FOR SUBSCRIBERS![]()
by George W. Penington - Editor
JULY 31, 2004
ISSUE #51 PAGE 1
1) WELCOME TO THE HUNLEY NEWSLETTER > 2) AFTER THE FINAL BURIAL OF THE LAST HUNLEY CREW 3) MYSTERY OF THE GRAVE MARKERS Discussions with the CSS H L Hunley Club 4) THE HUNLEY TO SAIL AGAIN???? 5) How did the crew see the situation? 6) A death protocol? 7) the real purpose of the Hunley 8) MODEL NEWS AND DISCUSSION 9) NEW DISCOVERIES INSIDE THE CONFEDERATE STATES SUBMARINE H L HUNLEY 10) DOES THE H L HUNLEY NEED TO GO TO MYRTLE BEACH? 11) SELECTED EMAIL AND GUESTBOOK COMMENTS
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Hunley model cutaway 1/32 :Special Price: 110.95 plus S&H ( Product # 32-003) |
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Fully cutaway, revealing complete interior. Features 8-position hand crank, helm, ballast tanks, pumps and controls. 21 3/4” long when complete. Scale 1/32. This model is of the old design and will need some modification to look like the recovered Hunley. SPAR AND TORPEDO SHOULD BE MODIFIED |
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1) WELCOME TO THE NEW HUNLEY NEWSLETTER
A special welcome to all the new subscribers. This newsletter will be published once a month with a link to the online addition available to subscribers only.
ALL issues are dedicated not only to the brave and honorable Men of the Hunley, but to the Subscribers and Contributors to each issue, particularly to the CSS H L HUNLEY CLUB. THANKS ALL, George W. Penington
2) AFTER THE FINAL BURIAL OF THE LAST HUNLEY CREW
3)
MYSTERY OF THE GRAVE MARKERS
"Now that C.Simpkins has been identified as Lumpkin has anyone heard
of plans to change the existing
markers in Magnolia cemetery? Also
any news on a
new marker for the final crew?"
Mike.
Mike: I interviewed some of the staff at Magnolia Cemetery and asked them why there were no markers, their response was that the Staff at the Friends of the Hunley, Inc. were not positive about the names of the crewmen and they were not ready to "carve them in stone". I also asked if they could provide a layout showing the locations and identification of each crewman. The response I got was that they were not provided one and was not sure anyone knew the order of burial.
The Post and Courier reported "The man who sat at the second crank position in the Confederate sub may be the sailor identified in historical accounts as C. Simkins. Scientists and historians know little of this elusive sailor, but believe the man's surname may actually be Lumpkin."

Used with permission from the Post and Courier and
Charleston.net
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Scientists continue to search for more information on this sailor, including a verification of his name. In April 1864, Capt. M. M. Gray of the office of submarine defenses listed him among the Hunley's MIA crew as "C. Simkins." Over the years, the spelling evolved into "Simpkins." In one letter written nearly 30 years after the war, William Alexander, the submarine's builder and onetime first officer, identifies the man as Lumpkin. The Indian Chief's 1863 duty roster is mostly illegible. On that paper, recording sailors' pay, the name reads either "Lumpkin" or Simpkin." It's hard to tell. Abrams is convinced the man's name is C. Lumpkin. It is plausible that the name was misread in 1864, and the mistake repeated in official records for more than a century."... BRIAN HICKS |
Discussions with the CSS H L Hunley Club
4) THE HUNLEY TO SAIL AGAIN????
I was talking to a good
friend of mine that went on the Hunley tour
two weeks ago and he said that FOTH plans to patch her up and
actually sail the Hunley again. I told him that he must have
misunderstood
the guide, and that they would more likely build a replica for any
try outs in the water. However he was quit adamant that the original
Hunley would sail again. I don't buy it myself but I let it go at that.
Anyone else hear of this?
Mike.
About a year and a
half ago, Paul Mardikian told me that when they
get through with her, the Hunley will be like a "brand new submarine".
I inferred from his comment that the concretion was covering nearly
un-oxidized metal, which would be nearly as exact as it was 140 years
ago.
Also, the volunteers in the lab are just that. I've heard some
very strange answers to questions from them, nothing intentionally
misleading, just misinformation mostly due to the volunteer's
misunderstanding of what had been told to them.
