It has now been 20 years since the Confederate submarine CSS Hunley was retrieved from beneath the sea, and two major mysteries linger still – how did the 8-man crew die, and why is this amazing piece of history not in a place where the public can see it on a daily basis? The Hunley was the first submarine in the history of warfare to sink an enemy ship, remarkable considering the little vessel was powered only by a hand-cranked propeller. Little more than an iron tube with an explosive protruding from a bow spar, the tiny sub sank the warship USS Housatonic off Charleston Harbor on February 17, 1864, but never returned. Buried under the ocean bottom for nearly 150 years, the vessel was retrieved completely intact, including the remains of the 8 crewmen, who were thought to have drowned. But a new study by Duke University scientist Rachel Lance concludes that all were instantly killed by the intense shock wave of the explosion. The Hunley was been under conservation management for 20 years and is now in incredibly good condition. But it sits in a warehouse in North Charleston where visitors and tourists can only see it on weekends. We have a maritime museum overlooking Charleston harbor – why is this amazing piece of history there where everyone can see it? <img.src=”Charleston Civil War History” alt=”Submarine Hunley”
