Vicksburg National Military Park in Warren County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)

Full Steam Ahead!

Photographed By Mark Hilton, October 25, 2017

1. Full Steam Ahead! Marker

Inscription. Steam-driven propulsion systems like the one you see here powered riverboats churning up and down western rivers in the mid-1800s. Cairo's engines and boilers are among the oldest and best surviving examples of this type of machinery.

[Photo captions]
Left middle: Steam Drum
A long drum connected to the top of the boilers collected steam and delivered it to the engines.

Left bottom: Boilers
The five long boilers you see to your left made steam to power Cairo's engines. The boilers were heated with coal—2,000 pounds an hour. Hot gasses from the fire flowed through tubes running the length of each boiler. Heat from the gasses turned water inside the boilers to steam.

Middle bottom: Piston
The steam drove two huge pistons, one on either side of the engine compartment.

Right bottom: Oscillating Arm
The pistons pushed oscillating arms that turned the paddle wheel. At full steam, Cairo's engines could move the 888-ton gunboat at about nine miles per hour.

Erected by National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: War, US Civil • Waterways & Vessels.

Location.

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32° 22.551′ N, 90° 51.995′ W. Marker is in Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi, in Warren County. Marker can be reached from Union Avenue. Located within the raised USS Cairo and across from the museum. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Vicksburg MS 39183, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. U.S.S. Cairo Engine and Boilers (here, next to this marker); Wheelhouse - USS Cairo (a few steps from this marker); The Skylights (a few steps from this marker); Chimneys - USS Cairo (a few steps from this marker); Pilothouse - USS Cairo (a few steps from this marker); A Crew of Immigrants (a few steps from this marker); The USS Cairo (a few steps from this marker); A Ton an Hour - USS Cairo (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Vicksburg National Military Park.

Piston and oscillating arm. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, October 25, 2017

2. Piston and oscillating arm.

National Historic Engineering Landmark for the U.S.S. <i>Cairo</i> Engine & Boilers. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, October 25, 2017

3. National Historic Engineering Landmark for the U.S.S. Cairo Engine & Boilers.

View of USS <i>Cairo</i> steam drum & boilers. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, October 25, 2017

4. View of USS Cairo steam drum & boilers.

View of marker, just to left of white tent pole. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mark Hilton, October 25, 2017

5. View of marker, just to left of white tent pole.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 1, 2017. It was originally submitted on November 1, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 308 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 1, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.