Title: Sub discovery suit rejected
DirkPitt - May 29, 2007 09:04 PM (GMT)
Sub discovery suit rejected
May 21, 2007
http://washingtontimes.com
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- A federal judge has dismissed a counterclaim to a lawsuit relating to the discovery of the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley, the first sub in history to sink an enemy warship.
Underwater archaeologist E. Lee Spence said he suffered as much as $309 million in damages because the discovery was credited to author Clive Cussler.
E. Lee Spence
National Underwater & Marine Agency, a group headed by Mr. Cussler, sued Mr. Spence six years ago. The agency's suit says that Mr. Spence's continuing claim that he found the sub injured the reputation of the agency and the divers Mr. Cussler hired.
The South Carolina Hunley Commission has credited the agency and the divers with finding the sub near Charleston 12 years ago.
Mr. Spence countersued in 2002, asking the court to declare him the discoverer, but Senior U.S. District Judge Sol Blatt Jr. dismissed the countersuit this week, saying the three-year statute of limitations on admiralty claims had expired.
The 40-foot-long Hunley sank the Union blockade ship Housatonic on Feb. 17, 1864. The sub sank as well and was finally located in 1995.
link
May 21, 2007
http://washingtontimes.com
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- A federal judge has dismissed a counterclaim to a lawsuit relating to the discovery of the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley, the first sub in history to sink an enemy warship.
Underwater archaeologist E. Lee Spence said he suffered as much as $309 million in damages because the discovery was credited to author Clive Cussler.
E. Lee Spence
National Underwater & Marine Agency, a group headed by Mr. Cussler, sued Mr. Spence six years ago. The agency's suit says that Mr. Spence's continuing claim that he found the sub injured the reputation of the agency and the divers Mr. Cussler hired.
The South Carolina Hunley Commission has credited the agency and the divers with finding the sub near Charleston 12 years ago.
Mr. Spence countersued in 2002, asking the court to declare him the discoverer, but Senior U.S. District Judge Sol Blatt Jr. dismissed the countersuit this week, saying the three-year statute of limitations on admiralty claims had expired.
The 40-foot-long Hunley sank the Union blockade ship Housatonic on Feb. 17, 1864. The sub sank as well and was finally located in 1995.
link
Andy in West Oz - May 29, 2007 11:03 PM (GMT)
What is this? Pick on Cussler decade? How was this Spence fellow planning on proving he was the discoverer?
beer:
beer:
loren1 - May 30, 2007 01:19 PM (GMT)
Everybody wants to get on the gravy train. Let him go find his own sub. This one is Clives's. th:
Ruffino - May 30, 2007 10:30 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (loren1 @ May 30 2007, 01:19 PM) |
| Everybody wants to get on the gravy train. Let him go find his own sub. This one is Clives's. th: |
j: th: :lol:
Qin Shang - October 11, 2007 05:35 PM (GMT)
Hahaha!
What a buffoon!
What a buffoon!
Nick Kismet - December 3, 2007 02:08 AM (GMT)
The Lee Spence/Cussler fued has been going on for years. Spence claims (and his claims appear to have some merit) that he discovered the Hunley, and subsequently lost it beneath shifting sands, several times, and that a reference in a book he wrote led NUMA directly to the site.
It's unfortunate that the world of marine salvage/archaelogy/treasure hunting is so cutthroat. You'll note that the terms of the suit have mostly to do with damage to Spence's reputation. If you look at Spence's wiki page, you'll get an idea of his reputation, starting with this warning: "This article or section is an autobiography, or has been extensively edited by the subject, and may not conform to Wikipedia's NPOV policy."
Spence isn't exactly a crackpot, but he does seem to be a legend in his own mind.
It's unfortunate that the world of marine salvage/archaelogy/treasure hunting is so cutthroat. You'll note that the terms of the suit have mostly to do with damage to Spence's reputation. If you look at Spence's wiki page, you'll get an idea of his reputation, starting with this warning: "This article or section is an autobiography, or has been extensively edited by the subject, and may not conform to Wikipedia's NPOV policy."
Spence isn't exactly a crackpot, but he does seem to be a legend in his own mind.
loren1 - December 3, 2007 02:31 PM (GMT)
There was alot of extra security at the 2007 convention just for this person. He needs to get a life. p: