Gunboat U.S.S. Dolphin
By Patrick McSherry
![U.S.S. Dolphin in full dress U.S.S. Dolphin in full dress](Dolphin.jpg)
The Gunboat DOLPHIN in full dress and fresh
paint.
General:
The DOLPHIN served with the blockade of Cuba
during the Spanish American War, taking part in various bombardments and
actions, including the Battle of Cuzco Well and the capture of a Spanish
vessel.
Background:
The Gunboat DOLPHIN is very significant in that she was first vessel in
the new American steel navy, when the navy was reborn after nearly being
placed out of existence through obsolescence and lack of funding. The
first new steel vessels were the ATLANTA, BOSTON,
CHICAGO and DOLPHIN, and were called collectively the "ABCD Fleet" because
of their names. Of the four vessels, DOLPHIN was the first completed.
DOLPHIN was built by John Roach and Sons of Chester, Pennsylvania, located
outside of Philadelphia. Originally she was to be commanded by Capt.
(later Admiral) George Dewey, however delays in
her acceptance by the Navy forced Dewey to move
on to command the PENSACOLA instead. She was two months later than planned
for her sea trials. At her sea trials, DOLPHIN failed to make the designed
speed and even suffered the breaking of her propeller shaft. The problems
were eventually overcome and the vessel was commissioned on December 8,
1885.
After initally cruising off the east coast of the United States,
DOLPHIN was sent on a world cruise from February, 1886 to September,
1889. During this 58,000 mile cruise - actually the equivalent to
over twice around the globe - her engines were inoperative for only two
hours. This was an amazing technical achievement which Secretary of the
Navy Benjamin Tracy indicated was "probably without parallel in the
history of naval vessels� up to that time. Also on this cruise, DOLPHIN
sported a coat of white paint which became standard on U.S. naval
vessels, giving rise to the name "the White Squadron." After the world
cruise she again cruised off the U.S. east coast and in the Caribbean.
After being placed out of commission from May, 1 1891 to March 14, 1892,
the DOLPHIN again resumed patrol duties in the same area. Because of her
modern design but diminutive size, the Secretary of the Navy frequently
used her for transportation.
On December 3, 1895, DOLPHIN began her service with the Special
Service Squadron. Her duties included being sent to Guatemala on a
surveying expedition during the first two months of 1896. President
McKinley was aboard the vessel for transportation to the
ceremonies commemorating the completion of the tomb for former president
U.S. Grant in April of 1897. Later that year, in November, 1897,
DOLPHIN was again placed out of commission.
As the tensions rose that finally led to the Spanish American War, the
DOLPHIN was recommissioned on March 24, 1898 and sent to serve in the
Blockade of Cuba. Off Cuba,
DOLPHIN, under the command of Commander H. W. Lyon, soon found herself
in action. On April 27, she captured the 31 ton Spanish vessel, LOLA,
with a cargo of fish and salt. On June 6, she was fired upon by the guns
of the Morro Castle at Santiago. On June 14, 1898, she bombarded the
Spanish position in the Battle of Cuzco Well, near Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
After the battle, she carried the American and Cuban wounded, including
including Captain William F. Spicer and First Lieutenant Wendell C.
Neville back to Guantanamo Bay. On July 2, she was sent back to Norfolk,
Virginia..
By now, her size greatly limited her use. After 1899, except during
World War One, the vessel was generally relegated to the transport of
the president, secretary of the navy, and other diplomats as needed, and
to ceremonial activities, such as the Washington DC Peace Jubilee, the
celebrations concerning the return of Admiral Dewey
and the OLYMPIA in September, 1899, the
ceremonies surrounding the return of John Paul Jones' remains to
Annapolis and the departure of the Great White Fleet in 1907. During
this time she carried President Theodore Rosevelt,
Prince Louis of Battenberg, and the Japanese delegation negotiating an
end to the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, etc. In late 1899 and early 1900
she surveyed the mouth of the Orinoco River in South America.
From October 22, 1908 until 1917, DOPLHIN served as the flagship of
the Third Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet. Notably, while in Tampico,
Mexico, on April of 1914, a navy paymaster and two enlisted crewmen from
DOLPHIN were arrested by the local authorities. This created an
international incident and was one of the factors that eventually led to
the 1914 invasion of Vera Cruz, Mexico by the U.S. Navy. The vessel took
part in the occupation of Santo Domingo in May, 1916. In April, 1917,
the vessel was sent to officially take possession of the newly purchased
U.S. Virgin Islands. En route, she was notified of the Declaration of
War placing the United States in a state of war in the European
conflict. As part of her wartime duties, she tracked down and captured
the steamship NORDSKAR, suspected of aiding the enemy. DOLPHIN was
assigned as the flagship for the American Patrol Detachment, protecting
shipping in the Gulf of Mexico. On October 16, 1920, the DOLPHIN was
assigned as the flagship of the Special Service Squadron.
On December 8, 1921, DOLPHIN was decommissioned. The historic vessel
was sold by the Navy on February 25, 1922.
ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:
The gunboat was intended as a dispatch boat, to carry messages to naval
commands otherwise out of communication. This use, of course, was made
obsolete with the use of wireless communication in the beginning of the
1900's. Her size made her too small for much in the way of military use
and she was "later officially characterized as 'more of a pleasure boat
than a warship.'"
Among her other problems, her main machinery extended above the
waterline of the vessel, making it more susceptible to damage in action.
Her rated speed of 15.50 knots was actually quite slow for a vessel of
this size. She had compound (double expansion) engines rather than the
more modern and efficient triple expansion engines.
Also, built at time when the Navy was unwilling to take the full step
to steam, DOLPHIN was equipped with sails, should they be needed, and to
reduce the need for coal.
TECHNOTES:
Classification: |
|
Steel Dispatch Boat |
Keel Laid: |
|
October 11, 1883 |
Launched: |
|
April 12, 1884 |
Commissioned: |
|
December 8, 1885 |
Rig: |
|
Three masted schooner |
Armament: |
|
Three 4 inch rapid fire guns |
|
|
Two 14-pounder rapid fire guns |
|
|
Two 6-pounder rapid fire guns |
|
|
Two 3-pounder rapid fire guns |
|
|
Two Gatling guns |
Contractor: |
|
John Roach & Sons, Chester, Pennsylvania |
Length: |
|
240 feet |
Beam: |
|
32 feet |
Mean draft: |
|
14 feet, 3 inches |
Displacement: |
|
1,486 tons |
Complement: |
|
7 officers and 110 enlisted men, under the
command of Commander H. W. Lyon. |
Engine type: |
|
Twin screw driven by a vertical compound engine
capable of generating 2,255 horsepower |
Boiler type: |
|
Two double-ended and two single ended cylindrical
boilers |
Coal Bunker Capacity |
|
265 tons |
Normal Coal Supply |
|
-- |
Speed: |
|
15.50 knots |
Endurance at 10 knots |
|
3,180 nautical miles |
Armor: |
|
Watertight deck was had 3/8" armor on the slopes |
|
|
and 5/16" armor on the flat portion. |
Cost |
|
$315,000 |
CREW ROSTER:
Below is a list of officers, sailors and Marines assigned to the USS
DOLPHIN.OFFICERS:
LYON, Henry W., Commander (Commanding)
VREELAND, Charles E., Lieutenant
ALMY, Augustus C., Lieutenant
SNOWDEN, Thomas, Lieutenant
KITTELLE, Sumner E.W., Ensign
COLE, William C., Ensign
STIRLING JR., Yates, Ensign
GARDNER, James E., Surgeon
BRYAN, Samuel, Assistant Paymaster
BRYAN, Benjamin G., Passed Assistant Engineer
ALLEN, W.H., Naval Cadet
ROPER, W.G., Naval Cadet
ENLISTED MEN:
ANDERSON, Harry, G., Ordinary Seaman
ANDSTEN, John, Seaman
AUBEL, George J., Seaman
BARTLETT, George P., Ordinary Seaman
BAUER, William H., Coal Passer
BECK, Theodore H., Landsman
BELL, Thomas, Coal Passer
BERENS, Louis J., Apothecary
BIESINGER, Elias, Chief Yeoman
BORGESON, Oscar, Gunner�s Mate Second Class
BOWLES, Joseph, Mess Attendant
BRAGG, Calvin M., Chief Master at Arms
BRAUER, Henry T.W., Chief Quartermaster
BURDEN, Harry, Apprentice Second Class
BUTLER, Miles, Ordinary Seaman
CAHILL, James B., Chief Yeoman
CAHILL, Thomas, Water Tender
CALLAHAN, Thomas, Fireman First Class
CAMPBELL, Joseph, Ordinary Seaman
CARABINE, James, Coal Passer
CARALL, Frank, Chief Boatswain�s Mate
CHILES, Samuel, Chief Gunner�s Mate
CHOLLMAN, William, Plumbers and Fitters
CLARK, Charles, Ship�s Cook First Class
COLEMAN, James J., Coal Passer
COLIN, Paul, Chief Steward
COLLIGAN, William J., Apprentice Second Class
COLLINS, John, Apprentice Second Class
CONNORS, John, Landsman
COTTAY, William J., Ordinary Seaman
DALY, John, Oiler
DAVIS, Clarence W., Ordinary Seaman
DAVIS, John H., Coal Passer
DELILLY, Isaac, W., Cabin Cook
DIXON, Horace, Seaman
DRAPER, Richard A., Mess Attendant
DUBOIS, Albert W., Yeoman Third Class
DUFF, James, Seaman
DURAN, Edward, Coal Passer
DUROSE, Fred, Coal Passer
EGGLESTON, John J., Coal Passer
EVANS, John W., Fireman Second Class
FALLESON, John A., Apprentice Second Class
FINLEY, Clarence E., Apprentice Third Class
FLOYD, Freeman, Fireman First Class
