USS Omaha (1869)

Career
Laid down:	1867, as Astoria
Launched:	10 June 1869
Commissioned:	12 September 1872
Decommissioned:	1891
Fate:	Sold,
Struck:	10 July 1914
General characteristics
Displacement:	2,394 tons
Length:	250 ft 6 in (76 m)
Beam:	38 ft (11.6 m)
Draught:	17 ft 6 in (5.3 m)
Propulsion:
Speed:	11.3 knots (21 km/h)
Complement:
Armament:	1 × 11 in (279 mm), 10 × 9 in (229 mm), 1 × 60 pdr (27 kg), 2 × 20 pdr (9 kg)

The first USS Omaha was laid down in 1867 by the Philadelphia Navy Yard as Astoria; launched 10 June 1869; she was renamed Omaha on 10 August 1869; and commissioned 12 September 1872, Captain John C. Febiger in command.

Omaha's first assignment was with the South Atlantic Squadron, and she served alternately on South and North Atlantic Stations from 1873 to 1879. From 1880 to 1884, Omaha was laid up in ordinary at Philadelphia, for a complete refit. By 1885 she was en route to the Asiatic Station via Cape Horn.

Omaha served on the Asiatic Station from 1885 to 1891. In 1890, on the night of 8 February, she put ashore a detachment of officers and men to assist in fighting an extensive fire in the town of Hodogaya, Japan, on request of the United States Consul-General.

In 1891, Omaha returned to Mare Island Navy Yard, where she decommissioned and was placed in ordinary. She never recommissioned, but later was turned over to the Marine Hospital Service, (which later became the U.S.Public Health Service) and subsequently anchored at Angel Island, California for use as a quarantine barge. Omaha served in this capacity until 1914, after which she was scrapped.

See USS Omaha for other ships of this name.

References

• US Naval History website
•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

External links

• Pictures & history of USS Omaha