Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1916-01-10
SHORT AND TRAGIC
Career Of the First Submarine
Used In Real War.
SHE WAS BUILT IN MOBILE.

Constructed Of Boiler Iron and Crude
In Design. She Was Operated Against
the Federal ship Housatsnie With
Disastrous Rssults
II 10 fact that submersIble boat
did actual service iu the war between
the states and was perhaps the 6rst
practical submarine used In actual
warfare.
The boat was built IN Mobile In 1864
by two men named Hundlcy and Nc
Cllntock, IL was OF boiler iron, sharp
az both ends and was about thirty feet
long. 1yc or six feet IN beam and Eve
or six feet deep. Il wns propelled by
screw. the shaft Of which ran hori
zontaiIy along the hold. almost from
stem 70 stern and was turned by eight
men. who sat four on each side Of the
shaft.
The only batcbway. placed well for
ward. was two feet In diameter. and Il
was closed by an Iron cap that worked
on a hinge and was alright In the
forward part OF the cap there was a
clear glass buliseye, through which the
pilot ebuld see. The boat had water
tight compartments. by filling or empty
Ing which Il could sink or rise. A bal
last Of Iron rails was placed outside the
hun. and by means Of keys they could
be detached no that the boat could rise
instantly II necessary.
Besides rudder. the boat had side
paddles. or fns. which could be used
to guide II up or down through the wa
ter.
The boat could so perhaps four knots
an hour II could remain submerged
for half an hour or an hour without
serious Inconvenience to It's crew, and
once II remained as long as two hours
under water without actual injury 10
them.
iloaiine torpedo was fastened to
the boat by n line 100 feet long. and
the inventor proposed thar the boat
should dive beneath the keel OF the
eneiny'~ vessel aud haul the torpedo
after her 'rhe triggers or sensitive
primers ~ The torpedo would press
against the ships bottom. explode the
torpedn and SINK the vessel
The boat wus sent TO Charleston 20
operate agAinS the Dlockasling fleet
Genenal Benumgard had The torpedo
fastened Ia the bow II terminated 10
front with n sharp lance head. SO that
when the Duai was driven agalns, u
ship the lance hcnd would be forced
into the ship below the water line and
the torpedo fastened against the side
The boat was then to back on aud ex.
plode the torpedo by a lanyard
General Beaurtgard called on the
Confederate lcei for volunteers. ant
Lieutenant Payne u virginian. and
eight sailors volunteered On the even,
Ing fixed for the expedition the crew
had embarked. and the boat was sub
merged until only the combings Of her
hatch were above water Lieutenant
Payne was standing In the bafchway
when the swell OF passing steamer
rolled over the boat. and 1t sank In.
stantiy with her eight men. Lieutenant
Payne sprang out OF the hatchway Us
the boat sank, and he alone was saved.
In few days she was raised, and
again Payne volunteered and with him
eight more men. The embarkation for
the second attempt was made at Fort
Sumter, and, MS before, all being made
ready, Payne. standing at his post In
the hatchway. gave orders TO cast of,
when the boat careened and sank In.
stantly. Payne sprang out, two Of the
men followed him. and the other six
went down with the boat and per
ished.
Again the boat was raised, and her
owner. Captain Hundley, took her for
an experimental trip to Stone river,
where, after going through her usual
evolutions, she dived Into deep water
and disappeared, After weeks search
she was found at an angle Of forty
degrees. her nose driven into the deep
soft mud of the bottom.
Her crew Of nine men were stand
ing, sitting or lying about In her hold
asphyxiated. Hundley had died at his
post with a candle In one hand, while
with the other he had been vainly try
ing to unclamp the hatch. The angle at
which the boat had gone down had
jammed the keys so that the men could
not cast or the iron ballast that held
them down,
Again the III fated vessel was prepar-
cd for action. and volunteers We're
called for Lieutenant Dixon Of the
Twenty.frst Alabama volunteered and
eight men with him.
The ship Housatonic was selected
for attack aud ON quiet night the
brave crew set out from Charleston
Lieutenant Dixon guided the boat
Nrlsht 10 the Housntoilc. and the ex.
,Nlnn tore open the ships side, so
TINT she went down with all her crew
IN two minutes
The torpedo vessel never returned,
and whether SHE went down with her
rnemy or drifted nut TO sea was long
unknown Many years after, In the
work Of deepening the bar of Charles.
L..