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Gunboat U.S.S. Dolphin

By Patrick McSherry

U.S.S. Dolphin in full dress
The Gunboat DOLPHIN in full dress and fresh paint.
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  History of the DOLPHIN ||| Technotes on DOLPHIN ||| Crew Roster of the DOLPHIN

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


Bibliography:

(As a service to our readers, clicking on titles in red will take you to that book on Amazon.com)

Alden, Cmdr. John D., USN (Ret.), American Steel Navy, (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute Press, 1972) 14, 16, 19..

Clerk of Joint Committee on Printing, The Abridgement of Message from the President of the United States to the Two Houses of Congress. (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1899) Vol II, ``94, 1195, 1248, 1249; Vol. 4, 318-319.

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Vol. II (Washington: Navy Department, 1963) 285-286.

Harris, Lt. Cmdr. Brayton, USN, The Age of the Battleship. (New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1965) 7.

Report of the Chief of the Bureau of Navigation, 1898 (Washington: Government Printing Offce, 1898) 18-19.

Spector, Ronald, Admiral of the New Empire : the Life and Career of George Dewey. (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1974). .

Sternlicht, Sanford, McKinley's 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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