2006 RV - Doug & Crystal

This is so interesting, it the museum where the U.S.S. Cairo, Ironclad River Gunboat, City Class, was Commissioned: January 16, 1862, Torpedoed and Sunk: December 12, 1862, Raised: December 12, 1964. On December 12, 1862, the Cairo was busy clearing Confederate torpedoes (today called an underwater mine) from the muddy Yazoo River. Upon hearing small arms fire, Commander Selfridge thought his vessel was under attack and ordered Cairo into position.


Two Confederate sailors, Acting Masters Zedekiah McDaniel and Francis M. Ewing, hid behind a river bank and waited as the Cairo maneuvered. At the right moment, they detontated the torpedoes with an electric charge. Two explosions ripped a large hole in the port bow causing the Cairo to quickly fill with water. It sank to the bottom, in six fathoms (36 feet) of water, within twelve minutes with no loss of life. The Cairo became the first armored warship in history to be sunk by an electronically detonated mine.


After one hundred years on the bottom of the Yazoo River, efforts were made to raise the Cairo. But over the years silt and river sediment had accumulated inside the vessel. As the Cairo was lifted from the bottom it began to bend and buckle from the added weight. Without warning, the lifting cables sliced deep into its wooden hull cutting the boat into three sections. After one hundred years on the bottom of the Yazoo River, efforts were made to raise the Cairo. But over the years silt and river sediment had accumulated inside the vessel. As the Cairo was lifted from the bottom it began to bend and buckle from the added weight. Without warning, the lifting cables sliced deep into its wooden hull cutting the boat into three sections.

The starboard (right) side of the gunboat shows gun ports number 3 and 4. The iron plating was mounted as part of the sloping casemate that enclosed the gun deck. The 2 1/2 inch thick charcoal plate iron was originally backed by a two foot thickness of white oak timbers. Without the wood to absorb the shock of shot and shell hitting the iron, the metal would have shattered like glass.