All of the aircraft on display in the Smithsonian are CAPABLE of
flying, even though everyone understands that the Spirit of St; Louis
will never again move under its own power. Perhaps this is what
had been told to the volunteer and subsequently passed on to your
friend.
I wouldn't think it was too far fetched to imagine the Hunley placed on
display with special effect lighting giving the impression that she is
actually under water either, which may also be what the volunteer
miss-heard.
Whatever the truth is, I wouldn't worry about the FOTH losing all their
marbles and attempt to restage history with a priceless artifact.
Bruce
I never gave any credence to what my friend told me how ever it never
occurred to me that the guide was giving out misinformation. When you’re
listening to guides you expect them to be well trained on the subject
matter. I'm sure your right, Bruce, that this is the case. Also Andy, I
to remember that there was talk of building a bolt by bolt working
replica of the Hunley to test it's capabilities in the water.
Mike.
5) How did the crew see the situation?
The only thing that really matters in this context is what Dixon and
the
crew of the Hunley believed, and I think it's likely that they expected
capture to result in a humiliating death.
My point about tonnage has nothing to do with the solving the mystery
of
the Hunley. I just find it interesting that the real purpose of the
Hunley was to protect its own side's shipping by attacking a warship, in
contrast to the real purpose of the submarines of WWI and WWII, which
was to destroy enemy shipping by attacking merchant vessels.
Barry
6) A death protocol?
Basically, any Confederate weapon employed in defending its harbors were
for the purpose of fending off or destroying enemy warships. That
was the
purpose of the Hunley's construction (as well as its predecessors).
To a
lesser extent, commerce raiding was also used to draw off Union forces
from the ports. However, submarines were used in the world wars
against
warships as well as merchant vessels - it was the target of opportunity
that mattered. Until 1910, submarines were designed primarily as
coastal
defense vessels, and not as seagoing offensive weapons. Even in
this day,
there is a class of submarines that are classified as coastal defense.
But I must disagree with the notion that the crew seriously entertained
a
"death protocol". The old thriller maxim that any agent in a
high-risk
venture must have some reasonable chance of getting out alive applies
here
as well. I doubt that the crew viewed their mission as kamikaze/kaiten.
Death was an occupational risk, not the desired outcome. I do not
think
that anyone would have volunteered for a suicide mission.
First, no documents - whether personal letters or survivor's memoirs
state
anything definitively - stated that the crew planned to cash in if they
cannot get the vessel back to port. Alexander did not express an
opinion
that the crew did themselves in. Reports of a suicide pact were
more
hearsay and after the fact.
Second, one must remember that the "David" was temporarily abandoned
after its attack on the "New Ironsides". If the "Hunley" crew
could abandon the
vessel as the only way to save their lives, they would. Dixon knew
the
submarine would sink swiftly without sacrificing the crew.
Third, there was a convention that if any prisoners were executed by one
side, retaliation would be meted out to enemy prisoners. Even if
facing
capture, I believe that Dixon knew that he would have time on his side.
One cannot discourage the use of "infernal machines" if the execution
was
in secret.
Fourth, I believe that Dixon and the crew underestimated the amount of
oxygen remained. They expected to have 2.5 hrs of oxygen - but
that would
only apply if they did not do any physical exertions. However, I
surmise
that they were cranking for probably 30 minutes and used up most of the
breathable air. The bellows was probably ineffective - recycling
more
CO2 than 02 - Becker probably collapsed at his post after everyone else
succumbed.
I believe that the crew miscalculated on their chances of survival - if
they perceived surrender as the only means of survival, they would have.
maclilus
maclilus@p... wrote:
Barry:
I must admit that I both physically and conceptually
more removed
from the evidence than most, I still cannot reconcile myself to
the
notion of a suicide pact - whether planned or decided on the spot.
As
mentioned earlier, such references seemed second-hand or speculative
in nature.
As for planned suicide mission, whether something
like the "Yamato" or the kamikaze/kaiten, I cannot accept at all.
No final ceremony, no final address or preparation of their
personal effects, and to have their affairs in order are evident.
Certainly, they could have been lost when Charleston fell one year
later.
As for a spur of the moment, it could be. Yet, I
would think that Dixon would have allowed his crew to abandon
ship. If so then, could there have been nine crewmen?
