The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1917-04-06
Diver IS NOT new
Crude Undersea Boat Blew Up
Federal Ship SO Years Ago.
Submarine Designed by Horace L
Hundlsy Had Tragic Career. Car
rylnu Three crews 10 Death.

On the night Of February II. ia8l
the United States steamship Of war
H~ousatonlc, on blockade duty on
Charleston, s. O., wal sunk by the irsi
submarine successfully used In onen
eive effort. according 10 eyewitnesses
and published accounts, observes the
Washington Post.
The submarine boat was designed BY
Horace L. Hundley and built under hls
supervision at Mobile In 1904 She
was built Of boiler iron and her Q
treme length mi about thirty feet.
with q Ave or slx-foot beam and about
ak feet depth Of hold. In general con
tour she rescmbled a oignr. sharp a.
both ends. She was propelled by q
screw, the shaft Of which ran horizon.
tally along her hold, almost from stem
70 stern, and was turned by the man
ual force Of eight men seated along Il
on either side working cranks.
The only hatchway was circular.
about three feet In diameter. with n
low comblng around u, which wap
placed well forward, and when desired
could be closed by an Iron cap working
on hinges and made alright. In tie
forward part Of the cap wns Inserted
n clear glass bull'seye, through which
the pilot could see.
She was provided with watertlght
compartments, by hiilng or emptylne
Of which she could sink or rise, and 20
enable her 10 rise Instantly her bailnst.
Ing Of railroad bars was placed on her
bottom outside Of the hull. and ty
means Of keys accessible to her crcw
could be detached In a moment. 20 that
she could rise quickly TO the surface.
Not anticipating an early oppor.
mnity ~ using the dangerous vessel
against the feet Of Fnrrngut. General
Maury sen her by ran to General Beu.
regard NJ Charleston. believing the wa.
ter Of that hnrbor better suited to her
peculiar construction.
General Beauregnrd's call for volun-
teers 10 man this dangerous craft WINS
promptly answered by Lieutenant
Payne Of Virginia and eight sailors.
sho was submerged I'll the comblng Of
her hatch alone was visible. Her com
mnnder, Payne, wns standing IN the
hatchwny In the act Of ordering ner 10
be cast on, when the swell Of n passing
steamer rolled her over and sank her
Instantly with her eight men In several
fathoms Of water. Lieutenant Payne
sprang out Of the ~hntchway as the boar
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 n practice cruise lrto
Stone river. For days the return Of
Hundley and his crew was watched for
In vain. After a weeks search she WINS
found inclined AZ an aDgie OF 20 de-.
grees, her nose driven deep into the
soft mud Of the bottom. Hundiey wns
standing, dead, AZ his post. a candle
10 q hand, the other stiff. In a vain
effort 10 unclamp the hatch. Lieut..
George Y. Dixon OF the Twenty-nrst
Alabama volunteers, finally essnyed
with eight men TO take her against
the Housatonic.
The fate of the warshlp wal plain,
but the fate Of the submarine remained
a mystery until the wreck Of the Tor
mer was raised. more than eight years
later, In the summer OF 1872. Then
she was found hanging TO The rudder
chains OF the hulk. II was made plain
therefore that she had not carried the
torpedo In front, as Beauregnrd sug.
kested. but had towed Il astern. a.
Hundley originally devised. She had
actually passed under the Housatonic
and was making her way aft to safety
when her upper works caught In the
rudder chains 81 the victim. The tor.
pedo exploded under the main mast
OF the ship and blew a great hole IN
her hull.