On February 17, 1864, in the waning years of the Civil War, the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley pressed a black powder explosive against the side of the Union ship USS Housatonic and sank it, becoming the first submarine ever to be successful in combat. Even though the submarine was raised in the year 2000, efforts to conserve her only deepened the mystery of why she sank, as the remains of the crew were all found seated peacefully at their battle stations with no signs of trauma or attempts to escape the doomed vessel. Dr. Rachel Lance, an expert in biomedical engineering from Duke University, will present an illustrated lecture on her research, and findings as to the fate of the Hunley and her crew.
Presented in partnership with the Washington Area Maritime Archivists Curators and Historians Group.