Everything about Uss Charleston C-2 totally explained
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USS Charleston in Manila
|
| Career |
|
| Laid down: |
20 January 1887 |
| Launched: |
19 July 1888 |
| Commissioned: |
26 December 1889 |
| Fate: |
wrecked 2 November 1899 |
| General characteristics |
| Displacement: |
3,730 tons |
| Length: |
320 ft (m) |
| Beam: |
46 ft (m) |
| Draft: |
18.5 ft (m) |
| Speed: |
19 knots |
| Complement: |
300 officers and men |
| Armament: |
2 x 8-inch guns, 6 x 6-inch guns |
The second
USS Charleston (C-2) was a
United States Navy protected cruiser and the first US protected cruiser to be built. Having a lack of experience in building
steel cruisers, the design was commissioned from the
British company
W. Armstrong, Mitchell and Co of Newcastle, the construction to be by an American shipyard.
She was launched
19 July 1888 by
Union Iron Works,
San Francisco, California, sponsored by Mrs. A. S. Smith, and commissioned
26 December 1889, Captain
George C. Remey in command.
Charleston cleared
Mare Island Navy Yard 10 April 1890 to join the
Pacific Squadron as
flagship, cruising in the eastern Pacific. She carried the remains of King
David Kalakaua of Hawaii to
Honolulu after his death in
San Francisco, and between
8 May and
4 June 1891, took part in the search for the
Chilean steamer
Itata which had fled
San Diego in violation of the American neutrality laws, enforced strictly during the
Chilean Civil War. Between
19 August and
31 December 1891,
Charleston cruised in the
Far East as flagship of the
Asiatic Squadron, rejoining the Pacific Squadron in
1892 until
7 October, when she departed for the east coast, calling at a number of
South American ports en route.
Charleston arrived in
Hampton Roads 23 February 1893. From here she sailed with other American and foreign ships to the
International Naval Review conducted at
New York City 26 April 1893 as part of the
Columbian Exposition. Taking the review was President
Grover Cleveland in despatch vessel
Dolphin. In the summer of 1893,
Charleston turned south to join the strong force patrolling the east coast of South America to protect American interests and shipping from disturbance during the
Brazilian Revolution. After a leisurely cruise from
Montevideo,
Uruguay, she arrived in San Francisco
8 July 1894 to prepare for a return to the Asiatic Station. She cruised in the Far East until
6 June 1896, when she steamed from
Yokohama for San Francisco where she was placed out of commission
27 July 1896.
Upon the outbreak of the
Spanish-American War,
Charleston was quickly made ready for service, and was recommissioned
5 May 1898. Sixteen days later, she sailed for Honolulu, where she was joined by three chartered steamers transporting troops.
Charleston was sent to raise the American flag over
Guam, then a Spanish possession. At daybreak on
20 June, the little
convoy arrived off the north end of Guam.
Charleston investigated the harbor at
Agana, then proceeded to
Apra Harbor. Leaving the transports safely anchored outside,
Charleston sailed boldly into the harbor, firing a challenge at
Fort Santa Cruz. Almost at once, a boatload of Spanish authorities came out to apologize for having no gunpowder with which to return the supposed salute. They were astounded to learn that a state of war existed, and that the American ships had come to take the island. The next day the surrender was received by a landing party sent ashore from
Charleston. With the Spanish governor and the island's garrison of 69 as prisoners in one of the transports,
Charleston then sailed to join Admiral
George Dewey's fleet in
Manila Bay.
She arrived Manila
30 June 1898 to reinforce the victors of the previous month's
great naval battle in their close blockade of the Bay.
Charleston joined in the final bombardment of
13 August, which brought about the surrender of the city of Manila. She remained in the
Philippines through 1898 and
1899, bombarding insurgent positions to aid Army forces advancing ashore, and taking part in the naval expedition which captured
Subic Bay in September 1899.
Charleston grounded on an uncharted reef near
Camiguin Island north of
Luzon on
2 November 1899. Wrecked beyond salvage, she was abandoned by all her crew, who made camp on a nearby island, later moving on to Camiguin while the ship's sailing launch was sent for help. On
12 November, gunboat
USS Helena (PG-9) arrived to rescue the shipwrecked men.
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