Given the tides and currents, any floating bodies would either
drift ashore, drift out to sea, or sink. And they would not hover
in the area of the Hunley. I do not think Dixon would murder
his crew.
I think that Dixon would want to return to port to try out
his ship again. He proved that he could sink a vessel.
He would want to do it again. If he did not return, what assurance
did he have that a similar attack would be tried again?
If there was any consideration of a suicide pact,
then why did
not the crew try to leave a written record in the sub? Trapped
miners
would.
I still think Dixon miscalculated endurance. It is possible that
Union naval activity in the area kept the "Hunley" beneath the
surface
longer than it should have.
The final consideration is where on Dixon's body was
found the
coin? I recall that it was in his pocket. If it was in
his hand instead, I
would be more likely to agree that he was waiting out the
end....maclilus
|
With respect to the gold coin, I have spoken with
Senator Glenn McConnell, |
To
maclilus,
<<I still cannot reconcile myself to the notion of a suicide pact
whether planned or decided on the spot.>>
I think of it more as a contingency plan than a "suicide pact." Dixon
and the crew must have made plans and agreements to cover situations
in which they would survive the attack but not be able to get back to
shore. It would have been foolish not to. Obviously, they couldn't have
planned for every possibility but serious damage to the boat had to be
near the top of the list.
<< No final ceremony, no final address or preparation of their
personal effects, and to have their affairs in order are evident.>>
As you say, there's no evidence one way or the other, which is not
surprising.
<<...I would think that Dixon would have allowed his crew to abandon
ship.>>
I don't think abandoning ship was an option. The ability of a human
being to survive in cold water wasn't determined scientifically until
WWII. However, Dixon must have known the water temperature and thus must
have had a reasonably accurate idea of the feasibility of swimming to
shore. I'm no expert but I suspect it was quite low.
<<...why did not the crew try to leave a written record in the sub?
Trapped miners would.>>
We don't know for sure that they didn't. Dixon may have kept a captain's
log but paper wouldn't have survived the long immersion. There was at
least one pencil* on board and a pocket knife to sharpen it. I think I
remember reading about some oilskin having been found a while back.
Barry
7) the real purpose of the Hunley
Several
of the books I've read say that the crew, upon being captured, would
have been unequivocally hanged as spies, even if in uniform. I
have to wonder whether this claim, which I've seen as well, is actually
documented by contemporary sources, or if it's rather melodramatic
speculation by modern writers. While HUNLEY was a novel means of
*delivering* the weapon, the destruction of enemy warships without
warning by mines or other "infernal machines" was a fairly
well-established tactic by 1864. ----------> AH
Attacking merchant shipping was already established as a "guerre de
course" - every Navy that opposed Britain in the past 200 years by that
time practiced it - it was the only practical alternative, and was used
by the American Navy in the Revolution and War of 1812. However,
in 1861, all Confederate ships - whether privateers or "commissioned"
CSN
vessels were declared as "pirates" by Federal authorities. I
surmise the reason was not necessarily as a justification for hanging
its crews (I am at a loss to find any documentation verifying any such
actions took place -during or after the war), but to deny any legal
recognition to the Confederate government. However, troops in the
field and sailors at
sea continued to follow the protocols more or less for a variety of
reasons (e.g., military custom, family or fraternal) but with the end of
"managing the level of violence."
The Russian Navy employed a system of mine defenses for its base at
Kronstadt a decade before - but proved ineffective during a Anglo-French
attack. This could be compared to the effectiveness of the Singer
torpedoes at Mobile Bay. Apparently, 19th Century naval mines were
only effective for short periods of time underwater.
The idea of tonnage - whether of merchant or naval warships - did not
really matter. Submarines were only capable of sinking a ship -
prize crews could not be accommodated. The Hunley was brought to
Charleston primarily due to the huge bounty on Union warships promised
by its merchants. Had not such a bounty been promised, the Hunley
would have been likely a footnote in Mobile's history, like the St.
Patrick – a promising attempt, but nothing else…..maclilus
The only thing that really matters in this context is what Dixon and the
crew of the Hunley believed, and I think it's likely that they expected
capture to result in a humiliating death.
My point about tonnage has nothing to do with the solving the mystery of
the Hunley. I just find it interesting that the real purpose of the
Hunley was to protect its own side's shipping by attacking a warship, in
contrast to the real purpose of the submarines of WWI and WWII,
which was to destroy enemy shipping by attacking merchant vessels.
