Free Republic

In the pre-dawn darkness of Sept. 7, 1776 — exactly 230 years ago today — an odd-looking barrel-shaped craft silently made its way down the Hudson River from Manhattan toward a British warship, HMS Eagle, anchored in New York harbor. ... Clearly, the U.S. Navy today maintains the most technologically sophisticated submarine fleet on the planet. But it is not just a fleet of fast-attacks and big nuclear missile-armed “boomers.” To fight the war on terror, the Navy continues to develop its special-operations capable Advanced SEAL Delivery System, a super-stealthy miniature submarine bristling with electronic wizardry and capable of delivering...

Virginia, Maryland Honor Confederate Sailors Who Died Aboard Stricken Submarine Mar 27, 2004 By Erik Stetson/ Associated Press Writer/ RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Two sailors who died aboard a Confederate submarine were honored during elaborate ceremonies in Virginia and Maryland as officials prepared to bury the crew of the H.L. Hunley. Sediment collected from inside the submarine was carried by casket through Richmond and Libertytown, Md., Friday to honor the crew of the Hunley, which sank off the coast of South Carolina in 1864. The sailors' remains were recovered when the Hunley was brought up from the ocean floor in...

Fiery Truck Crash Shuts Down Interstate Linking New York and Boston; Long Closure Feared Mar 25, 2004 The Associated Press BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) - An oil tanker truck crashed on Interstate 95 Thursday night and started a fire that burned out of control, possibly destroying bridges in both directions on the heavily used highway between New York and Boston, state police said. Only minor injuries were reported, but there was a gaping hole in one of the bridges, said Sgt. J. Paul Vance, a state police spokesman. The highway may be closed for days or weeks because of the damage,...