Hunley Still a Mystery

It has been ten years since the Confederate submarine Hunley was raised from the deep dark depths off the South Carolina coastline, and still the mystery remains as to why it sank in the first place. There has been much speculation, including the idea that the sub lost oxygen inside, thus causing the demise of the crewmen within her thick iron walls. (Their remains were put to rest during a Confederate funeral in 2004.) Another thought is that an explosion occurred after the Hunley rammed a spar with a power charge into a Union blockade ship, the Housatonic, in February 1864. The Hunley was the first submarine to ever sink an enemy warship.

Next year, the hull of the sub will be turned upright to reveal a side that hasn't seen the light of day in nearly 150 years. Approximately $22 million has been spent in the past fifteen years to preserve the Hunley. However, the investment has made its return, as several million people have visited the conservatory where the Hunley rests in a tank-full of water. The Hunley could be displayed in a museum as early as 2015.

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