The Hunley was buried at a 45-degree angle under a layer of silt. The loop straps attached to a steel frame cradled the sub while a crane lifted the unit to the surface. As added protection, divers cushioned the hull with a bed of inflated foam pillows. A water tank in a lab in the Warren Lasch Conservation Center, in old Charleston Naval Shipyard, houses the Hunley, and is specially designed to slow the deterioration of the submarine. In addition, to prevent further corrosion, artifacts from the submarine will be placed in an electrolysis tank for several years.
Conservators plan to remove the encrustation that covers all but the sub's glass view ports.
Experts say that sifting through the silt, artifacts, and debris inside will be a lengthy and meticulous process, expected to take seven to ten years. After the painstaking conservation and preservation process, archaeologists hope to learn more clues as to how the Civil War treasure sank. The names of the crew of the Confederate submariners who died in the Hunley are known. If their remains are found, they will be interred at Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston with Confederate military honors. Tremendous care is being taken by the project team to ensure proper burial of the crew.