Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] I just got back from a lecture about the "Hunley."

["samdatl" <samdatl@avana.net>]

 Christ why dont they just put the dead back where they belong. keep the
boat fine but why mess with the bodies. (Ex-bubblehead)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael B Holt" <michaelbholt@juno.com>
To: <personal_submersibles@psubs.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2000 6:47 PM
Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] I just got back from a lecture about the "Hunley."


> Mark K. Ragan spoke at the Confederate Museum tonight.  I paid
> special attention to his comments concerning the conservation
> of the boat.
>
> There's a French chap who's the conservator who's handling the hull.
> The contents of the hull will be controlled by a Belgian woman.  I hope
> both of them keep a diary.
>
> One of the American archaeologists working on the project has bet
> Mark Ragan that there will be brain matter in the skulls.  Ragan took
> the bet, but he's hoping he'll lose.  Everyone working on the project
> expects to find shoes and clothing in addition to the usual buttons.
> Apparently, the sub sank in just the right environment to save
> practically everything.
>
> The Hunley fell into a "goop" the "consistency of modeling clay,"
> Ragan reported.  There's been an accretion of coral on the hull,
> so it should be intact.  He expected to find it falling apart, but
> it's complete, intact and self-supporting.   He stated that it will be
> in good condition 500 years from now, with the usual care.  Ragan
> calls the goop "good anaerobic mud."
>
> Right now, the boat's in a large box of 50-degree harbor water.  That
> will be exchanged gradually for fresh water, over the next year.
> Ragan expects little decomposition to occur before they enter the
> hull.  By about September, they'll start working on getting into the
> hull.
>
> This is where the French man and the Belgian woman will war.
> They've already started sparring over how to conserve the hull.
> The Frenchman wants to disassemble the top half of the hull -- or
> more, if he can get away with it -- so the galvanic action can
> reach all parts of the hull.   The Belgian woman wants to open
> a tiny bit of the hull, and scoop out the contents.
>
> Fuji has contributed a magic imaging system.  The new system
> will CAT-scan the hull and tell the recovery team what's inside.
> Fuji seems to have made some interesting (and maybe outrageous)
> claims for the power of their system.
>
> The whole thing is being funded by the National Geographic
> Society.  Shortly after the hull has been emptied, there will
> be a TV show and a NG Magazine cover article about it.
> Perhaps by April of 2001, Ragan said.
>
> The hull is not only interesting for its retention of structural
> strength,
> but also for its design.  Ragan said that what they noticed first was
> that there are no protruding rivet heads: the whole thing is countersunk,
> which takes extra time and energy.  The shape of the hull is not
> what they thought, either: it's more slender, and Ragan spoke of
> "fluted" sides.   I was unable to get a clear explanation of that.
>
> The replica built for the TNT movie was there, on its trailer.
> I took lots of pictures.   I may go back before it leaves (on
> Monday) to take more, in better light.
>
> If I think of anything else, I'll post it.
>
>
>
> Mike Holt
> --
>
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