![]() The explosion sank the ship, killing many of its crew. Within a matter of hours, the Union ship’s stern was blown open in a spray of wood planks. On the night of February 17, 1864, the tiny Confederate submarine HL Hunley made its way toward the USS Housatonic just outside Charleston harbor. Drawing on Hagley’s holdings on black powder, and studies from the Civil War era on its blast properties, allowed Hundley to unravel the mystery of why the submarine sank and why its sailors died in their chairs. Her interest and training led her to the Hagley archives to learn more about black powder, the explosive used by the U.S. ![]() ![]() Why did it sink? Why did the men die without any sign they had sought to exit?Įncountering this puzzle while in graduate school at Duke University, Lance became obsessed with understanding what happened. Additionally, all eight men were still seated at their stations-frozen in time after more than a century. The mystery of the submarine’s demise remained a source of speculation for over 100 years, and only deepened in 1975 when it was finally raised from the harbor’s floor. The craft’s metal hull showed no indication that it had been breached. Deployed in the 1864 battle of Charleston harbor, the HL Hunley sank the USS Housatonic before it disappeared as well, killing its crew and leaving no visible wreckage. Rachel Lance will speak about her successful detective work uncovering the story behind the sinking of the Confederate submarine the HL Hunley. This event is available on Hagley's YouTube Channel
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