In the aftermath of the attack, the Hunley would have been forced underwater by gunfire from the Union. But what led to the death of the men is still shrouded in mystery. This led to years of research, conservation and speculation among academics, scientists and historians. The remains of the ship were found in 1995 and five years later, it was pulled from Charleston Harbor. The Hunley, with a crew of eight, also sank. Hunley became the first submarine to sink an enemy ship when the hand-cranked vessel rammed the USS Housatonic with an explosive black powder charge and sank the Union blockade ship off Sullivan’s Island the night of Feb. It really needs to be in a place like the Smithsonian.” “The Hunley is a unique thing to Charleston, but it has national and worldwide significance. “The public has lost interest, and you have to strike when the iron is hot,” he said. Hunley, has been discouraged by the lack of progress. Ralph Wilbanks, leader of the Clive Cussler dive team that found the H.L. Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant has been eyed as a final home for the submarine, but no major movement has happened. Work to restore and preserve the vessel continues. File/StaffĪt first, North Charleston agreed to become the future site of the Hunley Museum in 2004 by pledging $13 million toward creating a showplace for the Confederate submarine, but the city later withdrew the promise of funding. The lab is open for tours on weekends.Ī crowd watches the Hunley as it is raised to be placed in its tank at the Warren P. Since the recovery, the sub has been undergoing conservation work at the Clemson University-run Warren Lasch Conservation Center in North Charleston on the grounds of the former Naval Base and Shipyard. A final resting place and a permanent museum has been discussed for more than a decade, and some worry that interest in the artifact is starting to fade. Everything from the U-Boats of Nazi Germany to Tom Clancy’s “Hunt For Red October” starts with the first successful combat mission during the Civil War.Īnd while the discovery of the submarine was revolutionary for the history and military communities, it faces an uncertain future. The Hunley was the precursor to submarine warfare. Some newcomers know the Hunley as a sandwich at some area restaurants, but couldn’t tell you where the sub is located. Charleston County has nearly doubled in population in that time. “If you were here in 2000, you know where you were that day the Hunley was raised.”īut a lot has changed in the 20 years since the first successful combat submarine was recovered from the depths. “We were all kind of blown away,” she said. ![]() Kellen Butler, executive director of the Friends of the Hunley, describes the recovery as a flashbulb moment, a significant event that is shared in the collective memory of many. When the Confederate submarine was raised from the waters, it was classified by William Dudley, then the director of the Naval Historical Center, as “probably the most important find of the century.” A boat was filled with reporters who watched and scribbled furiously as history was revealed before their eyes. ![]() ![]() Pedestrians on the aircraft carrier Yorktown watched through binoculars as it was barged through Charleston Harbor into the air. Kayakers treaded water to watch the vessel crest out of the ocean. Hunley submarine off of Sullivan’s Island to an audience of hundreds in person and thousands more watching TV across the country. 8, 2000, after decades of research, dives and study, a series of cranes pulled the H.L. The barnacle-encrusted metal cylinder had languished in mud, seawater and sand for nearly 140 years.īut on Aug. People on a VIP observation boat watch as the Confederate submarine Hunley is raised on Aug.
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