Calling all US submarine "The Intelligent Whale" (1864) fans

[Guest]

as per this photo:
http://www.lesliejonesphotography.com/c ... 0806006708
anyone know more about this boat? What was the propulsion?
Greetings, Richard

[Timmy C]

Hand-propelled. See Navsource's page on her: http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08440.htm

[Admiral John Byng]

It says "Condemned in 1872" but the photo is clearly much later. Does she still exist?

[merriman]

It says "Condemned in 1872" but the photo is clearly much later. Does she still exist?

Last I saw of it it was in the yard at the Washington Naval gun-factory.

David

[Admiral John Byng]

Thanks David. I'm glad they haven't scrapped her.

[merriman]

Thanks David. I'm glad they haven't scrapped her.

Recently, they put it in an enclosure for some restoration work -- don't know if it's still at the gun-factory site.

No. They recognize the historical importance of this thing. Thank goodness. Like the contemporary ALLIGATOR, the WHALE is an under appreciated representative of American submarine development. The HUNLEY gets most of the press (deservedly), but there was a lot of other submarine and semi-submergable boat development going on during the American civil war.

David

[Admiral John Byng]

The interesting thing to me is how much she looks like the Holland class in RN service in the early 1900s.

I found this on the internet:

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/16338