Broken Pipe Sunk Hunley???

[connecticut yankee]

New evidence suggests a broken pipe may have led to the sinking of the Confederate submarine Hunley. A press release by the Hunley folks yesterday points to water coming through a one inch unattached pipe might have been the culprit. Here's the story and don't forget to click on the video accompanying this article:

https://www.counton2.com/news/local...at-led-to-sinking-of-the-hl-hunley/1701294354

 

[gary]

Thanks for sharing the link and news. I saw the Hunley when I visited North Charleston. It was all encrusted at that time.

 

[Andersonh1]

Given that all the men were apparently sitting at their posts when they died, I'm not sure even rapid flooding would account for what happened. Seems like they'd have been trying to get out. Still, interesting find for sure.

 

[Pollaco]

Thanks for the update. That little episode of the Hunley always grabs my attention, but in the article the words "non-conclusive" kind of stuck out. I doubt we'll ever know for sure.

 

[JOHN42768]

Wonder how you know if it broke and created a leak or broke when it settled on bottom

 

[AndyHall]

Interesting theory.

 

[Coonewah Creek]

Interesting, but I agree. Even with a rapid leak the men would have surely tried to escape. I tend to believe the earlier study that said the blast concussion killed them all, essentially instantly.

 

[AndyHall]

I've always found the "there was no panic because they were all in their places" argument a little strained. The boat was so small and cramped that it would have been very difficult for the crew to move out of their places at all, unless they did so one-by-one, sliding down the bench, in order.There simply wasn't room for them to gather together around the hatches.

 

[DaveBrt]

A 1" pipe? Where was the little Dutch boy with his trusty finger?

 

[Pollaco]

Would you still be in your place if you suddenly felt cold water up around your ankles? If there was a leak and the crew was concious there would have been some disorder. Its human nature to survive. I'll go with the theory that the blast left them unconcious.

 

[Andersonh1]

I'll go with the theory that the blast left them unconcious.

That seems like the most likely explanation to me.

 

[Pollaco]

I've always enjoyed discussing the H L Hunley. To me it was always such a fascinating subject. This little sub actually had one of the few Civil War movies made about it. So it probably captured someone elses imagination too. The videos of its return and burial of its crew plus the movie are still watched by myself. There haven't been that many Confederate Soldiers in that town in over a century.

 

[USS ALASKA]

Sirs, just a thought...if it was a VERY well disciplined crew with strong leadership and the call rang out "We've sprung a leak!!! Crank faster to drive us to the surface!!!" maybe that is why they were all in their seats...not that I believe that just looking for a reason for this scenario that would make sense...
253

Hold your breath,
USS ALASKA

 

[Coonewah Creek]

Sirs, just a thought...if it was a VERY well disciplined crew with strong leadership and the call rang out "We've sprung a leak!!! Crank faster to drive us to the surface!!!" maybe that is why they were all in their seats...not that I believe that just looking for a reason for this scenario that would make sense...

I would never deny that the crew was well-disciplined, however IIRRC wasn't there an indication that no attempt had been made to "blow ballasts?" Wouldn't that be your first action if you were attempting to rapidly surface?

 

[mofederal]

Thanks for the thread @connecticut yankee. It brings up some very interesting possibilities. I would like to know more. Now I am beginning to sound like a PSA from Starship Troopers.

 

[UKMarkw]

I watched a program on the Hunley last night and they did dome experiments on the concussive force of the explosion and seemed to nullify this as a possible cause. They also mentioned a part of the port hole was broken and at the bottom under the silt so had come off very early possibly from small arms fire. Is it possible that the Hunley began to fill with water and with stoicism the crew knew there was no escape and waited?

 

[jackt62]

I just finished reading "In the Waves," which is a contemporary scientist's account of her research into the sinking of the Hunley. Her thesis is that the crew were killed in place by the action of the blast wave that was generated by the detonation of the Hunley's torpedo.

 

[bankerpapaw]

I just finished reading "In the Waves," which is a contemporary scientist's account of her research into the sinking of the Hunley. Her thesis is that the crew were killed in place by the action of the blast wave that was generated by the detonation of the Hunley's torpedo.

The blast wave was what I always thought. Wasn't the spar only 20 feet long? Not enough distance when the charge goes off.

 

[connecticut yankee]

I just finished reading "In the Waves," which is a contemporary scientist's account of her research into the sinking of the Hunley. Her thesis is that the crew were killed in place by the action of the blast wave that was generated by the detonation of the Hunley's torpedo.

The jury is still out on what sank the Hunley, the jury being those folks working for 15+ years on the sub in Charleston. There is disagreement by historians and scientists as to whether or not the explosive was placed under the Housatonic, then the Hunley backed away far enough as planned. In such a case, the Hunley would have detonated the explosive by some kind of a command switch. "In the Waves" bases its hypothesis on the dubious assumption that the explosive was a contact-type one and that the Hunley was within 20 feet when the explosion occured. The spar by the way was about 16' and a few inches more.

 

[Lubliner]

If you read verdicts that have been handed out by aircraft crash and boat sinking inquiries, they pretty much all agree that there is more than a single event that led up to a tragedy. Most say the occurrence of one event compounds itself, creating another, leading to the final destruction. If perchance, they were knocked out by the blast, and the blast caused a pipe to fail or become dislodged from it's placement; [or oakite packing such as around a rudder shaft]; the crew being knocked out would not make the vessel sink. They were unable to move from there place as the submarine filled with water.
Lubliner.