October 15, 1995
Web posted at: 8:00 a.m. EDT
From Correspondent Kathleen Koch
POTOMAC RIVER, Virginia (CNN) -- It sits 48 feet down on the silty bottom of the Potomac River off Ragged Point, Virginia. A once-proud Union gunboat, the USS Tulip was on its way in for repairs on November 11, 1864, when its captain made a fatal mistake.
"They were under orders not to, and for some unknown reason, they decided to put steam into the starboard boiler and start it up, and as they did, it exploded," said Mark Wertheimer, a naval historian.
Newspaper headlines from the time tell of the tragic result. Forty-six of the 57 aboard died. Only eight bodies were recovered. Now Maryland archaeologists and volunteer divers are trying to find out what's left.
"I think the hull is in better condition than we were probably expecting, considering how long it's been submerged. It's a cleaner blast than we thought," said Susan Langley, a Maryland state archaeologist. "We thought more of that side would be taken away."
What has been taken away and only partially recovered are artifacts from the boat scavenged by a group of teen-agers in the 1960s. Amazingly, glass, porcelain, even brass lanterns survived the explosion.
Items recovered from the wreck
The 100-foot vessel was one of two dozen boats in the Potomac Flotilla that patrolled the shores to block Confederate smugglers and protect Union lines. Archaeologists, who've so far only explored the upper deck, are anxious to locate the enlisted men's quarters. (824K QuickTime movie)
"If we can find those quarters and they've been untouched by salvage, we have a chance of learning a little more about the regular Joe on the boat," said Bruce Thompson, an archeologist for the state of Maryland.
Gordon Thomas' great-great-great uncle served on the crew of the Tulip. "The boiler people and the captain were not doing what they should have done, but at least he had them in the right place, since he was the pilot," Thomas said.
Indeed, those survivors blamed the captain for the explosion. Experts say the ship's boilers weren't designed for the salty waters of the Potomac River.
"They constantly had to resort to methods to remove the salt deposits and the scaling, and this undoubtedly contributed to the explosion," said Dr. David Holly, a steamboat historian.
For now, the Tulip remains a war grave and protected government property. Archaeologists hope further study will give them clues about the lives and deaths of the sailors aboard.
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