One of my favorite places

Well we had a relatively good trip from the Outer Banks to Mississippi. Only a few minor problems. The usual stuff after sitting on the ocean for 6 months. Salt and sand do raise some heck with the nuts and bolts and electrical goods but all were overcome and we made good time into Vicksburg where we like to rest for a little. The Vicksburg Battle field is one of my favorite places.

My most favorite place on the NPS unit is the Cairo.

The huge tent they have placed over her is just amazing.

This Ironclad is over two hundred feet long and is 60 feet wide .

The ship sank so fast that all the personnel belongings were still on her when they raised it. The ships bell was still in it's mount.

So many artifacts .

To stand on her deck and look out the gun ports gives me a chill each time I do it.

When you look at this side of her you can see the huge hole that the torpedo torn in her and the reason she sank so fast . The good part was her whole crew was rescued .

One of the massive steam pistons that powered her giant paddle wheel.

A section of boilers that powered the giant paddle wheel . Each boiler consumed 1 ton of coal per hour.

A look up through the pilot house. Not much protection for the pilot.

Part of the winch that would raise the anchors.

Railroad track that was used to bolster the front plating of the bow.

The steam piston on the other side of the paddle wheel.

The two rudders that were used to steer the Cairo. what was neat about her design was that the water that came off the back of the paddle was channeled through a system to flush the toilets on board that were located just behind it.

And of course the Texas Monument.