Technology and Practice in a Historical Context: Building the Civil War Submarine Pioneer by Dr

Volume 21, Number 1 - January 2005 through March 2005

Technology and Practice in a Historical Context: Building the Civil War Submarine Pioneer By Dr. Roy Bonnette

Non-Refereed Article

KEYWORD SEARCH

CAD Composite Materials Machine Design Teaching Methods Welding

The Official Electronic Publication of the National Association of Industrial Technology • www.nait.org © 2005 Journal of Industrial Technology • Volume 21, Number 1 • January 2005 through March 2005 • www.nait.org Technology and Practice in a Historical Context: Building the Civil War Submarine Pioneer By Dr. Roy Bonnette Dr. Roy Bonnette teaches CAD, 3D Modeling, and Industrial Design in the Department of Industrial Activities that replicate lost historical cally, this project was a form of South- Technology at Southeastern Louisiana University. He is also the Graduate Coordinator for the Inte- artifacts provide students with a unique eastern’s Problem-Based Service-Learn- grated Science and Technology (ISAT) program. opportunity to explore the origins of ing (PBSL). Projects of this type provide present day technology. Understand- students with an opportunity for stimulat- ing the evolution of manufacturing ing and exciting interdisciplinary learning technologies plays an important role in experiences. In building the submarine, teaching real-world concepts and skills students were required to integrate their to technology students. Employers knowledge and skills from technology are interested in students that have had courses along with mathematics, physics, industrial exposure as well as a depth and history while working with master and breadth of academic experiences. technologists from the local industrial Community outreach projects can be community. Students had a first-hand one of the main avenues of student opportunity to work with the Maritime success in this arena. As Dewey (1938) Museum in developing drawings and noted, life experiences and knowledge taking part in the actual construction of are inseparable. This article focuses on the full-size Civil War submarine replica. an academic service learning project Through such experiences, students have performed in conjunction with the Lake the opportunity to contribute to the local Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum community in meaningful ways, gain and regional industries. Utilizing new skills, and see the concrete results of historical records from the 19th century their contributions. provided Southeastern Louisiana Uni- versity students with the opportunity to The Maritime Museum’s mission is use modern technology in the recon- to “provide an education and research struction of a Civil War submarine (see center to collect, interpret, and preserve Figure 1). the maritime and cultural history and artifacts of the Lower Mississippi River Students and faculty from Southeastern Basin for public benefit”. Students along with industrial representatives became part of a regional effort to and museum curators combined their recreate a historically significant mari- skills and talents to develop a full-size time craft. When University students replica of the Civil War submarine, the first became involved with the project, Pioneer, which was originally built in builders at the museum were work- New Orleans in 1862 (Regan, 1999b, ing from artists’ reproductions of the p.50). This submarine was a predecessor Pioneer submarine without the benefits to the famous Civil War submarine the of detailed drawings and specifications. Hunley. The Pioneer was designed and Students were able to provide detailed financed by Hunley and others living in drawings computer models of the Pio- New Orleans in the early 1860’s (Regan, neer submarine from historical records p.86). Because the museum’s work is (Regan, 1999b p.91). Students also accomplished through community level participated in the actual fabrication of affiliations and volunteers, it became an the submarine. appropriate venue for the direct involvement of technology students. Specifi-

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Historical Perspectives Figure 1 The Pioneer, was originally built in New Orleans in 1862 (Regan, 1999b). James McClintock designed the boat working with Horace L. Hunley and Baxter Watson. McClintock would later write after the war that: “At New Orleans, in 1862, we built the first boat. She was made of iron one-quarter inch thick. The boat was of cigar shape 30 feet long and 4 feet in diameter. This first boat demonstrated to us that we could construct a boat that would move at will in any direction desired, and at any distance from the surface. As we were unable to see objects pass- ing under the water, the first boat was steered by compass.” (Regan, p.50).

The original Pioneer submarine was constructed in response to President Abraham Lincoln’s Union Blockade at Figure 2 the mouth of the Mississippi and the Atlantic coast. In response, Confederate President Jefferson Davis invited ap- plications for “Letters of Marquee” en- couraging that actions be taken against federal ships (McNeill, 2003 p.9, Wills, 2004, para. 7). The submarine was constructed at the Leeds Foundry on the corner of Delord and Constance streets in New Orleans (Williams Research Center, 2004). According to the Louisi- ana Division of the New Orleans Public Library (2003), Charles J. Leeds, a partner in the foundry, would go on to become the thirty-third Mayor of New Orleans in 1874. It was anticipated that the Pioneer, or submarines like her, would help the South break through the blockade and reestablish supply roots with the Atlantic coast (Regan, 1999c). ing numerous dives, sinking at least that the Pioneer submarine, still in her one barge, several rafts and a schooner original shape, was sold for scrap metal The Pioneer carried a ﬂoating mine on in the lake (Cussler & Dirgo, 1996). (Regan, 1999c, p.52). Just before the top of her hull that would be released Shortly after her sea trials the subma- capture of New Orleans, McClintock, and pulled a by rope through the water rine was intentionally sunk in the New Hunley, and Watson escaped to Mobile, (Cussler & Dirgo, 1996). Timing Basin Canal as a result of the impend- Alabama. (Cussler & Dirgo, 1996). would be of the essence as the mine ing invasion of the Union army. At an Here they would design and build the was expected to explode against the unspeciﬁed time the submarine was Pioneer II and later the infamous Hun- side of a targeted ship as the subma- salvaged from the bottom of the New ley. Now 142 years later, students used rine maneuvered safely under and past Basin Canal by the Union Army and the same plans that Hunley and others the ship. The original submarine was placed on its banks where it would re- detailed to recreate a valuable piece of put through sea trials in Lake Pon- main until sold. On February 15, 1868, Civil War and history. tchartrain, and it was reported that the The New Orleans Picayune reported submarine was successful in complet-

