On Thursday, Feb. 19, a large audience gathered at Sunrise Presbyterian Church for the monthly speaker program sponsored by the Battery Gadsden Cultural Center. In recognition of the 162nd anniversary of the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley’s successful attack and sudden disappearance, Warren Lasch presented his latest research in a talk titled “The Final Silence — A Forensic Reconstruction of the H.L. Hunley’s Loss.”
The story of the Hunley is well known to many who live in the area. On the evening of Feb. 17, 1864, the Hunley departed from Sullivan’s Island via Breach Inlet to attack Union ships blockading Charleston Harbor. Using the outgoing tide, the vessel reached the USS Housatonic. The crew detonated a 135-pound charge of black powder against the ship’s hull, becoming the first submarine in history to sink an enemy ship in combat. A blue light — the prearranged signal to their comrades on land — was reportedly seen. Then nothing.
The submarine was not seen again until it was discovered in 1995 in 30 feet of water about 4 miles off Sullivan’s Island. It was raised in 2000, thanks in large part to Lasch, who served as founding chairman of the Friends of the Hunley. The vessel now rests in a tank at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center on the former Navy base in North Charleston. In recognition of his role in raising and preserving the submarine, Lasch has received numerous honors, including the Order of the Palmetto, the state’s highest civilian honor.
As the evening unfolded, Lasch addressed many of the topics that have emerged over the past 25 years, focusing on what caused the crew’s demise. Various theories have been proposed. Was it the blast effect from the detonation of the charge? Lasch refuted that theory, citing tests conducted using a model made of real iron and period powder that showed only a fraction of lethal force would have reached the crew, as well as reports of the blue signal light. As he noted, dead men do not signal mission success.
Archaeologists found the remains of the crew seated at their assigned stations. There was no sign of panic or an attempt to escape. What could have caused such circumstances?
While emphasizing that his conclusions reflect his personal research and not the official position of Clemson University, the Warren Lasch Conservation Center, the Friends of the Hunley, the Naval Base Museum Authority or the South Carolina Hunley Commission, Lasch said he believes the eight crew members were victims of what he described as three “invisible executioners”: decreased oxygen levels after strenuous labor cranking the submarine’s propeller, increased carbon dioxide levels, and elevated carbon monoxide levels. That combination, he said, led to physiological failure.
“Physiology sealed their fate,” Lasch said. “These eight men wrote the first chapter of submarine warfare, and they wrote it with bravery that still echoes 162 years later.”
The evening also included additional historical details, audience participation and an extended question-and-answer session.
According to Adele Tobin, vice president of the Battery Gadsden Cultural Center, “This was undoubtedly one of the most successful sessions we’ve ever had with our monthly speaker series. I’m sure there must have been 200 people here,” demonstrating the ongoing fascination with the story of Lt. George Dixon, his seven shipmates and the H.L. Hunley.
For more information on the Battery Gadsden speaker series, visit batterygadsden.org or email batterygadsden@gmail.com.