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NASCAR
DRIVER STERLING MARLIN IMPRESSED BY HUNLEY TECHNOLOGY
BY TOMMY BRASWELL
Of The Post and Courier Staff
Sterling Marlin knows a thing or two about engineering, but the NASCAR driver
was amazed at the technology used more than a century ago in building the
Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley.
And he was just as amazed at the technology being employed today to preserve the
submarine, which in 1864 sank the U.S.S. Housatonic outside Charleston Harbor
and never returned from its historic voyage.
When asked, what was the most impressive thing he saw during a private tour
Wednesday, Marlin answered: "All of it. Just to look back at how they did things
130, 135 years ago.
"The welding. The relics that came out of it, the old watches, coins, knives and
stuff like that. The bench they sat on to crank it. The paint’s still on the
bench. It looked like the boiler plate had been cut with a shear, no jagged
edges. It was real neat. The rivets. They didn't have any electricity to drill,
but they done it."
Marlin, his wife Paula and 12-year-old daughter Sutherlin along with a family
friend got a personalized tour directed by Friends of Hunley chairman Warren
Lasch, project supervisor Bob Neyland and archeologist Harry Pecorelli, the
diver who was the first person to touch the Hunley when it was discovered in May
1995.
The submarine was recovered in July 2000 and brought to the Warren Lasch
Conservation Center at the old Navy Base where the sub and its contents are
being documented and preserved.
Marlin said history and physical education were the only subjects he was good in
as a student, but that he really began to get interested in the Civil War about
15 years ago when people began finding Civil War artifacts near his hometown of
Columbia, Tenn.
"My great-great granddaddy, William Marlin, fought in the war. He survived it
and lived to be 94-years old," said Marlin, who noted that his great-great
grandfather had three brothers who also fought in the Civil War and survived to
live to their 90s.
Marlin said someone had furlough papers that pointed out the Civil War soldier
was 6-1, 160 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes. "That's us," said the
blonde-haired, blue-eyed driver.
Marlin said he began relic hunting about 12 years ago. He now has a Civil War
room in his home and fans contribute to his collection.
In Detroit a few months ago, a fan of Marlin's presented the driver with a sword
from the Civil War.
[ Home ] [ Up ] [ The USS Keokuk ] [ Full Scale model ? ] [ BATTLE MAP ] [ Housatonic Sank ] [ ARTIFACTS ] [ USS HUNLEY ] [ THE CREW ] [ Torpedo Warfare Around The Civil War- Article ] [ Torpedo Part 2 ] [ SITE MAP ] [ ENGINEERING ] [ ARCHIVES ]
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The Confederate States Submarine H L Hunley