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Project Goals for Students Figure 3 Goals for students involved in the service learning project were as follow: • Understand the mission of the maritime museum • Develop an appreciation for community service • Develop new skills and techniques for drawing marine craft • Demonstrate problem-solving skills as well as skills in analyzing infor- mation • Work under the guidance of master builders from industry, the museum and faculty • Historical research on technical literature • Develop detailed CAD drawings of the Pioneer submarine • Develop CAD solid model of the submarine • Participate in the actual construction of the submarine Project Organization Instructional practice was realigned to facilitate the following: Figure 4 • Monitoring: Developing an effective means of gathering regular feedback from community partners and students • Advisory Group: Incorporating multiple perspectives through community advisory groups • Interdependence: Creating an diverse set of activities that facilitates community members co-teaching • Transformations of appraisals of outcomes: Developing joint outcomes that meet the needs of both the educational institution and the community partners • Afﬁrmation: Developing an effective means for afﬁrming the value of the partnership involvement began with becoming fa- of the current state of welding and The above was adapted from “Cam- miliar with the mission of the Maritime drafting technology and their origins. pus-Community Partnerships: The Museum through researching and dis- These activities provided opportunities Terms of Engagement” (Bringle & cussing the history and philosophy of for innovative approaches to replicate Hatcher, 2002, p.510-511) the organization’s founders. Students manufacturing technologies of the past. visited the museum to develop a more Meetings were held with industrial comprehensive understanding of the Situated in the heart of bayou country, representatives, the museum’s art cura- contributions that the museum makes students investigated boiler making and tor, students, and IT faculty to discuss to preserving local and regional history. sugar kettle construction techniques the project goals and to develop a plan Collaboration with the museum and of the 19th century to understand how to coordinate activities. The students’ its curator expanded their knowledge the sections of the submarine may

4 Journal of Industrial Technology • Volume 21, Number 1 • January 2005 through March 2005 • www.nait.org have been fastened together. A truly Students who are members of American improve their occupational skills devel- interdisciplinary study into the history Welding Society (AWS) participated opment. Working on volunteer projects and philosophy of science and technol- in the construction of the submarine’s within the community also enhanced ogy was an essential component for midsection that is 4’ in diameter and the technology students’ intellectual, completing the project. Students were 11’ 2” long. The original midsection of personal, and social maturation. Stu- encouraged to consult with faculty from the Pioneer was composed of six cyl- dent Sam Chapman who was involved the history, mathematics, and physics inders. Each cylinder was constructed in the constructions of the midsection departments on campus. Questions from three pieces of ¼” steel plate that stated “This is a great way to apply the were raised and answered regarding were most likely, given the technology skills I learned, while realizing you can the roots of technology, materials, and of the time, heated and bent into shape. build something the old fashion way” fabrication techniques needed to repli- The steel plate used in the current (S. Chapman, personal communication, cate one of world’s oldest submersible project was of identical size and was September 18, 2004). Senior Annie La- marine vehicles. rolled into shape. The steel was donated bruzzo who contributed to the drawings by Trinity Marine in Madisonville, stated “The mechanisms of the Pioneer Student Participation Louisiana, and rolled at Nugent Steel in were simple, but they worked. I came While there are no original detailed Port Allen, Louisiana. The original sec- to appreciate the methods the cre- drawings of the submarine and her fit- tions of steel were riveted together using ators used to put her together”. (A.P. tings, there are some accurate render- an internal backing plate at each seam. Labruzzo, personal communication, ings that provided insights into her Under the direction of industrial repre- September 15, 2004). The significance size and construction details. After the sentative Mr. George Fairbanks, students of the 19th century technology became Pioneer was removed from her watery fitted and back welded the cylinders to- relevant to the students as it was placed grave by the Union Army, William H. gether. Backing plates were then added in the context of the Civil War. The de- Shock, a fleet engineer in the Union to lend the effect of riveted construction. velopment of the original Pioneer was a Army, completed a scaled set of draw- Because the submarine is displayed on real word problem that gave rise to the ings (see Figure 2). These remain as the second floor of the museum, weight evolution of new technologies. the only partially detailed drawings of restrictions prohibited the entire craft the Confederate craft. The drawings from being made from steel. Again, Deliverables illustrate the interior of the boat as weight calculations were determined Technology students were required viewed from the top and side. How- from the students’ 3D models. The to construct electronic and hard copy ever, besides the overall length and Maritime Museum built the conical ends portfolios as part of the individual and diameter, few dimensions were given of the submarine out of wood that was team-generated deliverables. Students (Regan, 1999b). A second drawing, textured and painted to give the appear- submitted their work electronically by Ensign David M. Stauffer, was also ance of steel construction. on a weekly basis prior to meeting completed in 1865 (Louisiana State with the technology instructor. These Museum, 2002), (see Figure 3). This Benefits to the Students portfolios are a component of formative rendering gives indications of the ship’s An integral component of a successful assessment that utilizes pre-established lapped hull design and the methods that technology program allows students to benchmarks for purposes of evaluat- were employed during her construc- benefit from working under the guid- ing and tracking student performance tion. From these illustrations and other ance of master teachers, designers, and over time. Short-range goals could be written historical records, students were builders. As Lee notes, “assimilating modified each week that reflected the able to reproduce detailed drawings the materials and making connec- student’s strengths and weaknesses. and developments that were needed for tions are more creative and holistic The faculty involved would provide the construction of the full-size replica. processes . . .” when realized through additional instruction or resources To enhance the visual aspects of the collaborative learning (2003, p.86). if needed. Assessment of this type project, students also developed a solid This project also became an excellent provides technology students with an model of the entire submarine with opportunity for technology students opportunity to capture evidence of their CAD. This three-dimensional com- to realize the necessity of the accurate accomplishments. In addition, these puter model helped in the calculations detailing required in marine design and ongoing assessments provided students of weight (displacement), center of engineering. Students met with faculty with the motivation to continue to im- gravity, and buoyancy. Students were on a regular basis over two semesters prove their submissions. able to experiment with theoretical to review the progress of their work, balancing of the craft during submer- incorporate new understandings, and The student portfolios are also a repre- sion or surfacing. A 3D prototype was have technical questions answered. sentation of organized artifacts that can also developed that assisted students be used to present to future employers. in determining the physical constraints Mentoring relationships with faculty, Portfolios are indicative of technology of the steering and propulsion systems museum, and industrial representatives student’s learning, experiences, and (see Figure 4). provided students the opportunity to work-readiness qualifications. In addi-

