Hunley

We visited the Hunley it is the first successful combat submarine launched in the USA.  It was used during the Civil War by the South to try break up the blockade in the Charleston harbor.
 Interesting facts-

• the first mission went bad when the captain dived before the hatches were closed.  Five of the nine crew members died.  General Beauregard ordered the sub raised.
  
• Amazingly - a second crew was found who trained before heading out to sea.  They also all perished, the Hunley's name sake was Captaining this mission.  When divers were able to dive to the site of the sunk Hunley, storms had postponed a quick rescue.  They were amazed to discover the Hunley nose down in the mud of the harbor.
• before the Hunley had been recovered the second time a crew had volunteered to take her out again.
• the third and final mission of the Hunley was successful and mysterious.  The sub was supposed to attach a mine to the bottom of the USS Housatonic a Union ship guarding the entrance to the harbor.  The mine was attached to a long metal spar.  The plan was to drive the spar into the hull of the Husatonic then back away reeling out a rope that would trigger the blast when they were safely away.  Alas that was not to be the Spar hit the Housatonic in the munitions storage area of the ship and it blew the mine immediately.  Blowing the Housatonic to the bottom of the harbor.  The shore crew were excited and some report seeing the blue light that signaled a successful mission but as they waited it became apparent that the sub was not returning to port.
• In 1995 Clive Cussler and his crew found the Hunley it had drifted past the Housatonic.  It is thought that the blast knocked the crew unconscious and they drowned with know one to man the air pump.
• the Hunley was powered by eight men turning a crank that turned the propeller.  The Captain sat in the front of the sub and worked the dive planes and ballast tanks
• the sub sits in a tank of clean water with electric current running through it to help remove the years of sea life from it.
• in its current condition if it was taken out of the water it would rust to dust in about two weeks.
  
• it is hoped that in five years the sub will be cleaned up enough to have the exterior sprayed so that it can be shown in a climate controlled room with out the water.

kids propelling a replica sub

actual size of the original Hunley hatch, those guys must have been skinny

What the Hunley looks like now surrounded by water. This picture is borrowed from the web, as you are not allowed to take pictures for the sub right now.

model of the Hunley

Pioneer Model

Pioneer Model