Barry
8) MODEL NEWS AND DISCUSSION
"toavakama" wrote:
Is there anyone out who has built models of the Hunley?
I have just received in the mail Verlinden model of the Hunley, and
it looks quit good. I like the fact that all the stuff that is the
center of speculation is left off the kit, to be built by the
modeler. Any thoughts on this or other Hunley kits?
Barry
Interior Color
The Chapman painting
shows the inside of the after hatch to have
been painted a very light color, possibly white. I suspect that
the
entire interior of the boat would have been similarly painted, to
maximize
the effective illumination of what little light got in through the
hatches and deadlights. However, that's speculative, and I'm not aware
of any specific findings by the archaeologists one way or another on the
matter....Andy Hall
The FOTH reported that the bench was painted white and the paint is
evident in some photos. If I remember correctly, I asked Paul
Mardikian the question a couple of years ago at the Smithsonian and
at that time they had not found evidence of paint inside. I also
remember one of the historical reports saying that one of the three
subs was painted while inside for the same reason Andy mentions.
For
my 3D modeling I've assumed that it was. Michael (jvnautilus)
Do you think the Cottage 1/72 kit is suitable for conversion to Remote Control? Does anyone know if someone is compiling accurate blueprints to be released for model builders, including interior detail, etc? - Jim
Waaaaaaay too small for even micro RC equipment tmsmalley
"Robert Allen" wrote:
Does anyone know if someone is compiling accurate blueprints to be
released for model builders, including interior detail, etc?
Until the Friends of the Hunley begin selling a set - we've been
waiting for years - try mine here: exterior only, available as a
high-resolution GIF and a PDF. I do have some changes coming up.
The latest information I've seen shows a porthole on each side of the
aft hatch cowling. Michael
http://home.att.net/~JVNautilus/Hunley/reconstruction.html#mid
Dear George:
My name is Ray Arceneaux. After I finished High School in 1958 I went to work at the Lafayette Wood Works where we made cabinets, stair cases, and wall divides and other stuff. Every thing that we made had to look factory made, then I went to work for an insurance company and retired there.
I was always wanting to make models but I was always put down on that idea. I went upstairs one day and started building the Hunley but quit for a long time. One day I got an E-Mail from a guy on the Hunley and I told him almost everything I knew about it. I don't think anyone knows everything about the Hunley but he talked me into finishing the model.
I sent him a picture of the model and he couldn't believe of what he was looking at. I started thinking of the Monitor they had found and looked at pictures of it and started making it and now I'm almost finish with it.
I'm
sending you pictures of the Monitor step by step on how I did it and
later on I'll send you pictures step by step on how I built the Hunley.
Now before I finish with the Monitor I'm thinking of making the
Virginia. I guess I'm stuck on the Civil War. The upstairs looks
like a museum. I'm building all of this from pictures and if
I had the blue print I would probably try and build the real thing.
The models are the closest to the real thing that I will get. The
models look a lot more real then the pictures. I carved the
cannons the way they were described until you sent me a picture of the
real cannons. I came pretty close to the real thing. I'm
sending you a picture of my wife and I and my baby boy dog that died
about a month ago so you can get an idea of what I look like and then
later I'll send you a picture of me working on the Monitor. If you
need anything else let me know. See you later.
Thank You for your help. Your Friend, The Louisiana
Cajun Swamp Man
Ray
Subject: Hunley Models by Bill Thomas-Moore and Still Romancin' in Charleston!
Sunday, July 11Hi George:So glad to see you again last April 15 on the Carolina Belle. Wish we had more time to chat.Our best sites have been in historic or totally state of the art theaters, including Coastal Carolina U., Georgetown Theater, and the Port Columbus Civil War & Naval Museum.Anyway, wanted to touch base with you. Bill is under contract to build Hunley models for an Exhibit at a major attraction here in SC, and will also offer a limited edition of custom made models (3 ft. to scale/glass cases, mounted on mahogany bases) similar to the models you viewed on the Carolina Belle at our performance.We want to offer a limited edition of Hunley models...up to date, state of the art, that is on your site if you wish to add it.Please note that most models on websites are not of the Hunley, but of the Pioneer with the spar on top, not at the bottom, and they're usually not up to date in their details.If you're interested in adding a "custom order" link and sharing with a percentage or other arrangement for the proceeds, let us know. It could be a huge bonanza, considering that the commission he's doing will go international through the other enterprise. We could still offer custom made models through your site. We're partial to you.Hope all is well with you and your wife...and re-enactor friends. That was quite a week with the funeral...well done!!Warmest regards,
Scientists are now removing the
leftover sediments in the bottom of the sub and studying whether to use
traditional electrolysis, a technique known as cold plasma reduction or
so-called supercritical fluids to remove the corrosive salts from the
submarine.
