|
|
||
| How would you feel if you were one of the nine men selected to be on board the first submarine used in battle? On February 17, 1864 the men set out for the Union Navy’s biggest ship, which was just outside of Charleston Harbor. | ||
| When they finally made their destination they spotted a lookout on board, which didn’t have the slightest chance of knowing what was coming. Then an alarm rang out this was definitely no porpoise or debris floating. An object that was 39 feet 5inches long and 3feet 10 inches wide was heading straight for the Warship Housatonic. It was different; as the Union sailors began firing at the Hunley bullets ricocheted off of its iron structure. | ||
| Inside the Hunley 8 men poured in sweat over hand cranks that powered the propeller while their captain manned the dive planes. The bullets from the Housatonic were no match for what was going to be fired at them, a 135 pound torpedo. At 9:00 P.M. the Housatonic was struck with an explosion that destroyed its entire stern. The Hunley was the first submarine to ever sink an enemy ship, but the Hunley had also made its last attack. The submarine and its crew of nine went down with the Housatonic. | ||
| The technology that they had back in 1864 wasn’t all that great. The technology back then wasn’t all that great. They didn’t have bathrooms indoors, running water, or even electricity in homes. For the Confederates to come up with the idea to send nine men under water, in a submarine to fight in battle is truly amazing. | ||
|
||
| Gina Newsham
8th Grade 2000 |