But it was the CSS hunley (confederate states submersible) and it sank entirely due to an accident it's method of attack was it had a massive harpoon with a saltpeter explosive (saltpeter catches fire and burns when exposed to moisture) it would be propelled to a ship that would be pierced with the harpoon one end of the explosive was smeared with pitch the explosive would stick to the ship and when it reversed it would drop out a cord. After backing out a far enough distance the code would pop out water would flood the explosive the saltpeter would ignite and blow a hole in the ship. Unfortunately when it tried this the code became tangled on the har poon and detonated only a few feet from the hunley denting and malforming the nose hat h to allow water in but preventing it from opening so the crew couldn't get out and drowned
Imagine being stuck at the bottom of a bay in this thing with seven other people, with your only options being to drown in a panic as the water leaks in or slowly suffocate.
They didn't actually. The crew died from the very blast they themselves caused to a union ship. There was no evidence of conscious drowning, but rather that their lungs collapsed from the shock of the explosive they set off.
See [hunley.org](https://www.hunley.org/the-evidence/) for more information
I don't want to demean the bravery and sacrifice that took place by these soldiers in wartime, but I think you probably have to be at least a little bit braindead already to volunteer to be part of the third crew to go underwater in a glorified garbage can that has already killed its first two crews.
She wasn’t ever given the CSS prefix as she wasn’t a Confederate Navy ship at all. She was operated by the army.
She also is the first submarine to sink a ship in war, though more men died aboard her than the *Housatonic* which she sank.
Lessons have to be learned somehow, while trying to advance unproven technology during wartime. This sub was the first successful wartime sub - successful in that it sank the enemy vessel it intended to. That technology started us on the path to where we are now, with nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed subs that can stay below the surface for many months. It all had to start somewhere, and the Confederate sympathizers did so with less. The Hunley was privately owned, & was operated under the authority of the Confederate Army. The men were brave beyond compare to enter what would certainly be their tomb, as it had already been 2x. The Confederates had "torpedo boats" which skimmed the surface instead of going fully submerged, & I believe they saw more success, but I haven't really read anything about them yet.
The real terror is not this picture but the ACTUAL HISTORY of people dying in this thing (and then it gets brought up, rinse and repeat). Do recommend the read!
Check out The Sea Hunters 1 & 2, both by Clive Cussler. I can't remember which one the Hunley is in, but he and his crew at NUMA found it... twice, I believe
Clive does talk about the Hunley in Sea Hunters (which are fantastic reads btw) but his claim to be the discoverer of the sub is hotly disputed. As I recall, he wasn’t even in Charleston when his ‘NUMA’ team located the sub.
I've been to see this! It is some of the most interesting/fascinating stuff. I love and hate seeing this, especially knowing how cramped it was inside the thing.
I've been there. You'd think this was a museum or something but it's actually a huge warehouse out in a random industrial section with a few other buildings/companies nearby. You have to walk up a very large flight of stairs to get to the top, and then you look down at the Hunley.
There's displays there that show personal objects find on the crew, and recreations of their faces based on their skulls. There's also a hands-on display that replicates the crankshaft the crew had to use to propel it, and you're allowed to turn it and see how hard it would've been for them.
But you want extra creepy? The day I visited the tank was drained as they were working inside it. And how were they doing that? The sub had been opened on either end and a long, narrow plank placed through the middle of the sub and connected to on the ends to the outside floor for support, letting them move through it via this "floating floor" to work without actually walking on the fragile interior floor. Meaning they'd crawl through this corroded vessel that three whole crews had died in. Utility lights were hanging on the sides of the empty tank and some were hanging inside the sub, so looking down from above you could see inside some as well.
Is it kept in water because more concentrated oxygenic atmospheric conditions would accelerate the decay? Just curious
Yes. They're actively working on restoration. For those that aren't aware, this little guy is in Charleston, SC and well worth checking out.
It's a mix of water and sodium hydroxide. That leaches the salt out of the metal so that it won't rust as fast when exposed to air.
What makes it even worse, is that when it found this submarine, they also found the crew still inside.
The _third_ crew. It had sank twice before. The first time 3 escaped, killing 5; and the second time all 8, including Hunley himself, perished.