Plasma Technology For Cold Cleanups
|
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
July 23, 2004
9) NEW DISCOVERIES INSIDE THE CONFEDERATE STATES SUBMARINE H L HUNLEY
Pump System Could Contain Important Clue to the Hunley's Disappearance
Though the H. L. Hunley has been emptied of sediment, scientists
continue archaeological work inside the submarine. The interior and
exterior sections of the submarine are covered with a heavy layer of
concretion, which masks internal mechanisms of the submarine and locks
artifacts in place. The work of investigating these hidden layers is
just beginning.
This summer, while scientists began working to remove the concretion and
artifacts from the forward and aft crew compartments, they uncovered new
operational details about the vessel that may provide an important clue
as to why the Hunley vanished after becoming the world's first
successful combat submarine.
Once a layer of the concretion was removed, an integral series of valves
and pumps, connected by a pipe running from the forward to the aft
ballast tank, was exposed. The configuration suggests that the
submarine's pump system may have had a dual purpose. Scientists knew the
pumps were used to control the water level in the ballast tanks, which
enabled the submarine to rise or dive while in operation. The complexity
of the pump system is leading scientists to believe it also served as a
bilge system that would have allowed the crew to remove water from
inside the submarine in the event of an emergency.
Depending on the valve setting and pump position, Hunley scientists may
be able to tell if the crew was desperately trying to remove water from
the crew compartment or trying to pump water out of the ballast tanks to
gain buoyancy the night that it vanished on Feb. 17, 1864.
The remaining concretion still covers a majority of the pump system and
has not been further removed because it protects the submarine from
corrosion as it awaits conservation treatment.
Scientists are hopeful that once they can safely excavate and x-ray this
key aspect of the submarine's internal pump mechanisms, it will allow us
to know what the crew was doing in the last moments of their voyage.
The forward pump was next to Hunley commander Lt. Dixon's
station. While excavating in this area, many artifacts were found that
provided insight into his responsibilities on the submarine.
Excavation Manager Maria Jacobsen said, "We uncovered a mysterious
concreted object that upon closer inspection turned out to be an intact
oilcan, with oil in liquid form still within it."
A number of other artifacts were de-concreted from this section of the
submarine, including a metal rod, a rectangular flat metal strap,
fragment of rubber-impregnated canvas, an iron wedge, nut, and hammer.
Previously a number of wrenches and bolts were found near the hammer,
and scientists believe these items were once part of a tool bag, which
deteriorated during the submarine's 136 years on the bottom of the ocean
floor.
A section of a depth gauge was also discovered, which still had
mercury in it.
"Finding these tools by Lt. Dixon's station shows that he not only knew
how to navigate the submarine, but had a deep understanding of how the
submarine worked and was actively involved in the ongoing maintenance of
his ship," said Warren Lasch, Chairman of Friends of the Hunley.
- An image has been provided to go along with this press release. To
access, go to our website at www.hunley.org and proceed to the media
center. The caption of the image is: Archaeologist Harry Pecorelli
working around the ballast pipes, valves, and forward bulkhead. Kellen
Correia (843) 722-2333 ext. 32
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Pump Valve Speculation Here's a
little speculation on the pump and tank-interconnect
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10) DOES THE H L HUNLEY NEED TO GO TO MYRTLE BEACH?
Grand Strand developer to
open $3M interactive exhibit in center of
tourist mecca
BY BRIAN HICKS
Of The Post and
Courier Staff
Mount Pleasant
Mayor Harry Hallman once said that if the H.L. Hunley
was going to make
big money, it needed to go to
Myrtle Beach.
Now, it virtually
is.
