pdp 11s to be auctioned at Goddard ( plus trivia )

From: McFadden, Mike <mmcfadden_at_cmh.edu>
Date: Fri Mar 23 09:05:50 2001

What we need is a central repository for classic computers:) About 15 miles
down the road from where I live, near Kansas City, the National Archives has
a big underground spot for all sorts of records. Part of the Smithsonian
Archives is there. Space is cheap.

A piece of trivia, I once heard that all of the population of Kansas City
could be housed underground in case of Nuclear War. The entire area is
underlain by limestone quarries. There are spots where they run trains full
of frozen vegetables in and unload them. They can have a power failure and
the temperature only goes up about 3 degrees in a month. Although they had
a fire and it took several months to choke it off and they ended up pumping
in liquid CO2 to smother the fire.

The local newspaper, Kansas City Star, sent all of their reporter's
notebooks and unpublished photos to a one of the "caves". Lots of valuable
information especially about President Truman who's from the area. The
newspapers and paper have to be acid neutralized or you end up with powder.


Actually logistics and conservation is always a problem. You actually need
an ongoing process to reexamine and prevent rust, vermin, and oxidation.
You can't just store it you must actively maintain it.

I'm sure I'm "Preaching to the choir".

Mike
mmcfadden_at_cmh.edu
Received on Fri Mar 23 2001 - 09:05:50 GMT