Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1917-07-06
DIVER IS NOT new
Crude Undersea Boat Blew Up
Federal ship SO Years Ago.
Submarine Designed ~ Hcrace L.
EaundIey Had Tragic Career, Car
ryInu Three Crews 70 Death.


ON the night of February IL, 1864,
the United States steamship OF war.
Housatonic, on blockade duty on
Charleston, s. c., was sunk by the first
submarine successfully used in often
stve effort, according to eyewitnesses
and published accounts, observes the
Washington Post.
The submarine boat was designed By
Horace Z. Hundiey and built under his
supervision at Mobile In 1858. She
was built OF boiler iron and her ex-
treme length was about thirty feet,
with five or six-foot beam and about
six feet depth Of hold. In general con-
tour she resembled a cigar, sharp at
both ends. She was propelled by q
screw, the shaft OF which ran horizon
tally along her hold, almost from stem
to stern. ana was turned by the man
ual force Of eight men seated along it
on either side working cranks.
The only hatchway was circular.
about three feet In diameter. with q
low zcombing around it. which was
placed well forward, and when desired
could be closed by an iron cap working
ON hinges and made alright. In the
forward part Of the cap was inserted
clear glass buIl'seye, through which
the pilot could see.
She was provided with watertight
compartments, by filing or emptying
Of which she could sink or rise, and to
enable her to rise Instantly her ballast
Ing of railroad bars was placed on her
a. - r.v.rN kxy
means OF keys accessible to her crew
could be detached in a moment, so that
she could rise quickly to the surface.
Not anticipating an early oppor-
tunity of using the dangerous vessel
against the fleet of Farragut, General
Maury sent her by ran to General Beu-
regard at Charleston, believing the wa
ter of that harbor better suited to her
peculiar construction.
General Beauregard's caIl for vOlun-
teers to man this dangerous craft was
promptly answered by Lieutenant
Payne of Virginia and eight Sailors
she was submerged till the combing Of
her hatch alone was visible. Her COM
mander, Payne, was standing in the
hatchway in the act Of ordering her to
be cast off, when the swell of passing
steamer rolled her over and sank her
instantly with her eight men in several
eathoms of water. Lieutenant Payne
sprang out Of the hatchway as the boat
sank from under him. and he alone
was left alive.
Again the boat was raised and made
ready, and her owner, Captain Humid
ley, took her for practice cruise into
Stone river. For days the return Of
: Hundley and his crew was watched for
Ia vain. After weeks search she was
found inclined at an angle of 40 de,
J grees, her nose driven deep into the
soft mud of the bottom. Hundley was
standing dead, at his post, candle
! In one hand, the other stiff, In vain
effort to unclamp the hatch. Lieut.
George d. Dixon OF the Twenty-first
| Alabama volunteers, finally essayed
I with eight men to take her against
: the Housatontc.
3 The fate Of the warship was plain
! but the fate of the submarine remained
a mystery until the wreck Of the for
> rner was raised, more than eight year.
J later. In the summer OF 1872. TheI
! she was found hanging to the ruddel
: chains OF the hulk. 1t was made plail
3 therefore that she had not carried tn,
Q torpedo in front, as BeauFegard sug
! gested, but had towed 1t astern, a
: Hundley originally devised. She ha,
4 actually passed under the Housatoni
and was making her way aft to safet.
when her upper works caught In tn
!. rudder chains of the victim. The tor
pedo exploded under the main mas
OF the ship and blew . great hole Il
her hull.