S-49 as a civilian exhibit

S-49, along with her four near sisters, was never well liked by the Navy. A slow diver with the underwater maneuverability of a laden barge, and below average reliability all lead the Navy to decommission the boat in August 1930 and finally strike her from the Navy List in March of 1931. She was sold for scrapping to the Boston Iron & Metal Co. out of Baltimore, but at that point fate stepped in and provided her with a new story. The company apparently "demilitarized" the S-49, but before they started on the final scrapping process they sold the hulk to a gentleman by the name of Francis J. Chrestensen. The date was approximately 1935. Chrestensen was something of a huckster and carnival side-show man with a penchant for pursuing the "next big thing". He saw the S-49 as a potentially lucrative money-making venture so he got a series of loans and refurbished the interior so the boat could be used as a traveling exhibit. The boat had been rendered incapable of diving by the Boston Iron company, and it removed the batteries and likely rendered the engines inoperative as well.

Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.

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