FLYNN, John F., Chief Yeoman
FORD, Thomas, Fireman Second Class
FRANCIS, Charles, Mess Attendant
FRENCH, Herbert L., Bayman
FRIDAY, William H., Ordinary Seaman
GALLAGHER, Thomas F., Chief Machinist
GEBHARDT, Bernard, Machinist Second Class
GRABFELDER, Benjamin F., Seaman
GRADY, Standish, Apprentice Second Class
GREEN, William, Mess Attendant
HALL, Thomas J., Chief Yeoman
HALLENBECK, Henry W., Yeoman Third Class
HANRAHAN, Richard, Quartermaster Third Class
HANSON, Alfred B., Ordinary Seaman
HARRIS, George W., Landsman
HARTLEY, George M., Blacksmith
HAYES, Jerome B., Ordinary Seaman
HERBERT, William, Boatswain�s Mate Second Class
HEYMOURE, Sidney, Seaman
HIGGINS, Michael, Boatswain�s Mate Second Class
HILLMAN, John, Fireman Second Class
HOLDEN, George, Seaman
HOLMSTRAND, Per A., Ordinary Seaman
HORSEY, John, Seaman
HUNT, Malachi, Mess Attendant
HUTTON, George W., Cabin Cook
HYMON, Julius, Fireman Second Class
JANKO, William, Seaman
JENKINS, Albert E., Coxswain
JOHNSON, Emilius, Seaman
JOHNSON, Herbert P., Seaman
JOHNSON, John W., Ordinary Seaman
KANE, John Henry, Coxswain
KEEFFE, Thomas D., Seaman
KELLEY, Harry, Coal Passer
KITTINGER, John F., Fireman Second Class
KOTERSKI, Lucian H., Apprentice Second Class
KRALL, Joseph M., Apprentice Second Class
LINDLEY, Erasmus C., Ordinary Seaman
LONDON, Frederick H., Apprentice Second Class
LYONS, John, Fireman First Class
MACKMIS, Frederick, Fireman Second Class
MERCIER, Louis, Seaman
MILLER, George H., Apprentice Second Class
MILLS, William D., Landsman
MORRIS, Moses, Ordinary Seaman
MULVEY, Patrick, Fireman First Class
MURPHY, John, Fireman First Class
MURPHY, William H., Landsman
MYNTTI, William, Ordinary Seaman
NELSON, John B., Sailmaker�s Mate
NIELSEN, Magnus, Coal Passer
NIXON, Edwin A., Gunner�s Mate Third Class
NYMAN, Frederick W., Seaman
O�BRIEN, Harry, Oiler
OLSON, Herbert A., Seaman
OLSON, Herbert M., Ordinary Seaman
OSBORNE, Elwood J., Coal Passer
PAGE, Frank, Oiler
PEDERSEN, Peder, Coxswain
PETERSEN, Henry A., Seaman
PRICE, Frank C., Painter
RAPHAEL, Chester A.A., Apprentice Second Class
ROBERTSON, George W., Bugler
SABELSTROM, Gustav, Quartermaster First Class
SANDERS, John, Machinist Second Class
SCHNEIDER, William, Machinist First Class
SCHUMANN, Edward H., Landsman
SCOTFORD, Howard A., Seaman
SEXTON, Andrew R., Seaman
SEXTON, Edward J., Water Tender
SHEPPERD, Charles H., Wardroom Cook
SHIRED, Frank, Chief Steward
SILSBY, Benjamin F., Ordinary Seaman
SMITH, Carl Leo, Fireman First Class
SMITH, Frederick, Boatswain�s Mate Second Class
STECKMANN, John, Carpenter�s Mate First Class
STEINBRENNER, A.C., Gunner�s Mate First Class
STENMAN, Jack O., Oiler
STEVENS, Wirt A., Seaman
STUART, Henry, Chief Machinist
SULLIVAN, Henry J., Boilermaker
TAFT, Clarence C., Apprentice Second Class
TAYLOR, Richard O., Wardroom Steward
TRIER, Charles W., Ordinary Seaman
WILLIS, Joseph, Ordinary Seaman
WILSON, Donald, Coal Passer
WILSON, John. Seaman
WILSON, Samuel A., Ordinary Seaman
WOOD, Joseph, Gunner�s Mate First Class
WOODS, Austin H., Seaman
MARINE GUARD:
SULLIVAN, Barney, First Sergeant
BRUSH, John H., Private
LAMMER, Charles G., Private
MABEE, Franklin, Private
MCKAY, John, Private
MCNEIL, George I., Private
(As a service to our readers, clicking on titles in red
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from the President of the United States to the Two Houses of Congress.
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1249; Vol. 4, 318-319.
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of
the New Empire : the Life and Career of George Dewey. (Baton
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Bulldog,
the Battleship Oregon. (Chicago: Nelson-Hall, Inc., 1977)
35.
Weaver, Barry, Col Albert F. Gleim and Danny J. Farak, The
West Indies Naval Campaign Medal of 1898 - The Sampson Medal, the
Ships and Men. (Arlington, VA: Planchet Press, 1986) (Roster data
contributed by Douglas Davis).
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