Civil War sub puts Yankees on alert!

Reba

Reba

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Really?

Obviously, the South is the only place where old times are not forgotten.

On Friday afternoon, a New York motorist called police with a tip about a potential terror threat. Seems someone was hauling a suspicious-looking object — it resembled a torpedo — on the highways around the city.

Before long 30 agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, were searching for this potential menace.

Even Coast Guard cutters in the area were on the lookout, since the thing looked sort of like a boat.

They should have set the terror color chart to Rebel Gray, because they were just hunting for a bunch of good ol’ boys from Summerville hauling a replica of the H.L. Hunley to Connecticut for the weekend.

“It’s pretty bad when four Confederates and a replica of the Hunley can cause all this,” says Mark Clark, general manager of the exhibit. “Maybe they were worried we were here to get them back.”

You know, this is the most trouble the Hunley has caused Yankees in nearly 150 years.

Educate, not destruct


The H.L. Hunley Traveling Exhibit has been cruising American highways for more than a decade.

In all that time, it hasn’t sunk any U.S. warships, although it did get a flat tire outside of Atlanta last year.

The sub model, built by John Dangerfield, is a life-size iron replica of the first successful combat submarine in history.

These days, the exhibit is its own charitable education organization, set up by the Sons of Confederate Veterans’ H.L. Hunley camp in Summerville. It travels from California to Connecticut, Mississippi to Tennessee, teaching folks about the Hunley and its attack on the USS Housatonic outside Charleston on Feb. 17, 1864.

Apparently, it’s missed a few folks in New York.

Because for a while Friday and Saturday, local, state and federal authorities spent an inordinate amount of time looking for the replica.

“I’ve heard a lot of things, a lot of strange stories related to this project over the years, but this is the best one,” says Kellen Correia, executive director of Friends of the Hunley.

Yeah, since the Hunley very briefly became a weapon of mass distraction.

No tolls


Investigators finally turned up a surveillance photo of the Hunley exhibit rolling through a toll booth.

That was the first clue something was not amiss. Terrorists don’t use toll booths.

Except maybe in “Blazing Saddles.”

New York police eventually called the Warren Lasch Conservation Center, home of the Hunley. They were able to direct authorities to Clark.

Clark says the police were extremely nice when they reached him by phone in Connecticut on Saturday. That’s probably because, by that time, they realized that a hand-cranked submarine bolted to a flat-bed trailer wasn’t much of a threat to the Big Apple.

In fact, the Hunley Traveling Exhibit was at a Civil War show at Mystic Seaport — where it was received warmly, by the way. No hard feelings among Connecticut Yankees.

Clark told New York police when the exhibit would be coming back through, gave them his license tag number. They didn’t offer an escort, but they didn’t try to set up another blockade, either.

On Monday, New York Police did not even remember the incident but said, “We get a lot of bizarre calls here.”

You think?

The upshot is the Hunley got a little publicity, and may have educated a few folks — which is the replica’s purpose.

Not to blow up New York.
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HICKS COLUMN: Yankees on alert as Hunley surfaces in New York – The Post and Courier
 
Silly yankees. My grandfather never liked yankees, of coarse his grandfather and 3 great grandfathers where in the civil war.
 
VacationGuy234 said:
This really isn't a North/South thing, but at least someone found humor in it.
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In a way, it is. If people knew their history about the Civil War they would be more likely to identify the Hunley. Around here (South Carolina) most residents know the Hunley's silhouette.

Also, did it not seem odd to anyone that a terrorist would transport something lethal so publicly?

Well, at least we know the "see something, say something" system is working. :)
 
jonnyghost said:
I understand. I was being silly like I think they where trying to be.
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I actually meant P&C not you. In actuality, I'm sure security in SC would have been monitoring that situation closely as well. All other states most likely too.
 
H.L. Hunley
 

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Reba said:
In a way, it is. If people knew their history about the Civil War they would be more likely to identify the Hunley. Around here (South Carolina) most residents know the Hunley's silhouette.

Also, did it not seem odd to anyone that a terrorist would transport something lethal so publicly?

Well, at least we know the "see something, say something" system is working. :)
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That is true. In the south there is a lot more emphasis put on remembering the civil war. I'm from the south but grew up in the north where my fathers family is from. People up here don't understand how the war was different to the people of the south.
 
Do they keep a replica of it at Patriot Point?

I was in SC during the sesquicentennial. Somewhere I have a copy of Where magazine which I believe has Fort Sumter on it.
 
OMG how daft can you get:), tax payer trump up for that not cheap
 
Reba said:
...Also, did it not seem odd to anyone that a terrorist would transport something lethal so publicly?...
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Yea I think they might put it in a box truck or something. Just a guess :lol:
 
hmm police can't tell difference between antique of some fame and a WOMD.why i am not surpriced..
 
Damn Yankees!....:giggle:...."Look away...look away DixieLand"....Now I wish I were in Dixie....Hooray..Hooray...In DixieLand I'll take my stand...to live and die in Dixie"....Old song...don't quite remmy how it goes tho.'
 
VacationGuy234 said:
Do they keep a replica of it at Patriot Point?

I was in SC during the sesquicentennial. Somewhere I have a copy of Where magazine which I believe has Fort Sumter on it.
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No Hunley currently at Patriots Point (there was one for a while, years ago).

But thanks for the plug:

Patriots Point - Explore Museum

:)

Patriots Point is one of our favorite places to take visitors.
 
jonnyghost said:
They must remove the long spar torpedo for transport I guess :lol:
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Yep. That could be hazardous and fragile at the same time. It does provide the distinctive look though.
 
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