The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-01-05
SANK Her | !! R. FOE ( .
5lov lie Hanley. d csuisdes'aleE q esiab;Ha- 90
riiae, Proved 4 sasssss, ss.'
WAS FIRST OF It's n KIND |,I[||

= 49, st..
sops.rased 81 the consederaseSi in i'n='l''t and
abous Charleston +. Hsrber, EL'''' At and
II Finally Went out 70 e Sea and Sank ulE
ehe5 United States sloop iof War
Hoasatonic. ,47 \
The submarine boat, according 70
She popular idea, is q most modem n
device, falling into the flyins ma
Chine. wireless telegraph age. AS i'.:is q
} matter OF tact, the submarine OF e to-
day has yet to demonstrate It's mer- ls:
ata as q fighting creft, though theo-
,,ssr5.,n.ticcally it could accomplish won
{,ders. Though boats Of this Kind
!. .-;si. were owned by the United b states,
i Russia and Japan, not one went into
! action during either the spanihsl n
American orgthe Russo-Japanese war,
whereas, 60 long ago as 1 so4, a g SUD- ~ D.
marine torpedo boat did go into ac-
aion, attacking and sinking q man man,
sof-war. s ~ 5. is:.tssI
sz This distinction, says Harpers
weekly, belongs; to the Confederate
states submarine Hunley, and crude
{ aud imperfect as was that strange
craft, It's general plan has been fol-
3; ,5n,w,;,eea g, e,a z IN the most modern subma-
rines. The. Hunley was constructed
In the iron works Of Parks & Lyons
at Mobile, Ala. For her bull the
builders used what was most ayail7
able-an ordinary cylinder boiler,
forty-eight inches In diameter ana
;swenty-hye feet long. The limited
slnterior space was still further re-
astricted by partitioning of comoa
l:ments for water ballast, the tanks al KS.
being filled and emptied by valves.
Heavy pieces OF iron were bolted
) 10 the keel in such manner that taey
could be detached by the crew from
the inside in case It, should become "a ,
necessary to rise quickly to the sur
face. &:: The screw propeller was ! at
tached to shaft running through
the. boat. On this shaftawere set
Eight cranks at different angles:
These cranks were f,grasped I and !
worked by the men, who sat upon
ono port side, the shaft being sup
:ported bY brackets on the starboard.;
$50. eort1red was the space that s:H!hen s
:$he men were ia their placea it: was
impossible 70 move from: ono end or
;tket boat to the other. 4. 2i:$' : & J.
- The commanding officers position
was in the bow; whence he controlled
ithe rudder and the: two iron fms
which sent the boat, up or down. The
officer also attended the toFDedo. the 4.
total armament OF the boat. This
was 81 q copper };cYlind holding about
ninety pounds OF explosives, fastened
upon the end OF q boom twenty-one
feet long, which extended from the
nose OF the craft. The only means OF
! securing a fresh supply Of air after
the boat had dived was to- come to
-the surface and remove q hatch COW
:er. ss sJ 5: 4, ~ 81 Is. y
upon tho completion OF the Hunley
..at Mobile, 1t. was decided that Char.
leston harborl offered the best field
Cor operations, and, she was accord
ingly novel to that citysby rail. The
narrative Of her subsequent career
Is brief, but the story glcws with
-heroism and devotion. s.
Despite the strange nature CT the
craft, 1t was not found difficult to Sc
cure o crew, and all was soon In
frea diness Tor an expedition against
the blockading feet. The crew took
their places, the batch covers were
about to be bolted in place. when,
while still alon 2s!de the dock, the
boat was sswamped by heavy swell,
and every man aboard was drowned.
.Bhe was raised, and another crew
volunteered. Again. and in almost
che same manner, the boat was
swamped at the dock. six men per-
Slshing.
After this occurrence the boat was
turned over to her builder, Capt.
Hunley. and volunteer crew from
Mobile, men wllo had assisted In her
building. were more or less familiar
with the craft, and who, hearing Of
the two disasters ct Charleston, had
-hastened to Offer their services.
This time 1t seemed as though all
things were to work satisfactorily.
The men took their places, the hatch
covers were bolted down, the lines
were cast Of, the boat moved away
srom the dock and dived gracefully
amid the cheers of the spectators.
Minutes passed, then an hour, but
.:fhs submarine did not reappear.
Upon investigation 1t was found that
nhe boat had driven her nose into
Ghe soft mud Of the bottom with such
Yorce as to render It impossible for
ths crew to back OF and rise to the
surface. All had died from suffoca-
zion.
The Hunley was raised and pre-
pared for service again. Already she
mad claimed twenty-three victims, but
q fourth crew stepped forward in
.stantly when a call for volunteers
was made.