New-York tribune., 1901-07-28
TUETRAGEDY OFTHE DAVID
Az OLD Hulk AT NEW ORLEANS \ RE
NINDER OF FOUR HEROIC CREWS.

back of New-Orleans stands the wreck vi d
oat the reminder of one of the torlorhest hopeS
,,,.o. which men ever ventured.. 1t is the couh-
terrart of the David that sank the Housa'oic
off Charleston on February Il, loof.
7, was being secretly constructed out at the
oJl fort when New-Orleans fell before Farla-
ctIt and to save its design it was rolled INTO
~ ho,o,, near bv 1t remained there for years
-a,en after the warrior its builders and all
who knew OF il went down with the DAVID.
ycors after when the bayou was being drtuGeu'
# was found and raised and set amld the ruins
of the fort-a curious sight to put the le" pass
ers that way wondering.
The tale of the David is like this hulk-now
almost gone 1t was only an incident III the si'''
war and finds no place but that OF an occd-
siopal footn2te in history though it was the be-
ginning of a mode of warfare that To-Day
threatens to make the ironclad useless the
hulk was the first submarine that ever neared
the ful6lment of its purpose; the David was the
first that accomplished it. But at such a sacrs
fca-four crews. Forlorn is a modest term 10
apply TO the hope of the volunteers who manned
her Their hope VAS foregone.
The South had no vessels that could hope to
break that awful blockade. In the North ex-
periments had been going on with offensive
torpedoes but there was no necessity OF puttIhg
them into practice The Confederacy was
The David was SO named because it was de-
Stoned to slay the Goliaths Of the Federal fleet
1t was Of the accustomed cigar shape-ln APP
pearance almost identical with the present day
Holland 1t was - feet long and built of boiler
iron The propulsion was 10y hand. The crew
consisted of nine eight to grind the pro-
pe,ler and one 10 steer. 1t dragged its torpedo
after it, unlike the Holland which fires its
- soon as the David was launched lleuten-
mi Paine volunteered 10 command h'r IN an
attack upon the Federal fleet in CEAt!'S''"
Harbor Admiral pahlgrcn. comWanalhE '"e
c,., mad reported to Washington the launr hing
OF this craft and explained that in ms "r'h-
Co., only the inner blockade-that within the
h,rtor was in danger. for the David and na-
r,.ro,,s launches that had been fitted out uy the
Conrederatcs Call Of which he termed ba\'ds'
which name continued theirs h did not believe
could get out into the ocean 10 the outer 4''''.
The first crew had just entered III" BOAT Ai' "''
not vet closed the little round TOP III '"' ''"
ri,,, tower when the swells from a passing
steamer washed in and sunk the boat H"'
went down with all hands save the lieutenant
uh, ,,ei,,, in the tower ready to steer the boat.
escaped.
rbr David was raised. Lieutenant Paine again
.l,,,,,.,r..d while wing near Fort sumter pre-
pairing for start she ca?sizod. SIX OF nor ere"
a.t,. droo.rcd Then Mr. Aunlcy, one "i her Dc
s5,,,ors hehc>..ng he could manage the dl.'T,
took h,r command and vent for uII tri ur
tn, Coopcr River When submerged al great
d.rth il is supposed she could not h" st'rT'd Hp
and that the air supply. which would last only
thirty minutes gaze cut The boat Was drrdsed
for and found with nine dead men "4ti!" Ana
Still a fourth crew volunteered Lieutenant
Dixon Of the T%enty-trst Mobile Volunteers
commanding
1t was Just after dark on February Il that
the lookout On the Housatonic, on the outer lin"
of The blockade deserted small cylindrical! ou-
jet a few hundred yards away. lie hailed II,
tut there was no reply. on il came lie sound
cd tho call to quarters. The object was then
within range Of the guns. Rifles and pistols
were turned loose upon 1t. on it came. y few
yards from the Iousatonic it tilted forward and
disappeared. An object like a barrel rushed on
in its wake The object struck the Housaton!c.
simultaneously came awful explosion. The
Housatonic reeled and pitched and sank. Her
crcw-most Of thcm-Wcre rescued from the rig
gine 10y the small boats from the other ships Of
the feet
The David? She had dived her last; never
to the surface. 1t is assumed she be
yond the effect the explosion when it oc-
eurred, but, previous attempts, could not
Dc steercd again to the top-not even long
enough to that her purpose was achieved.
"HIT ME-! IN BIG ENOCGH."