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The inventor of the submarine is only distantly related to the David Bushnell who is one of the creators of the shellbuckling.com website. The two David Bushnells are descended from different sons of Francis Bushnell, who emigrated from England in 1639 to what later became Guilford, Connecticut.
This sketch is from the website:
http://suite101.com/article/on-the-way-to-inventing-the-submarine-difficult-early-days-a293578
It appears in an article by Brenda Ralph Davis dated October 5 2010. Ms. Davis writes:
"A Submarine in the American Revolution:
Bushnell fitted his “Turtle” with cranks that operated horizontal and vertical propellers, a method demonstrated in action during the American War of Independence. In September 1776, Sergeant Ezra Lee managed to crank “Turtle” close to the Royal Navy vessel “Eagle” while the ship was an anchor a few miles from New York harbor.
Behind him, Lee towed a 150lb. explosive charge, but was prevented from laying it by the copper sheathing in the “Eagle’s” hull. The sheathing saved “Eagle” from being sunk or crippled for, subsequently, while being chased by a guard boat, Sergeant Lee jettisoned the explosive.
He had already set the clockwork fuse, and the charge blew up in the water with considerable force.
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