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For 20 years she’s tried to solve a Civil War mystery in NJ. Now she has a big clue.

Alice Smith's search for a buried submarine prototype in the Rancocas Creek has been strewn with tantalizing, but ultimately disappointing clues. She's on one final quest.

Alice Smith, who has been on a multi-decade quest to find a rumored sunken Civil War submarine prototype, named Alligator Jr., at the river in Delanco, New Jersey, on July 31, 2024.
Alice Smith, who has been on a multi-decade quest to find a rumored sunken Civil War submarine prototype, named Alligator Jr., at the river in Delanco, New Jersey, on July 31, 2024.Read moreJessica Griffin / Staff Photographer