A Brief History of TURTLE (1)
In 1776, the British controlled New York harbor with its fleet, thus controlling
the Hudson River Valley which effectively split the colonies in two. The
Americans lacked a navy but they needed to find a way to end this naval
blockade. David Bushnell of Saybrook, Connecticut, a recent graduate of
Yale and ardent patriot, designed and built the Turtle for this purpose.
Made out of wood and held together by iron hoops, the Turtle was six
feet in height and just over seven feet in length and had enough room
for a single operator. At the bottom of the submarine, there was an opening,
which allowed water into the ballast tanks, enabling it to submerge and
to surface. The pilot used two brass pumps to empty the tanks. The submarine
could remain submerged for 30 minutes before running out of air. The submarine's
only weapon was a mine, attached near the top of the submarine. The mine
was another invention of Bushnell's. It was a watertight wooden keg filled
with packed gunpowder, a fuse and a clock-timer device.
The fully assembled Turtle after its first water test. Note the
rudder, propeller, lead ballast on the bottom and the open copper
hatch on the top.
The goal of the Turtle's mission was to break this blockade by attacking
the British fleet in New York harbor. The target was Admiral Richard Howe's
flagship, the HMS Eagle. Ezra Bushnell, the inventor's brother, was supposed
to carry out the task but on the eve of this mission, he became ill and
someone else had to take his place. That someone was Sergeant Ezra Lee of
Old Lyme, Connecticut. David Bushnell quickly taught him how to maneuver
the submarine and how to deploy the mine. After a few practice sessions,
Lee was ready.
The Recreation of TURTLE The Discovery Channel, in cooperation with BBC is planning a one-hour
documentary film to reconstruct and recreate the Turtle and its historic
undersea warfare mission during the American Revolution. The film, one
in a series entitled "Inventing the Past" is programmed to be
broadcast in the U. S., Great Britain, France and Canada in late 2003.
Other programs in the series include: Chariots, Medieval Crane, and Greek
Fire. Michael Barnes is the director of the project and is currently associated
with Windfall Films in London. The Discovery Channel and Windfall Films
have done a number of these experimental archaeology films as part of
this popular series.
Handshouse Studio, Inc. is a not for profit innovative educational organization.
Its goals are to educate the public and perpetuate the arts, history,
science, education, while emphasizing a "hands on" approach.
In its few years of operation, we have hosted educational workshops, collaborated
with a wide range of educational institutions, created work with public
media organizations such as Museum of Science in Boston, National Geographic
Magazine, National Geographic Today, WGBH public television, and PBS’s
NOVA. Handshouse Studio also has provided studio and workshop space for
local artists, offered art classes, and developed and implemented public
service projects and educational programs for local schools.
Jim Smith, MassArt Alumni Relations Director, with Aino
(Rick and Laura Brown’s dog) posing with a left over piece of
Sitka Spruce. The Turtle was carved over a period of five days (modern
methods such as chain saws were used) from a single piece of Sitka
Spruce that originally measured 7 ft. in diameter by 12 ft. tall.
This gigantic piece of wood was shipped to Norwell from the Pacific
Northwest.
Rick Brown, President of Handshouse and MassArt faculty in Sculpture;
and Laura Brown (’93), Director of Handshouse Studio and MassArt faculty
in Sculpture; directed the making of the Replica of the Bushnell Turtle
through research, design and project development. The research included
locating and studying letters from primary sources and written histories
of the period encompassing the American Revolution. This research has included
investigation and analysis of period materials, technologies and processes
which were used in the design and construction of the original Bushnell
Turtle. The objective was to reproduce the Bushnell Turtle utilizing substantially
similar materials, technologies and processes to the extent reasonably feasible.
Handshouse is collaborating with faculty and students at Mass College of
Art and professional craftsmen and engineers from The Timber Framers Guild
to create the Turtle through period processes including traditional copper
raising, bronze casting, brass braising, blacksmithing, glass blowing and
felting. The wooden body of the Turtle is made from a single log –
split with wedges and hewn with traditional hand tools.
The Bushnell Turtle under construction. Will Truax of the Timber
Framers Guild.
Many 3D faculty, students and alumuni from Mass College of Art participated
in the making of the Turtle. The making of the copper and bronze Hatch which
sealed the top of the Turtle was a very ambitious project which involved
the period processes described above. Its success is the collaborative work
of Mass Art students, alumni and faculty. Joe Wood, Chair of 3-D
and faculty in Metals, helped design the Hatch with Rick Brown and
Laura Brown as described by David Bushnell in his letter to Thomas
Jefferson in 1787 and directed the making of the hatch. Joe Wood hand raised
the copper conning tower from a single piece of copper using period processes.
Adam Grinovich, Senior in Metals and McIrvin Field-Sloan,
Junior in Metals, assisted Joe Wood in raising the copper hatch. George
Greenamyer, faculty in Sculpture, Sarahanne Coggeshall, a 3-D
alumna and Matt Stone, Senior in Sculpture, as well as George Greenamyer’s
Friday foundry class, helped to cast the bronze windows, doors and hinges
for the hatch. Sarrahanne Coggeshall cleaned and prepared the castings
for installation into the Hatch. Heather White, 3-D faculty in Metals,
Rob Duarte, Junior in Sculpture, Sarrahanne Coggeshall and Joe Wood
assembled and braised the bronze windows, doors and hinges to the copper
Hatch. Janet Hanson Kawada, 3-D Faculty in Fibers, made the wool
felt for the gaskets that was soaked in 2 parts beeswax, 1 part gum turps,
1 part boiled linseed oil, and 2 parts lard: a combination arrived at by
trial and error using materials known to be available in the late 18th century.
