The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-05-05
A SUBMARINE BOAT.
THE STORY OF A QUEER CON-
FEDERATE CRAFT. ~
Built to Go Under Water-Several
Trips That Ended in Death
Destroying a Federal
War Vessel. IF

destroying n rcAeraA
| War Vessel. II
Submarine boating has always proved
dangerous business. Especially did IT
show itself perilous in the experiments
| with ''Davids," in Charlcstown harbor;
and the nerve and heroism evinced by
certain young confederate officers and
men in the use of these engines or harbor
defense deserves more notice than it has
ever received. OF these submarine boats
or "Davids" they were facetiously
nicknamed from their pigmy size, con-
trasted with the iron-clads, the allusion,
of course, being to the scriptural account
of David and Goliah-it will be sufficient
to sketch the history of one, the same
which, rusty and battered from its long
sojourn on the sea bottom, may now be
seen, as naval curiosity, at the New
York navy yard.
It was built of boiler iron, shaped like
cigar, being nearly round and closed
over on top. Its length was about
thirty-five feet, it's breadth six or seven
feet, and it was capable of carrying q
! crew of nine men, eight of whom turned
the shaft of the propeller screw, by hand,
while the ninth steered the boat. She
could be submerged at will to any depth,
by admitting water into tank, and
raised to the surface again by pumping
| it out. E5z
Her speed, under water, with the men
working we'll, was about four knots an
hour. The torpedo which she carried
contained about sixty pounds of powder,
and was attached to long spar which
could be run out from her bows against
the side of the encmy's vessels; or float
ing torpedo could be dragged after her.
In the latter case it was intended that,
| on approaching one of the enemy's ships,
the torpedo-b at should be submerged
and pass under her keel, when the tor
pedo itself would strike the ships side
and explode from conclusion of its
''primcrs." The boat could remain sub
merged for half an hour without fresh
air.
Soon after the completion of this odd
craft, Lieutenant Paine of the Confed-
crate navy, with eight volunteers, set of
by night to attack the Union feet. But
while making ready, the swell of pass
ing steamer caused the boat to roll over,
and all hands except the lieutenant him
self, who was standing in the open hatch
way, was drowned inside her. ,
She was raj ed few days later, how
ever, and again Lieutenant Paine volun-E
teered to go out in her. But when of
: opposite Fort Sumter, the trcacherous
craft again capsized and sunk in deep
water, drowning all hands except Paine
and two others.
She was again brought up and prepared
for action; and this time gentleman
named Aunley, one of the builders of the
boat, insisted on making trip in her.
They proceeded up the Cooper river.
But while submerged in deep water, the
boat, from some unknown cause, became
unmanageable The crew could not
bring her to the surface, and all perished
together on the bottom of the river.
Still again she was raised with her
| ghastly cargo of nine dead men; and it
would not now have been strange had
few been willing to embirk in her.
Daring spirits were not wanting In the
! South in those days, however; and on
the night of the 18th of February, 1884,
Lieutenant Dixon, Of Mobile, collected a
crew of eight men and set off in her, to
| attack the Housatonic, heavily armed
war vessel, on blockade duty Of the outer
harbor. -
During the evening of the nth, Act
ing Master J. K. Crosby, of the Housa-
tonic, who at that hour was officer OF the
| deck, saw a dark object in the water
about hundred yards from the ships
side. On rerceiving, after watching it
| for time. that it was moving slowly, he
! hailed it, and e tting no answer, gavean
alarm. So slowly did the ''David" ap.
proach, that the ta'le was slipped, the
engines started, and the crew called to
quarters. But they were unable to de-
press the guns sufficiently to fire upon
,, the object, though volley of rifle bull
lets was rained down it. These latter
produced no effect on the little craft, and
before Roadway could be given. to the
ship, torpedo was driven against her
side, and exploded with tremendous ef-
| feet.
The vessel speedily keeled over to port
, and sank, stern foremost. In the con-
fusion which ensued, nothing further
was seen of the "David," and it was sup
posed that the formidable little craft es-
| capped under cover of the darkness. :. "
A part of the crew of the Housatonie
was saved by boats from the Canandai-
| qua, which lay at short distance away,
and others took refuge in the upper rig
ging of the Housatonic, which was not
entirely submerged.
But meantime the Confederates heard
nothing from Lieutenant Dixon and his
submarine boat. he did not return; his
| fellow-otficers looked for him in vain,
and his fate remained mystery till some
time after the close of the war, when
submarine diver was sent down to ex-
plore the old wreck of the Housatonic.
The "David," with its crew of dead men,
was then found, plugged into the hole
caused by the explosion Of the torpedo In
the ships side! 1t had been drawn by
the suction of water into the breach. The
destroyer and the destroyed. had gone
down in grim dead lock together. 1t was
one of the fateful episodes of the war
z. C. Hoyt, in Youths Companion.
| A Story Of Andrew Jackson. g.