April 19, 2004
Hunley funeral
From Saturday's Richmond Times-Dispatch:
The experimental Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley tended to bring death rather than life.The Hunley killed 21 of the 28 Confederate sailors who dared to sail aboard it, including the eight on its dramatic final voyage, who are to be buried with honors and fanfare in Charleston today.
It killed five Union sailors when it sank the sloop USS Housatonic off the coast of Charleston on Feb. 17, 1864. That sinking - the first by a submarine - introduced a lethal form of warfare that has claimed thousands of lives since the Civil War. . .
Thousands of people have lined up to see the remains of the Hunley, which was raised from the ocean bottom in August 2000 and now soaks in a huge tank of cool water infused with an electrical current to preserve the sub for future display. . .
Today, tens of thousands of people are expected to line the streets to watch the remains of the Hunley's last crew borne on caissons to historic Magnolia Cemetery. The Hunley Commission, a state agency devoted to the project, has billed the event, "the last Confederate funeral."
Posted by David on April 19, 2004 1:55 PM
Glimpses into history:
A Confederate re-enactor salutes at the foot of the grave holding the crew of the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley in Charleston, South Carolina, April 17, 2004. Thousands of men in Civil War uniforms and women in black hoop skirts crowded into this antebellum city on Saturday to pay final respects to the crew of the H.L. Hunley, the first submarine to sink an enemy warship.
Somehow, black and white images would be more fitting than color.
Posted by: Peter Shriner on April 19, 2004 4:52 PM
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