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THE ONLINE VERSION - FOR SUBSCRIBERS
DECEMBER 2, 2003
ISSUE #46
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WELCOME TO THE HUNLEY NEWSLETTER >
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2) PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography: |
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OLD Post Card Views of Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, S.C. Where the LAST HUNLEY CREW WILL BE BURIED |
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THE CONFEDERATE MONUMENT AT
MAGNOLIA |
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3) INTERIOR CLEARED - LAST ARTIFACTS FOUND ON SUB
It was announced last week that all the Charleston pluff mud and sediments have been cleared out of the hull of the Confederate States Submarine H L Hunley including the forward and rear ballast tanks and over 3,000 valuable artifacts. The submarine was raised over three years ago after it was relocated based on the original discovery in 1970 by E. Lee Spence.
With the interior now cleared, scientist will start on the next phase of excavation which includes the mapping of the walls of the hull, x-raying the interior workings and removing the mechanics that made this ship a sub. It is the hope of technicians and scientist that the final clues will be discovered leading to the answer of what happened in the final moments of this history making battle between the Hunley and the USS Housatonic.
Handling the forensics much like a crime scene investigation, Hunley Project manager Dr. Robert Neyland says the final answer will not be known until all the data is analyzed and a verdict is rendered which may take years.
The best sinking theories to date always include a combination of factors mainly command errors and mechanical and logistical failures according to George W. Penington, Editor of the Hunley.com Newsletter.
"A lot of things don't come together until you start writing up all the evidence," Neyland said, adding that there "is no smoking gun."
Even though all the mud and sediment has been removed from the sub there is still a substantial thickness of concretion left covering the exterior and interior walls and mechanics. No decision has been made about how to deal with this thick concretion at this point, so x-rays and lasers will be used to analyze what can not be seen with the naked eye.
Although there appears to be no “smoking gun” at this point, being able to analyze the mechanical workings including the cranking mechanism and steering devices may eventually substantiate theories based on mechanical failure.
Because analyst know that there was a substantial
amount of air left in the crew section of the interior compartments,
a critical hull breach is not likely to be found that would date
back to the original sinking on February 17, 1864. The several large
holes or gashes found in
the sub appear to be from a later time after the sinking with a
theory that they were a
result of anchors being dragged over the sub many years later. The
Hunley was found along the edge of the primary shipping lane in an
area frequented by fishermen and shrimp boats.
The forward hatch was very slightly open but
remained sealed but not fastened. There was an unlikely theory that
said it may be because an anchor snagged it and forced it ajar, but
more likely It was possible that Commander George E. Dixon may have
opened it intentionally in a futile last attempt to escape.
A few surprise announcements this month were released by the Hunley
Commission about the last few artifacts found on the sub.
The wooden cask found in the forward ballast tank was not the long lost chamber pot but instead was a repair kit for plugging leaks and included a caulking kit. In the sediment nearby was a flat iron like chisel often used to pound caulking into leaking seams. They also have found more items inside the central crew compartment of the sub, including a wrench, a hammer and three bolts. The wrench needed to unbolt the keel ballast weights was finally discovered along with the hammer and a coil of rope. Tools no able-bodied seaman would sail without.
A long time theory about moving ballast water from the bow ballast tank to the stern ballast tank was finally confirmed by the discovery of a pipe under the crew area along the bottom of the ship. Ballast water could be moved from the front tank to the stern tank or the reverse to trim the ship level. Outside water could be pumped in individually to lower to ship below the surface leaving less of the turrets exposed. The diving planes were used in conjunction with forward motion to force the sub to dive but a delicate balance was needed to keep her from popping back up to the surface. Of course the more water inside the ship meant less room for breathing air.
Archaeologists were able to get access to the ballast tanks by removing outside hull panels which also allowed the scientist to view and exam several large gashes found in the hull.
Neyland said. "we have to look for more subtle
influences as to the reason for the sinking,"
The facts remain that all eight crewmen died closely to their duty
positions in the sub.
Dixon was found in the front turret area, the command area where the
compass, steering, dive planes, depth gauge were all located, and
seven man crew were behind him at rowing stations on a bench that
ran along the Hunley's propeller crank. The number 8 man was second
in command at the rear turret and was responsible for pumping the
rear ballast tank.
In another surprise announcement, Dr. Neyland stated that the
majority of the subs inner workings that have not already been
removed will be taken out and individually treated and conserved for
display at a later date. This includes the crew bench, the pumps,
depth gauge and the crankshaft and gears along with the ballast bars
found in the tanks.
| Rip in ballast tank | Pencil | Air box was removed |
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| Shoe belonging to crewman | Hunley propeller | Button found |
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Pictures provided by the CSS H L HUNLEY CLUB AND Friends of the Hunley, Inc. |
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