On Wednesday, the
Grand Strand development giant Burroughs and Chapin
Co. announced
plans to open the $3 million, 4,200-square-foot H.L.
Hunley Experience
as part of its Broadway at the Beach entertainment
complex. The
exhibit puts the Confederate sub front and center in the
heart of one of
the country's biggest tourist meccas, telling its
story to 11.5
million tourists each year.
"The Hunley is
first and foremost a technological marvel, conceived
of and built by
Americans," said Egerton Burroughs, company chairman.
Officials with
the Hunley project don't expect the new tourist
attraction to
compete with the real Hunley's museum, set to open in
North Charleston within the
decade. In fact, they hope this
attraction, which
quite literally has the bow of a Hunley replica
jutting
prominently from the Grand Strand skyline of gold pyramids,
giant crabs and
oversized planets, will increase interest in the sub
and draw
Myrtle Beach visitors
southward.
Sparking an
interest in the history and science of the Hunley is the
idea, Burroughs
and Chapin officials said. They say the Hunley
Experience -- the
premiere attraction at the new Adventures in
Science, History
and Nature building -- will be an interactive and
historically
accurate depiction of the sub.
Visitors will be
able to sit inside a mock-up of the Hunley's crew
compartment and
crank a propeller through water, look through a
reproduction
conning tower viewing port and get a feel for what it
took to operate
the world's first successful attack submarine.
In all, the
Hunley Experience will tell the story of the sub, from
the circumstances
under which it was built through the science and
technology of its
recovery and excavation.
"We want to
immerse people in this exhibit," said Pat McBride of
Burroughs and
Chapin. "We want to mix entertainment and education the
way Ripley's
(Aquarium) has done so well. We want to teach people
about the
technological achievements and times in which the Hunley
was created."
This new tourist
attraction, set to open July 7, could be a financial
boon for the real
Hunley's conservation. Under a licensing agreement,
Burroughs and
Chapin will pay Friends of the Hunley $54,000 a year
plus 20 percent
of gift shop proceeds. Warren Lasch, chairman of
Friends of the
Hunley, said he hopes the group will see around
$250,000 annually
as a result. The conservation of the sub costs more
than $1 million a
year.
Lasch said the
money from this joint venture is not the only boost
for the
submarine. The exhibit will introduce new people to the
Hunley and let
them know its conservation is an ongoing project even
though the sub's
final crew was buried earlier this month.
"This will help
us preserve the legacy and help us complete the
mission of
conserving the Hunley," Lasch said. "We are just getting
started in this,
but we think their attention to detail and vision
are great."
Burroughs and
Chapin officials estimate that 500,000 of Broadway at
the Beach's 11.5
million annual visitors will go through the Hunley
Experience. In
other words, they aren't worried about the exhibit
wastin' away next
to Margaritaville, the Jimmy Buffett chain
restaurant also
opening in July.
Tom Jones,
Burroughs and Chapin's chief officer for sports,
recreation and
entertainment, said the company is interested in the
Hunley because it
is "a story worth telling.""It is of such
importance to our
American history that the National Park Service and
the U.S. Naval
Historical Center joined in its raising, citing the
need for its
historical and archaeological preservation," Jones said.
Some details of
the Hunley Experience are still being worked out as
Burroughs and
Chapin rushes to open the exhibit by the height of
tourist season.
The $1.4 million building is under construction as
the $1.6 million
exhibit is being built offsite. Friends of the
Hunley officials
hope to reach an agreement to display some artifacts
from the sub on a
rotating basis, and they would like to offer a tour
bus to bring
visitors to the
Warren Lasch Conservation
Center in
North Charleston to see the
actual sub.
Those details are
yet to be worked out. Even the admission price,
which Jones said
will be under $10, has not been set.
The Hunley
Experience follows in the wake of a Titanic exhibition
that recently
opened at Ripley's Aquarium, within sight of where the
Adventures in
Science, History and Nature building is going up.
This project also
firmly plants the story of the ill-fated privateer
in modern pop
culture. In artist renderings, the bow of the Hunley
protrudes from
the front of the building atop turbid seas. This
signage sits at
the east end of the Broadway at the Beach complex,
across a man-made
lake from Hard Rock Cafe and across the highway
from the NASCAR
Cafe.
It's right in the
middle of a busy town's busiest epicenter.