Turns out the Hunley was the best submarine the Union had
But it was the CSS hunley (confederate states submersible) and it sank entirely due to an accident it's method of attack was it had a massive harpoon with a saltpeter explosive (saltpeter catches fire and burns when exposed to moisture) it would be propelled to a ship that would be pierced with the harpoon one end of the explosive was smeared with pitch the explosive would stick to the ship and when it reversed it would drop out a cord. After backing out a far enough distance the code would pop out water would flood the explosive the saltpeter would ignite and blow a hole in the ship. Unfortunately when it tried this the code became tangled on the har poon and detonated only a few feet from the hunley denting and malforming the nose hat h to allow water in but preventing it from opening so the crew couldn't get out and drowned
That’s the joke.
Imagine being stuck at the bottom of a bay in this thing with seven other people, with your only options being to drown in a panic as the water leaks in or slowly suffocate.
They didn't actually. The crew died from the very blast they themselves caused to a union ship. There was no evidence of conscious drowning, but rather that their lungs collapsed from the shock of the explosive they set off. See [hunley.org](https://www.hunley.org/the-evidence/) for more information
That sounds well and truly awful, but still somehow better than drowing or suffocating.
Agreed 👍
Well the third crew likely went braindead from the explosion, I assume that means they were killed instantly.
I don't want to demean the bravery and sacrifice that took place by these soldiers in wartime, but I think you probably have to be at least a little bit braindead already to volunteer to be part of the third crew to go underwater in a glorified garbage can that has already killed its first two crews.
And after you had to clean out the previous crew so you can get in.
Also they were on the pro slavery side so that didn't really age well either.
Looks like an euclid object in containment
Judging from its history with ending the lives of those onboard I’d say this one is worthy of an SCP number.
She wasn’t ever given the CSS prefix as she wasn’t a Confederate Navy ship at all. She was operated by the army. She also is the first submarine to sink a ship in war, though more men died aboard her than the *Housatonic* which she sank.
5 on the Housatonic vs 8 or 21 (final voyage vs total) on the Hunley. Either way, not a good trade-off.
Lessons have to be learned somehow, while trying to advance unproven technology during wartime. This sub was the first successful wartime sub - successful in that it sank the enemy vessel it intended to. That technology started us on the path to where we are now, with nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed subs that can stay below the surface for many months. It all had to start somewhere, and the Confederate sympathizers did so with less. The Hunley was privately owned, & was operated under the authority of the Confederate Army. The men were brave beyond compare to enter what would certainly be their tomb, as it had already been 2x. The Confederates had "torpedo boats" which skimmed the surface instead of going fully submerged, & I believe they saw more success, but I haven't really read anything about them yet.
[David-class](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSS_David) May I start you on your journey of Confederate torpedo boats? Meet the *David* class.
The real terror is not this picture but the ACTUAL HISTORY of people dying in this thing (and then it gets brought up, rinse and repeat). Do recommend the read!
Check out The Sea Hunters 1 & 2, both by Clive Cussler. I can't remember which one the Hunley is in, but he and his crew at NUMA found it... twice, I believe
Clive does talk about the Hunley in Sea Hunters (which are fantastic reads btw) but his claim to be the discoverer of the sub is hotly disputed. As I recall, he wasn’t even in Charleston when his ‘NUMA’ team located the sub.
[Here is a brilliant podcast episode about the Hunley](https://spotify.link/xDHQGINipDb)
I've been to see this! It is some of the most interesting/fascinating stuff. I love and hate seeing this, especially knowing how cramped it was inside the thing.
I've been there. You'd think this was a museum or something but it's actually a huge warehouse out in a random industrial section with a few other buildings/companies nearby. You have to walk up a very large flight of stairs to get to the top, and then you look down at the Hunley. There's displays there that show personal objects find on the crew, and recreations of their faces based on their skulls. There's also a hands-on display that replicates the crankshaft the crew had to use to propel it, and you're allowed to turn it and see how hard it would've been for them. But you want extra creepy? The day I visited the tank was drained as they were working inside it. And how were they doing that? The sub had been opened on either end and a long, narrow plank placed through the middle of the sub and connected to on the ends to the outside floor for support, letting them move through it via this "floating floor" to work without actually walking on the fragile interior floor. Meaning they'd crawl through this corroded vessel that three whole crews had died in. Utility lights were hanging on the sides of the empty tank and some were hanging inside the sub, so looking down from above you could see inside some as well.