Simple, Not So Simple

Rachel Lance, one of the researchers, estimates the damage in the lungs to be at 85%. This would have been a simple explanation of what happened. According to Hunley researchers however, it is not that simple, and the mystery is far from being solved.

What Hunley Researchers Say

According to Hunley researchers, the surge from the torpedo would not have the same effect on the Confederate ship as it did the Housatonic even with both being so near each other. The blast typically lasts for a long time, but its physical force is not significant. The most damage the crew would have to have sustained would be bumps. Black powder from the torpedo however, is strong enough to cause water to come out from steel. The Housatonic’s hull was made of wood, which made things worse, and the combined forces of the torpedo and of the water coming in sank the ship in record time, and though the Hunley was said to have sunk quickly as well, it did so for different reasons.