Officials said
Wednesday that the Hunley exhibit has an open-ended
hold on the
Adventures building but could some day be phased out if
interest in the
submarine wanes.
Burroughs and
Chapin officials aren't expecting that to happen
anytime soon.
used with permission from the Post and Courier and Charleston.net
11) SELECTED EMAIL AND GUESTBOOK COMMENTS
realname: Robert C. Comins
username: rcomins@worldnet.att.net
city: Glenville
state: NY
country: USA
Remote Name: 12.76.142.243
Date: Monday June 21, 2004
Time: 04:16:11 AM
comments
As a relative of Ezra Chamberlain (Chamberlin) owner of the copper Union ID tag found on the Hunley, on his mothers side (Fanny Comins I am very interested in all the stories about the Hunley.
realname: Barbara McCann
city: Palm Harbor
state: fl
country: USA
Remote Name: 152.163.252.102
Date: Thursday June 03, 2004
Time: 10:21:24 AM
Someone sure put a lot of work into this website. Very interesting and we shall visit the Hunley in July 2004
realname: DAN PYATT
city: columbus
state: in
country: USA
Remote Name: 12.221.211.175
Date: Wednesday June 02, 2004
Time: 12:07:17 PM
I have been a member of the friends of the Hunley for four years and just found your site. I can't believe how much more info your site gives for noting compared to their site I have had to pay for.
realname: Stephen M. Longnecker
city: West Seneca
state: NY
country: USA
Remote Name: 199.33.173.1
Date: Wednesday June 30, 2004
Time: 02:51:29 PM
A g-g uncle of mine had something to do with the building of this boat. He was from Shea's Battalion 4Th Texas Artillery. The National Archives has copies of muster cards and special orders sending several men from Port Lavaca Texas to Mobile and then on to Charleston. These cards also include one for Edgar Collins Singer and Dr. John Fretwell, inventors of a very sophisticated metal torpedo. It is possible that a Singer torpedo was on the end of the spar on the Hunley since I found special orders dispatching EC Singer and others to Charleston to work on "torpedoes". I am almost certain the National Archive papers describe the initial formation of the "Singer Secret Service Corps", a secret organization of Masons that were involved in the construction and initial crewing of H.L. Hunley before it was commandeered by the Army. If you care to read about these Texans go to http://www.rootsweb.com/~txcalhou/hunley.html
Originally To: George@TheHunley.com
FirstName: james clark
email: clkjames@worldnet.att.net
City: gray
State: ga
Zip: 31032 1668
Date: 09 Jun 2004
Time: 14:51:32
message:
I am trying to find a list of names of the Hunley crew.
I am looking for a Miller who may or may not be family.
You may also call. Thanks
Could
you Please see that Randy Burbage gets this. Thank You, Bob Parker
Sir, I had the Honor of standing guard with Steve Christmas 2002. My Girl
friend and I came from Maryland, Burt made us feel as if we had known him all
our lives.
When Sunday's tour was over and it was time to go home, we hugged, we cried,
and Steve asked for a favor, he wanted one of my buttons, I was a Major
General. He cut off one of my buttons and I cut off one of his. I had hoped to
see him again but it was not to be. Last Friday I was at the C.S.A. Store in
Charleston, and met a Gentleman who was a friend of Steve Burt. I hold him
how much all the Marylanders LOVED Steve! and to please let all his friends
know that.
As we left the store he came over to me and gave me a piece of black ribbon
that was on the flag at Steve's funeral. I was speechless, brought to tears I
couldn't respond properly but thanked him as best I could. God Bless Him.
We attended the Hunley Funeral with the Maryland Division. I wore Steve's
Button and tied the ribbon around it. I commanded the Maryland Div. Color
Guard/S.C.V.
When we arrived at the cemetery I was able to take pictures of the last
casket being removed (8th man Joseph Ridgaway, Maryland) I am telling you
Steve was there helping us carry the casket. See Picture. It was Steve's way
of letting us know that he was with us.
On behalf of the Maryland Division S.C.V.We would like to thank all of the
people of South Carolina for making us feel so welcome.
Confederately Yours, Liz Groszer &
Bob Parker
Santa1861@aol.com
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Tours of the Hunley are still available on
weekends at the
Warren Lasch conservation lab where the sub is housed.
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