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Confederate sub to be displayed
Hunley as it appeared
This artist’s conception indicates how the original Hunley would have appeared. The pole
at the bow had an attached torpedo that was released by a rope. Companies from the
Fifth Kentucky C.S.A. will provide an honor guard for the submarine when it’s
displayed at the Battle of Leatherwood. – Friends of the Hunley photo
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Leatherwood welcomes Hunley
As part of his “labor of love,” John Dangerfield is bringing his model of the Confederate submarine Hunley to the Battle of Leatherwood.
The retired marine machinist will tow his 3,500-pound full-scale replica from his South Carolina home to Cornettsville for the Oct. 23-25 re-enactment just for $100, gas mileage and lodging.
“I don’t charge for people to see this piece of history because I love the history and heritage of the Civil War that much,” he declares.
Incidentally, the $100 is for the insurance coverage.
The C.S.S. Hunley became the first submarine in history to sink an enemy vessel in combat on Feb. 17, 1864. It sank the U.S.S. Housatonic with a torpedo attached to a long pole on its bow.
The resulting explosion, however, also sank the Hunley with its crew of eight. The search for the Hunley at the bottom of Charleston (S.C.) Harbor concluded in 1995 after a 14-year search.
Dangerfield, who was present when the recovered sub was opened in 2000, procured one of the mockups of the Hunley from the Turner television network, which built models for its film, “The Hunley,” produced in 1999.
“I only used several pieces from the model, however, as I decided to completely rebuild the sub according to original specifications,” Dangerfield noted. “The original 20,000-pound vessel was 40-feet long, 4-feet high and 3-feet wide and I only added four inches to the height and width to make it more accessible for viewing. For insurance purposes, I can’t allow anyone inside it.”
The right side of Dangerfield’s model is open for interior examination and is complete from hand-turned crank to the rudder.
Other than enhanced height and width, the only other differences, John explains, is that his model won’t float and is made of one-eighth inch boilerplate instead of the original’s thickness of three-eighths inches.
The Hunley was designed to be hand powered by a crew of nine - eight to turn the hand-cranked propeller and one to steer and direct the boat.
Dangerfield constructed the model following his purchase of the television mockup in 2003. He built everything with the assistance of 15 others who also helped with the painting.
Now in his fifth year with the traveling exhibit, Dangerfield has visited 230 locations “from Delaware to California” and averages a distance of some 40,000 miles per year. He travels virtually all year and already has worn out one van and has nearly 200,000 miles on another.
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