Never before seen artifacts from excavation of the H.L. Hunley will be on display this weekend

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Newly conserved artifacts from the H.L. Hunley will be on display in a new ‘Tools and Tides’ exhibit launching this weekend.

The exhibit will feature never-before-seen items found aboard the submarine that will tell how the pioneering submarine achieved world history, according to the Friends of the Hunley.

Teams have spent years excavating the Hunley with its artifacts processed at a high-tech lab in North Charleston including the many tools needed to keep the vessel moving.

“The inside of the Hunley is so small that every item brought onboard by her crew had to be thought out and have a purpose. The tools were likely considered a necessity. They could prove to be a lifeline for the crew in the event of a catastrophic malfunction or damage that may occur during their highly risky mission,” said Michael Scafuri, Clemson University Archaeologist.

According to Friends of the Hunley, many of the tools aboard – a hammer, bolts, and wrench – were found beneath the captain’s bench. A glass bottle and oil can were also within his reach.

They said the contents of the glass bottle were a mystery until testing showed it held the original mercury from 1864, which is believed to have been used for depth gauge.

“These tools signify an early and important step in the development of submarine technology.  We are excited to be able to visually share this story with our guests who come from around the world to view the submarine,” said Kellen Butler, Executive Director of Friends of the Hunley.

This collection has been fully conserved and will be on display beginning this weekend, Feb. 15 and 16. Visitors are only permitted at the museum on weekends (10 am-5 pm Saturdays and 10 am-3 pm Sundays).

Monday, February 17 will mark the 161^st anniversary of the Hunley sinking an enemy warship, the USS Housatonic, becoming the first successful combat submarine.

The vessel and her crew of eight then vanished.

After fifteen years of searching for the submarine, author Clive Cussler and his team found the vessel on May 3, 1995, several miles off the Charleston coast. Following years of planning and research, the long-lost submarine was raised from the ocean floor on August 8, 2000.

It was taken to the Warren Lasch Conservation Center in North Charleston and placed inside a 75,000-gallon steel tank to help protect and stabilize the submarine amid excavation.

For tickets or more information about touring the HL Hunley and its contents, please click here.