The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-10-14
THE AMAZING, DEATH-DEAIMC
CAREER OF SUBMARINE "HIM EY"
Craft was Little Advertised But Had a Tragic HISTORY
Mortality Record Greater Than That of
Any Other Ship.

very encouraging But an accident oc-
CURED and the boa failed to rise n
.he surface. Her crew Of eight men.
having no nance to escape. were All
lost. "Uo al
ihls. however, proved to be onlv an
incident In the HunIey's tragic life
Tor she was raised, cleaned out and
temporarily laid up pending orders
Tor further operations.
IN the meantime the people of
charleston, 5. c., a been solely be-
sleged, the Union fleet having concen-
trated its attention Upon them. partly
lot the reason that as long as the
runners could get out OF
tnelr port with cotton the Confderates
could still maintain it's foreign credit.
a most vital matter to the southern
cause. h port was very ADVANTAGE
ousIy located for this traffic. being but
q snort run to Nassau, where foreign
steamers eagerly awaited the valuable
cargoes. For this reason espe cially
charleston became an objective point
or attack or, more properly, blockade.
The ~Confederacy, at this, having no
vessels to speak of, were obliged to
carry on a defensive campaign as best
they could with shore batteries and
~torpedOes. In this latter mode Of de-
tense they showed remarkable skill;
all kinds OF clever devices were con-
structed and put into use. Their tor
pedo c-Ontrivances had no chance,
however, to prove their efficiency, for
none Of the Union vessels attempted
at this time to force a passage of the
channel. So the defenders look the
offensive. i%nventing means Of reaching
the blOckading men-of-War lying out
side the bar.
Destructive "Davids."
The most formidable Of these often
sive devices was a cigar-shaped craft,
quite small, perhaps fifty feet in
length, which rested in the water
much like a duck hunters sneak boat,
the appearance in the night time re-
sembling a floating plank, and as they
were never totally submerged It was
practicable to utilize tea as a mo-
tive power. These little boats, for
some unknown reason, were called
One Of these inconspicuous vessels
sneaked upon New Ironside, the most
formidable vessel in the northern
navy, the night Of October S, 1868, ex-
Iploding a torpedo against her hull, in
|1icting injury that caused her tenn
porary withdrawal from the blockade;
Admiral Dahlgren in his report
said: Among the many inventions
with which I am familiar, I have seen
none which acted so perfectly at first
trial. The secrecy, rapidity of move
ment, control Of direction and precise
explosion indicate, 1 think, the intro
duction of h torpedo element as a
means of certain warfare"
; But the admiral was destined to be
. further surprised, for Gen. Beaure
gard, commanding h Confederate
, forces at Charleston, had already sent
, for the Hunley at Mobile, whence il
: was transported On fiat cars. She wa
3 put in commission, with Lieut.. Payne
IC.' s. NJ, in command, a crew wa:
y I-A:~-ol o-G 1ri11C in tho ninllllflOI
. Of the strange craft commenced.
. Her brave crew had scarcely become
ACQUAINTED with their duties wheT
they were overwhelmed by the wasf
D OF a passing steamer, just as they Wer'
leaving the wharf. There was appar
emily no chance to close the hatches
: as they were moving on the surface
but Lieut.. Payne, being Immediate!
> under the forward hatch, was able t.
I make his escape, while the remaining
: seven volunteers all met death.
Courageous Men Plentiful.
It would seem natural to expect tina
e the lieutenant would find difficulty i
/. securing more men for further eXperl
r, Ments, but such was not the case
e which fact shows that there must ma
been a plentiful supply of men Wit
= extraordinary courage at that por
q There was no delay in the unwelcom
e duty Of raising the Huniey II re
IS moving her grim freight.
le The lieutenant and his new ore
j. were preparing to get the Hunley ur
10 der way from the wharf. when, own
to some accident, the boat sank &c
lie the third time. Again Lieut.. Payn
~ was fortunate in not having entere
the vessel, and two almost, equail
er fortunate companions managed p e
tricate themselves from the 1ast-Slnf
.r ing boat. The last Of these men acc
dentally got his leg TANNED IL II
= closing Of the heavy iron hatch, an
was about to join the fate OF n
or doomed shipmates. one, n Pc
- hans several. of them performed the
H. last human service by raising II
a hatch sufficiently TO allow his releaS
Ia II was then forced shut forever on Il
II. four or i've remaining sailors.
M This sublime act, had 1t occurr'
h, under other circumstances, Won
have called forth the admiration
ir. the world. -.