Susan Holland, 3-D Faculty in Glass, made the blown glass windows
for the Hatch and the barometer tube was hand blown by Charlie Mathis,
senior in Sculpture and Art Education. Matt Hincman, alumni in Sculpture
(’93) and partner in MAKE, directed the blacksmithing for the Turtle.
All the iron work was smithed at Handshouse, including the vertical and
horizontal propeller assemblies, the rudder / tiller assembly, the elliptical
band which hinges to the Hatch, and the iron strapping which hold the two
wooden shells together and strap on the 2500 pound ballast. Ted Hinman,
alumni in Sculpture, Ezra Frechette (’95), alumni in Sculpture,
and Bradford Holland, alumni in Graphic Design, assisted Matt in
the production of the ironwork which was crucial to the making of the Turtle.
The wooden body of the Turtle was made from a single log with traditional
processes and tools. Professional woodwrights and engineers from the Timber
Framers Guild led the team in splitting and hollowing out the forms. Mass
Art students assisted the 10 professional timber framers in all aspects
of making the wooden body of the Turtle. Nick Doriss (’01),
alumnus in Painting, Justin Shea (’02), alumnus in Architecture,
Rob Duarte, Junior in Sculpture, Judith Hanson, Junior in
Sculpture, Rikki Rothenberg, junior in Sculpture participated in
making the body of the turtle, casting the ballast and all the endless tasks
needed to complete the Turtle. Cadets from the United States Naval Academy
in Annapolis, Maryland were on hand to study the project and to assist in
the building. The fine skills and dedicated work contributed by Mass Art
Students and Faculty throughout the month of December and during the intense
10-day workshop at Handshouse and Mass Art were essential to the success
of this project. The making of the replica of David Bushnell’s American
Turtle of 1776 served as a unique educational experience, as an excellent
example of the power of collaboration, and as a celebration of the beauty
of craft and power of creative problem solving through a single object steeped
in the history, culture and technology.
The Bushnell Turtle under construction. Will Truax of the Timber
Framers Guild.
The interior of the Turtle seen from above.
Will Truax of the Timber Framers Guild climbs into the Turtle.
The Turtle was successfully water tested at Snug Harbor in Duxbury, MA on
January 9 and 10, 2003 with Matt Hincman as the operator. It will be transported
to The United States Naval Academy in the Spring, where it will be tested
in their submersibles test tank.
Through the intense investigation of a single object, the Bushnell Turtle,
we can open doors to a wide range of related subjects that are usually
studied individually. Handshouse Studio will use the information gathered
from recreating this working replica for further educational materials
that will extend far beyond the 60 minute Discovery Channel program. We
will develop and arrange for the the Turtle replica, copies of historic
letters and documents regarding David Bushnell and his submarines, as
well as drawings and models to be exhibited in museums around the country.
Handshouse will coordinate the development of programs for schools and
the public that provide an interrelated educational format that link a
range of subjects including history, science, mathematics, literature,
arts, culture and technology, through the study of a single object and
point in time
The Handshouse Barn on Rick & Laura Brown’s property in Norwell,
MA.
Matt Hincman (’93 BFA Sculpture) in the Handhouse blacksmith shop
forging the hinges that will be used on the Turtle’s hatch seen next.
The crown for the hatch, seen here, was pounded from a single piece
of copper over five days by MassArt Alumni and Faculty. The bronze fittings
and glass lenses were all made at MassArt. Pictured left to right are:
Joe Wood (Chair 3D Dept at MassArt); Rob Duarte ('04 BFA Candidate in
Sculpture); Sarahanne Coggeshall ('02 MFA Sculpture); Heather White (Coordinator,
Metals Dept at MassArt).
The gasket in this photo attaches the crown of the hatch (seen in the
previous photo) to the main body of the submarine. All of the parts were
forged at MassArt or on site in the blacksmith shop. Pictured left to
right are: Matt Hincman, Rick Brown, Chris Gunn (Timber Framers Guild),
Laura Brown.
The felt being cut in this photo will act as a seal between the Gasket
and the Hatch Crown from the previous two photos. So that the seal would
be waterproof, the wool felt was treated with a combination of: 2 parts
beeswax, 1 part gum turps, 1 part boiled linseed oil, and 2 parts lard:
a combination arrived at by trial and error using materials known to be
available in the late 18th century. The wool was felted at MassArt by
Janet Hansen Kawada (BFA ’92 Fibers). Pictured here are Nora Rogers
and Jamie Hermann (both members of the Timber Framers Guild).
Ocean Engineering students from the United States Naval Academy in
Annapolis, MD, working on the 300 pound lead ballast that will be attached
to the bottom of the Turtle seen in the rear. Pictured are Doug Raineault,
Midshipman 1st Class; Jim van der Voort, Midshipman 1st Class; and Lt.
Commander Rich Schoenwiesner, instructor.
Professor Lou Nuckols, United States Naval Academy examining the brass
pumps used to take on or pump out the water during diving and surfacing.
Judith Hanson ('05 BFA candidate in Sculpture) making flooring for
the Turtle.
Over 100 nuts, bolts and other parts were machined on-site. Jim of
the Timber Framers Guild machines a nut for the propeller.
Matt Hincman and the rescue diver, Rich, at the launching of the Turtle
in Duxbury, MA on January 8, 2003. Note the fully assembled Turtle in the
rear with the rudder at the rear, the lead ballast on the bottom and the
open copper hatch on the top.