5 Journal of Industrial Technology • Volume 21, Number 1 • January 2005 through March 2005 • www.nait.org tion, the portfolios were used to pass on mitment to community-based responsi- Lee, M. (2003) Engaging the whole to the next group of students who might bilities. As Hill notes, “service learning person through the practice of col- work on similar projects. Finally, the projects not only provide technological laborative learning. International portfolios were an excellent measure- artifacts that have real-world purpose Journal of Lifelong Education. ment tool for teachers when self-evalu- and value, but they cultivate desirable 22(1), 78-93. ating their instructional effectiveness. attributes of citizenship and charity that Louisiana State Museum (2002) The are beneficial to society (2004, p.11).” pioneer. Retrieved September 30, Summary 2004 from http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/ The reconstructed Pioneer made its References site/submarine/sub_pioneer.htm début at the Wooden Boat Festival in Administrations of the Mayors of New McNeill J. K. (2004). A Southern view Madisonville, Louisiana, on October Orleans: Charles J. Leeds (2003) of history: The war for southern inde- 25, 2003. The submarine is on perma- Retrieved Sept 15, 2004 from http:// pendence-the other side of the coin. nent display in the Maritime Museum. nutrias.org/~nopl/info/louinfo/ad- Retrieved August 21, 2004, from The intellectual partnerships that were mins. http://www.scv674.org/sh-7.htm cultivated by this historic project will Bringle R.C., Hatcher J. A. (2002). Ragan, M. K. (1999a). The Hunley: serve faculty and technology students Campus community partnerships: Submarines, sacrifice, & success from Southeastern well into the future. The terms of engagement. Journal of in the Civil War. Charleston, SC: Students have come to an understand- Social Issues, 58(3), 503-516. Narwhal Press Inc. ing that a historical perspective of the Cussler, C., & Dirgo, C. (1996). The Ragan, M. K. (1999b). Submarine war- technologies utilized almost 150 years sea hunters. New York, NY: Pocket fare in the Civil War. Cambridge, ago can enhance future opportunities. Star Books. MA: Da Capo Press-Perseus Books Dewey, J, (1938). Experience and Group. Students were held to professional education. New York: The Macmil- Ragan, M. K. (1999c). Union and Con- and technical accountability. Technol- lan co. federate submarine warfare in the ogy students developed complete sets Hill, R.B. (2004). Dreamweaver and Civil War. Mason City, IA: Savas of drawings and provided fabrication flash: Strategies for updating com- Publishing. that was instrumental to the projects munication systems instruction. The Wills, R. (2004). H.L. Hunley in his- completion. This process was put in Technology Teacher 63(7), 7-11. torical context. Retrieved September place to reproduce standard indus- Iron, an Exhibition (2000). Retrieved 15, 2004 from http://www.numa. trial practices and to give students the on August 25, 2004 from http:// net/articles. experience of accomplishment that is www.hnoc.org/iron.htm. achieved when they maintain their com-