Emergencies and World Disasters
The Submarine That Won a Battle - Then Took Eight Men Down
23 min•24 juli 2026
Om avsnittet
The Submarine That Won a Battle - Then Took Eight Men Down
A 39.5-foot iron tube slipped through Charleston harbor on February 17, 1864, carrying eight men and 135 pounds of gunpowder - and it sank the Union sloop Housatonic in minutes. The Hunley then signaled success with a blue light and vanished for 106 years; how did a machine that achieved a historic first also bury its own crew and leave holes in its hull no one can fully explain?
In this episode, we trace the Hunley from its construction in 1863 through the 1864 attack, the century-long burial in Charleston Harbor, and the contested 20th-century discoveries that set off a race to recover and conserve it - what did rescuers find when they finally lifted the sub, and what questions remained?
Person: Horace Lawson Hunley, James McClintock, Baxter Watson
Date: February 17, 1864
Location: Charleston Harbor, about four miles off Sullivan's Island
Event: Sinking of the Union sloop Housatonic by the Hunley
Status: Submerged for 106 years; raised and conserved after disputed discovery
- The Hunley measured 39.5 feet in length and 3 feet 10 inches interior width.
- The crew of eight powered the propeller by hand crank and could reach roughly four knots.
- The weapon carried 135 pounds of gunpowder on a spar torpedo fixed to the bow.
- The Housatonic was in about 30 feet of water and sank minutes after detonation.
- When raised, the hull had 1,200 pounds of encrusted sediment and eight sets of human remains still at their stations.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
A 39.5-foot iron tube slipped through Charleston harbor on February 17, 1864, carrying eight men and 135 pounds of gunpowder - and it sank the Union sloop Housatonic in minutes. The Hunley then signaled success with a blue light and vanished for 106 years; how did a machine that achieved a historic first also bury its own crew and leave holes in its hull no one can fully explain?
In this episode, we trace the Hunley from its construction in 1863 through the 1864 attack, the century-long burial in Charleston Harbor, and the contested 20th-century discoveries that set off a race to recover and conserve it - what did rescuers find when they finally lifted the sub, and what questions remained?
Person: Horace Lawson Hunley, James McClintock, Baxter Watson
Date: February 17, 1864
Location: Charleston Harbor, about four miles off Sullivan's Island
Event: Sinking of the Union sloop Housatonic by the Hunley
Status: Submerged for 106 years; raised and conserved after disputed discovery
- The Hunley measured 39.5 feet in length and 3 feet 10 inches interior width.
- The crew of eight powered the propeller by hand crank and could reach roughly four knots.
- The weapon carried 135 pounds of gunpowder on a spar torpedo fixed to the bow.
- The Housatonic was in about 30 feet of water and sank minutes after detonation.
- When raised, the hull had 1,200 pounds of encrusted sediment and eight sets of human remains still at their stations.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
Emergencies and World Disasters med Creator at Obomedia finns tillgänglig på flera plattformar. Informationen på denna sida kommer från offentliga podd-flöden.