwater by several feet and the wreck would not be visible. The last time the water levels dropped this low was in the late 1980’s.
Start Date
February 14th, 2006
12 work days total
Measurement Standard
National Park Service Guidelines for Historic Ships
Method used: feet / Inches
The Alpha Wreck was measured using equipment and methods normally found on any archaeological site. The only exceptional equipment used was by the UIC survey listed below.
Low-tech survey equipment
Datum rods - 3/4" dia. rebar (3)
Construction string
Wooden stakes
Survey stakes
100' tape-reels
Folding rules
Calipers
Clinometer (angle measurement)
Plum bob
Slates / pencils / Mylar sheets - 8.5" x 11"
Field Notes
Plastic feature tags
Transit / Stadia Rod
Fisher 1280-X Metal detector
Canon digital camera (top side)
Power Shot G6 - 7.1 Mega Pixels
Nikon Cool 6 digital camera (u/w)
w/ wide angle adapter
A Proton Magnetometer survey was conducted by the University of Illinois at Chicago in September. Two (2) concentrated areas of metal were picked up near the middle of the ship and at the bow. View the results of the survey here.
Final Drawing
The composite drawing on the right side was made from the measurements, images, and field notes collected during the 12 work days.
The information gathered was then transferred to an AutoCAD program to reproduce the highest quality angles and distances possible.
An oversized printout from the AutoCAD drawing was then placed on a light table covered by a same size sheet of tracing paper. The next step was to make an inked, hand-generated copy from the original. The last step was to scan the inked drawing on computer to make the final 8.5" x 11" copy for publication.
Designated Name: Alpha Wreck 