Quitman Titan II Silo - With Pictures

[godfather]

I will try and call them later in the week, but I have to help a friend move tomorrow.

From what I understand, now that that wing is closed the chances of digging up anything left over a slim as everyone involved got shipped out. One of my friends was stationed there about the time they were shutting it down, and doesn't think there is anyone left that will remember anything.

[godfather]

Any info yet?

[Riggz13]

Not yet. I'm at UCA's library right now. They've got the archives locked up for whatever stupid reason. Doesn't look like they have anything outside of a few articles on the Damascus accident and maybe a picture of the command center. I'll come back Tuesday and try again.

*edit* Found this though:

Titan II ICBM Launch Complex 737 near Center Hill (White County), Titan II ICBM Launch Complex 374-5 at Springhill (Faulkner County), and Titan II ICBM Launch Complex 374-7 at Southside (Van Buren County), with their intact below-ground control centers and above-ground concrete pads, were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

Maybe we should try one of those. Being registered they might be easy to find...and hopefully one of them is uninhabited.

*Edit #2* I don't know how I've managed to miss this site in the past. The link I'm giving at the bottom is a page where this dude gives maps to <b>every</b> silo in Arkansas. That should help us some. His site also has pictures of the entrances to all the silos, nothing spectacular I'm afraid.

Maps!

[Gatsby]

Ummmm....if I could get access to the library of Congress say about....late February. What exactly would you want me to look for.

I can see if there is anything about parts of silos that weren't imploded in order to make sure you don't start digging a hole to nowhere. I might also be able to get maps/floorplans of specific installations themselves.

Tell me what you want and I can look. Might as well. I also have an uncle who was a missile technician, but I think he only served up in South Dakota.

I'll do what I can and I definitly want in. As well as the gps coordinates I'll pm for those though.

[GlassCurtain]

Yeah all that would be great info. Also need to see if you can get maps of the electric and water lines for the owner. that would score some major brownie points.

[Riggz13]

Yeah all that would be great info. Also need to see if you can get maps of the electric and water lines for the owner. that would score some major brownie points.

Yeah, the electric and water line lays would be what we need the most. It's site 379-9 in Quitman.

I called the Jacksonville Military Musuem and talked to a dude named Vince. He runs their Titan II exhibit there, and served on one of the sites, he didn't mention which one. Anyways, I asked him about the plans for that type stuff and all he could say was "we have pictures of how they're laid out, they're all the same." I know what he's talking about, it's this picture of the cutaway version of the command center, hatches, and the silo itself. I tried to tell him that's not what I was after. I didn't want to come out and say "We're tryin' to dig this bitch up and I don't want to get electrocuted in the process." Point being doesn't look like they'll be any help. My last hope is Quitman City Hall having building records...I don't even know if they have a City Hall. That or Gatsby finding something. I looked for an hour at UCA. They have a few pictures of the Quitman silo, but no actual information, so nerts to them.

[godfather]

Good work so far, let me know if there is anything else I can do to try and help out.

[junkman306]

Sounds like you guys are making a little head way anyway. Keep it up. I'm excited.

[fsp]

I wonder what the depth of the water table is there,
all too often those old silo complexes just fill with
groundwater once they cut power to the sump at the lowest point.

All of the command centers had an underground
escapeway close to the surface, where they would cover the entrance with sand so the occupants could dig their way out. The escapeway is hidden on the surface.
All of the silos were designed to be difficult to get into for security. I wonder if they set
charges just at the entrances. Since no depression
exists, there must be some space somewhere down there.

[junkman306]

Good thought. I forgot about them possibly setting charges. I wonder how hard it would be to find the escape tunnel?

[Gatsby]

The escape hatch was inside the air intake tunnel for the complex. It was about 46 feet tall so can anyone say repelling equipment if thats how we manage to get in? It's only three feet wide so the ropes would be a precautionary measure, not for a fun way in.

Didn't they only have sump pumps in the missile tube? They wouldn't need it inside the control complex because it actually has a watertight ceiling.

A sinkhole looking thing doesn't particularily mean that they didn't emplode part of it. They would just fill that in. But if they emploded the missile tube with the blast doors to the control center closed then I don't think we would have to worry about it being flooded.

Then again if they emploded it with the blast doors closed I don't think we have to worry about being able to get in either. It would be just about impossible.

Then again we aren't absolutely sure that they didn't destroy the control center as well are we?

[godfather]

As far as I know the only thing they imploded on any of these sites were the tubed themselves. The rest of the structure should be intact.

[Gatsby]

Sweet. Then what kinds of problems might we encounter with stale/dead air which has been sitting there for a couple decades.

Would we need to bring resperators because of all the nasty kind of building materials they used to use like asbestos.

[junkman306]

I never thought of that. The air could be crappy. I'd say someone should try repelling down it once it's found.

[godfather]

Respirators would be a good idea for sure.