|
When it
was launched in December of 1861 at Mound City,
Illinois the USS Cairo represented the latest
technology in modern nautical warfare. With an
overall length of 175 feet and beam of 51 feet 2
inches the 512-ton ironclad had a complement of 117
officers and men.
Click to enlarge.
The Cairo had the dubious distinction
of being the first armored vessel in history to be
sunk by an electrically detonated torpedo that is
known today as a mine. On December 12, 1862 while
steaming in the Yazoo River approximately 10 miles
north of Vicksburg, Mississippi, Cairo was struck by
two torpedoes, sinking in less than 12 minutes.
Fortunately there was no loss of life.
Click to enlarge.
|
Cairo was raised in 1964 after
spending 102 years beneath the muddy waters of the
Yazoo River. Today, Cairo is on public display at a
specially constructed pavilion within the Vicksburg
National Military Park.
Click to enlarge.
The Park Service realized that the
deteriorated condition of the vessels wood frame and
decking needed to be protected from fire caused by
lightning, or possibly an accidental or deliberate
act. Since the Cairo was stored in an outdoor
environment and subjected to varying year round
weather conditions many conventional methods of
detecting fire were not suitable. |
Protectowire Linear Heat Detector
Model PHSC-190-EPR was selected as most suitable
method because of its ability to withstand the
punishing outdoor environment but also it's ability
to detect an overheat situation anywhere along it's
length which can be up to 3,500 feet per zone. In
addition, the Protectowire Linear Heat Detector
required virtually no maintenance to comply with
current NFPA Codes and was considered to be highly
immune to false alarming.
Click to enlarge.
The Protectowire was threaded throughout the vessel
to provide coverage to all areas that could
represent a potential fire risk. Due to its small
diameter, the esthetics of the Cairo was not
affected and in most cases the Protectowire Linear
Heat Detector is not visible at viewing distances.
The FS2000 Series Protectowire Linear Heat Detection
Control Panel for this application was equipped with
an Alarm Point Location Meter to assist in
determining the location of a fire or overheat
situation.
|
